Trump Attacks Fox as MAGA Allies Deflect Blame
WHO:
Alternet - A Fox political analyst said 40 percent of Americans and 75 percent of Democrats who voted cited opposition to Trump.
Alternet - President Donald Trump called Fox News during its election coverage; Fox anchor Bret Baier responded to Trump’s criticism.
Alternet - Trump attacked Fox pundit Jessica Tarlov on Truth Social, calling her “DUMB AS A ROCK” and criticizing her voice.
CNN - Trump, Fox anchors Bret Baier, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham discussed the GOP’s election losses and the Iran conflict.
CNN - Radio host Buck Sexton wrote on X, “Sometimes you get your ass kicked, and deserve it. Tonight is one such time for the Republican Party.”
CNN - Fox is controlled by Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch; Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch attributed the network’s ratings slump to “viewer fatigue.”
Drudge Report - The headline read, “TRUMP BLAMES FOX; FOX BLAMES ANYTHING BUT HIM...”
WHAT:
CNBC - Fox News reported an average of 1.1 million viewers in October, down about 27% from October the previous year.
CNBC - In October, MS NOW averaged 588,000 viewers across all day parts and CNN averaged 402,000, according to Nielsen data cited by Fox.
CNBC - Fox Corp. reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $4.57 billion, up 22% year over year; advertising revenue rose 47%.
CNBC - Fox Corp. attributed advertising growth to strong political advertising and the FIFA Men’s World Cup, which aired in part on Fox platforms across June and July.
Alternet - Democrats gained seven Senate seats, reaching a 56-seat majority, and flipped 25 House seats to secure 228 seats; final House numbers were still undetermined.
Alternet - Democrats gained five governorships, with another in Alaska appearing likely. Texas elected its first Democratic senator in 40 years and had its first Democratic governor in 30 years; South Carolina elected a Democratic senator for the first time in 28 years, and Kansas did so for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Alternet - Fox host Laura Ingraham said, “Voters are not happy”; a Fox analyst said voters “feel like cost of living hasn’t been addressed” and “don’t feel like Donald Trump has a plan.”
CNN - Trump blamed Fox for Republican losses, writing that the network “bears responsibility for these losses” by airing Democratic opposition. During his call to Fox, he instead congratulated Democrats and said he was surprised by some results.
Alternet - Trump said Fox’s polling was “terrible” and that its results had been wrong about him “for 12 years.” Baier replied that the election results were close to what Fox’s polls showed.
Alternet - Trump claimed a CNN poll showed “99 percent approval in the Republican Party”; Alternet reported that no such poll results appeared to exist.
CNN - Hannity said the race would have been “100 percent” different if the United States had not entered the war in Iran, then defended Trump’s decision. Ingraham called the Iran conflict “really tough and not well explained” and said people did not want war.
CNN - Trump claimed Fox ratings were down “27%!” and said his numbers were better than ever. CNN reported that media analysts attributed Fox’s ratings decline largely to GOP voter malaise and that Trump’s approval ratings were at or near record lows.
CNN - Trump objected to former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio appearing on Fox, calling him “ranting and raving like a Lunatic.” De Blasio discussed a “populist economic message” and said some Republicans voted Democratic in protest against Trump.
WHERE:
CNN - Trump’s call with Fox anchors took place on the network’s air; the coverage addressed Republican election results and the Iran conflict.
WHEN:
CNBC - Lachlan Murdoch discussed Fox’s viewership decline during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Monday.
CNBC - Trump appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Monday night ahead of the election.
Alternet - Trump called Fox during Election Night as Democratic victories emerged.
CNN - Trump posted his statement blaming Fox shortly before midnight Eastern time, then called the network a few minutes later.
CNN - Trump criticized Jessica Tarlov during Fox’s 5 p.m. hour, shortly before the first polls closed.
WHY:
Alternet - Fox’s analyst said voters felt Trump was fighting for his own interests rather than theirs; exit polls identified the economy, war, and corruption as leading concerns.
CNN - Fox commentators and MAGA influencers cited the Iran war, high gas prices, and broken promises as factors in GOP losses, while criticizing Trump’s policies without directly blaming him.
Alternet - Trump blamed Fox’s polling, coverage, and guest bookings for contributing to Republican losses.
HOW:
CNN - Trump criticized Fox through Truth Social posts, a phone interview, and complaints about its polling and guest bookings.
CNN - Greg Gutfeld read a text rebuttal from Trump on air; Tarlov joked that Trump should reply “STOP” and later wrote on X, “Reality is a tricky thing and he should get better at dealing with it.”
(UPDATED November 4, 2026 19:03 UTC)
Democrats made major election gains, as Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses. On air, Trump criticized the network’s polling, coverage, and guest bookings. Fox averaged 1.1 million viewers in October, down 27 percent year over year.
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(UPDATED November 4, 2026 17:05 UTC)
Democrats scored sweeping election victories, gaining Senate seats, House seats, and governorships nationwide. Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses, while anchors disputed his criticism on air. Fox commentators cited economic concerns and the Iran conflict as factors behind voters’ decisions.
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(UPDATED November 4, 2026 13:59 UTC)
President Trump blamed Fox News for Republican election losses during an on-air call. Anchor Bret Baier pushed back, saying results closely matched the network’s polling. Fox commentators discussed GOP setbacks, the Iran conflict, high gas prices, and broken promises.