Trump Takes Aim at Fox News Coverage and Polling on Election Night

Donald Trump launched a multi-front assault on Fox News during its Election Night broadcast, targeting on-air commentators, internal polling methods and network viewership numbers.

The grievances began with on-air talent, as Trump singled out Democratic strategist and co-host Jessica Tarlov. Trump stated online that he would tune out until Tarlov left the broadcast, and he reportedly sent direct text messages to her co-host Greg Gutfeld to voice his displeasure, according to reporting from Axios.

The critique quickly broadened to Fox's data operations. Trump labeled the network's political surveys unfair, claiming that "[e]very question is a hit job, and every answer is 'BULLSHIT!'" as returns developed.

In subsequent posts, Trump argued that the channel's ratings were declining due to excessive coverage of Democrats. To counter Fox's narrative, he cited CNN polling to emphasize his standing among conservative voters, though the clips he shared were more than a month old.

## Tensions Over Editorial Independence

The election night outbursts underscore a persistent friction between the former president and the Murdoch-owned media empire. While Trump has historically maintained ties with Rupert Murdoch and recruited talent from the network, Fox has periodically demonstrated editorial independence that runs counter to political expectations.

For television executives and media analysts tracked by Hollywood Tomorrow, the clash highlights the precarious balance cable news networks must maintain between retaining conservative viewers and delivering standard journalistic election coverage.

The discord follows months of growing tension behind the scenes. Reporting from Axios previously revealed Republican pushback against Fox's coverage of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, where party operatives expressed concern that the network was failing to marginalize rival candidates.