America's (Almost) State Rum Network......

Donald Trump ends 2018 with a Fox News interview — his 41st since inauguration


New York (CNN Business) - President Donald Trump rang in the new year with his friends at Fox News — literally.

He wrapped up 2018 by chatting with one of his most loyal supporters on Fox, Pete Hegseth. The phone interview aired on the cable network's New Year's Eve countdown show.

With some notable exceptions, Fox has been Trump's shelter from the storms that are saturating his presidency. And Trump has generously promoted the network and its right-wing personalities with dozens of tweets and endorsements.

Traditional lines have been crossed or erased altogether. Trump seems to get his daily briefings from "Fox & Friends" and get directions from Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro.

During the partial government shutdown, Pirro, a Saturday night host, spoke directly to Trump through her opening monologue.

"I am pleading with you," she said, to keep up the fight for border wall funding.

Past presidents have had close connections to members of the media of course — but Trump and Fox have taken it to a whole new level. Throughout 2018, the second year of Trump's presidency, the relationship became even cozier. Some love the tight relationship, and others detest it. Critics have likened the set-up to "state-run TV," or the opposite, a "TV-run state." Comedian Jordan Klepper went with the "TV-run state" idea in a commentary last April: "Fox says it, Trump spreads it."

He definitely gathers intelligence and gains talking points from Fox's talk shows. That's evident from his tweets and remarks at rallies. And he hires people he sees on TV. In 2018, Fox contributor John Bolton became National Security Adviser. And Fox anchor turned State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was nominated to be Trump's ambassador to the UN.

The revolving door went in the other direction too, with Fox host Kimberly Guilfoyle joining her boyfriend, Donald Trump Jr., at a pro-Trump PAC.

When Trump called Democrats "the dims" at an October rally, he credited his source: "The dims. Who says that? Lou Dobbs, the great Lou Dobbs, he says that."
Dobbs, Trump's biggest booster on Fox Business, also has the highest-rated show on Fox Business.

Similarly, the highest-rated shows on Fox News belong to pro-Trump hosts like Sean Hannity.

That's an important part of the answer to any question about whether Fox's support for Trump will waver in 2019, given the numerous criminal investigations and scandals surrounding Trump.


Dumb interviews dumber. Constantly.

MORE BELOW THE FOLD

Comments

  1. Lou Dobbs never answers my e-mail. (maybe he followed my suggestion and got his head stuck up in there)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

RN USA is a No Judgement Zone (to steal from Planet Fitness), so please, No Judgement of others. We reserve the right to delete any such comment immediately upon detection.

All views are welcome. As long as the comment is on topic and respectful of others.



Top Posts

Illinois Democrats Move To Tighten Firearm Regulation/Restrictions...

It's Going To Be Close, Brace Yourself For Continued Polarization of America, Especially if Obama Loses...

As the Obama Administration and a Compliant Lame Stream Media Continue the Benghazi Spin...

Our Biggest Creditor {China} Tells Us "The good old days of borrowing are over"

Another Republican Accused Of Sexual Misconduct...

How A Nation Can and Does Change...

The Public's Trust In Government on the Decline...

Democrats Bought By Special Interest Money, and They Say It's All Republicans...