VF: Trump, Furious At Fox News’ Polling, Exploded At Network’s Founder
JakeThomas
Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reports that President Donald Trump had a blow up with Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch over the network’s coverage of him, which the president has increasingly complained is not in his favor.
Trump reportedly believes that Murdoch wants him to lose in November, and Sherman reported that he’s not far off the mark.
In private Trump blames Fox Corp. cochairman Rupert Murdoch for allowing segments like [Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer] Griffin’s on the air.
Griffin appeared on the network last week to confirm aspects of Jeffrey Goldberg’s reporting in The Atlantic that Trump had made disparaging remarks about America’s war dead, Sherman noted.
Sources who’ve spoken with Trump told me Trump thinks Murdoch wants him to lose. “Trump definitely thinks Rupert is not in his corner,” a Republican close to the White House said. Trump is not entirely wrong. Sources close to Murdoch said Murdoch has told people he thinks Trump will lose in November. Murdoch is thinking about how to steer his media empire into a post-Trump environment. “This is about business for Rupert,” one source said.
Earlier this summer Trump screamed at Murdoch during a phone call, according to a source briefed on their conversation. “They had a humongous blowup. Trump yelled that Fox’s coverage is unfair and the polling is fake,” the source said. “Rupert defended the network’s standards and polling.”
