President Donald Trump criticized Fox News on Sunday, accusing the network of airing “politically correct” and unchallenged coverage of a top Democratic senator regarding the ongoing government shutdown.
His comments, posted on Truth Social, came as the partial government closure continued into its second week with no apparent progress in negotiations between Republicans and Democrats.
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The shutdown impasse revolves around budget disagreements, with Republicans opposing the inclusion of healthcare subsidies—specifically mentioning benefits for illegal migrants—in the funding bill.
Conservative media figures have largely echoed the administration’s stance, placing the blame for the shutdown’s continuation on Democrats for seeking to maintain the subsidies.
The President’s criticism was sparked by an interview on Fox News featuring Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), conducted by reporter Peter Doocy. According to the President’s post, the segment allowed Senator Kelly to discuss the importance of the healthcare subsidies without facing a counterpoint regarding the Republican argument that such matters should be debated separately after government funding is secured.
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On Truth Social, President Trump questioned the network’s editorial decision. “Why is Fox News and Peter Doocy putting on Democrat Senator Mark Kelly to talk about, totally unabated or challenged, Healthcare?” he wrote. He went on to assert that the network’s “FAKE SPIN is so bad for Republicans that it is hard to believe that we WIN.”
The President subsequently broadened his critique to an ultimatum to the network, stating Fox News should “either get on board, or get off board, NOW.” He also claimed responsibility for the network’s high ratings, asserting that Fox benefits from his popularity while spinning coverage “in the Democrats’ direction.”
“They refuse to put up Polls that correctly show me at 65% in Popularity… but if I have a fake bad ‘Poll,’ many of which are done by Fox… they put them up immediately, and with gusto,” Trump stated, concluding that Republicans are “so tired of this fight with Fox always trying to be so ‘politically correct!’”
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The incident adds a new layer to the President’s history of public disputes with media organizations. While much of his previous criticism was directed at outlets like CBS News, ABC News, and the New York Times, the current attack targets a network generally considered a close media ally.
This confrontation also follows a lawsuit filed by the President earlier this year against Fox owner Rupert Murdoch concerning a story released by The Wall Street Journal, another Murdoch-owned publication.
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