/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5fb7d379fe0c8de5fcf42c05/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=3101&cropY1=124&cropY2=1869&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "Republicans’ Support For Fox News Plunged After Election Day, Poll Finds")
Topline
Many Republicans have dropped their support of Fox News since Election Day, a new Morning Consult poll finds, as President Donald Trump has rallied his supporters against the network and increasingly aligned himself with fringe networks like One America News (OAN) in the wake of Fox’s early call that Joe Biden won Arizona on election night.
Fox News host Sean Hannity (L) interviews President Donald Trump before a campaign rally at the Las … [+]
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Key Facts
The percentage of Republicans with a favorable view of Fox News has dropped 13% since the election, from 67% before Election Day to 54% in polling conducted Nov. 9 to 16.
The share of Republicans with an unfavorable view of the network increased from 16% to 30%.
Trump has repeatedly tweeted negative comments about the network in recent weeks, after he was reportedly infuriated by the network being the first major media outlet to project Biden’s Arizona win.
The president has specifically encouraged his supporters to support fringe networks like OAN and Newsmax as alternatives to Fox News, and those networks have reportedly seen their ratings soar since the election.
Key Background
Fox News has been viewed as Trump’s most important media ally and messenger for his policies throughout his presidency, with major anchors like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Jeanine Pirro and Laura Ingraham closely aligning themselves with the Trump administration. Though the network has continued to support the president since the election, it has showed some signs of pushing back against Trump’s ongoing refusal to concede the election and his campaign’s attempt to overthrow Biden’s win: Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade said “it’s in the country’s best interest” for the Trump administration to start coordinating with the Biden transition team, for instance, and a Fox News anchor openly criticized Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani’s press conference on the campaign’s legal efforts Thursday, saying it was “light on facts” and that “so much of what [Giuliani] said was not true.” Carlson also pushed back against baseless conspiracy theories espoused during the press conference by Trump advisor Sidney Powell on his program Thursday night, criticizing Powell for refusing to provide Carlson and his team with any evidence that would back up her claims.
What To Watch For
Trump is reportedly considering launching his own media company to compete with Fox News after he leaves the White House, Axios reported Nov. 12. The offering would reportedly take the form of a subscription-based digital streaming channel online, rather than a pricier cable television network, but Trump “aim[s] to replace” Fox as his supporters’ “top destination” for news, Axios reports.
Further Reading
Fox News’ Popularity Slips Among Republicans in Wake of Election (Morning Consult)
Trump Is Now Trashing Fox News. Here’s What May Be His Ulterior Motive. (Forbes)
On Trump’s New Favorite TV Channels, The Election Rages On (Forbes)
Scoop: Trump eyes digital media empire to take on Fox News (Axios)
Fox’s Arizona Call for Biden Flipped the Mood at Trump Headquarters (New York Times)
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