Trump blasts ‘Fox & Friends’ for going to ‘the dark side’

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Former President Trump blasted the hosts of the “Fox & Friends” talk show in a rant on Truth Social for botching his poll numbers “on purpose.”
• Trump wrote: “That show has been terrible — gone to the ‘dark side.”
• Rupert Murdoch owns Fox Corp., and newspapers The New York Post and Wall Street Journal which both criticized Trump in editorials on Saturday.

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at the “Fox & Friends” talk show hosts on Monday for their coverage of his polling numbers as he floats another presidential bid in 2024.

Trump slammed Fox News’ flagship morning program, calling it “terrible” after one of its hosts questioned his poll numbers “on purpose.”

“@foxandfriends just really botched my poll numbers, no doubt on purpose,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “That show has been terrible — gone to the ‘dark side.’ They quickly quote the big Turning Point Poll victory of almost 60 points over the number two Republican, and then hammer me with outliers.”

The former president was referencing the coverage of a straw poll taken this past weekend at the Talking Points USA conference in Tampa, Florida. The poll showed Trump well ahead of every other potential GOP primary challenger.

“That is a little different than a couple of other polls we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks,” host Steve Doocy said. “So it’s like the young people who are activists at that [Turning Point] event like the former president, but looking at these other polls, different answer.”

Doocy was referencing other national polling that showed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of Trump in several age demographics.

Co-host Brian Kilmeade added, “If you look state by state, Ron DeSantis is showing tremendous strength in New Hampshire, Michigan and Florida.”

In his post, Trump referenced “RINO Paul Ryan,” whom he described as “one of the weakest and worst Speakers EVER,” and suggested the former legislator “must be running the place.”

Ryan serves as one of Fox Corp.’s board members. Billionaire Rupert Murdoch, a known Trump media ally, owns Fox Corp. and operates Fox News Channel and its various other media properties.

On Saturday, Murdoch-owned newspapers the New York Post and Wall Street Journal criticized Trump in editorials, writing that he is “unworthy to be this country’s chief executive again” and failed as president during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

While in office, Trump repeatedly touted “Fox & Friends,” appearing on the morning program live via phone often and tweeting his thoughts on various segments.

Ainsley Earhardt, another host of Fox and Friends, said last week that Congress should also investigate the riots that broke out during protests for racial justice across the U.S. during the summer of 2020.

Source: The Hill