Baier Pushes Back as Trump Attacks Fox News Polls
Trump called Fox News shortly after midnight following midterm losses for Republicans and criticized the network’s polls, which had shown his job approval at 36 percent before the election. He said Fox needed a better pollster and had repeatedly underestimated his popularity.
Baier replied that the results were close to what Fox’s polls had shown. The network’s final forecasts had projected Democrats would take the House and described the Senate as a toss-up; Democrats won both chambers. Its polling had also flagged close races in Republican strongholds including Kansas and Texas, where Democrats scored victories.
Trump continued to dispute the polling, saying Fox had got his standing wrong for 12 years. The exchange followed a question about whether the quality of candidates he supported had contributed to losses by Ken Paxton, seeking a Senate seat in Texas, and Darlene Graham, the South Carolina nominee. Trump said he had no choice but to back Paxton.
Trump had also criticized Fox on social media during Election Day, including over its coverage and election panelists. He blamed his unpopular war in Iran for Republican losses but said he did not regret the bombing that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz was followed by sharp increases in gas prices and the cost of living.
After the losses, Trump said he was open to working with Democrats. He had previously told Fox he would accept the election results.
Fox’s Polls Hold Up as Trump Blames Everyone but Himself
The midterm results offered a clear test of Fox News’s election forecasts: Democrats took the House and Senate, as the network had projected a House takeover and a toss-up Senate. Yet on a live call shortly after midnight, President Donald Trump dismissed Fox’s polls as terrible and said the network had got him wrong for 12 years.
Anchor Bret Baier pushed back, telling Trump the results were close to what the polls showed. The forecasts had also identified tight races in Republican strongholds including Kansas and Texas, where Democrats won victories.
Trump’s response came after losses by candidates he backed, including Ken Paxton, who was running for a Senate seat in Texas, and South Carolina nominee Darlene Graham. Asked about candidate quality, Trump said backing Paxton was unavoidable, then turned to attacking the polling.
Trump also criticized Fox’s coverage and panelists on social media during Election Day. He blamed his unpopular war in Iran for the Republican losses but said he did not regret the bombing that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz was followed by sharp rises in fuel prices and the cost of living.
After the defeat, Trump said he was open to working with Democrats. His attacks on the polling, despite its broad alignment with the outcome, left Baier’s on-air correction as a rare public challenge during the call.
Trump Challenges Fox Polls as Baier Defends Network’s Forecast
President Donald Trump used a live call to Fox News shortly after midnight to challenge the network’s polling, saying it had repeatedly misjudged his popularity. Anchor Bret Baier countered that the election results were close to Fox’s forecasts, which had projected a Democratic House and called the Senate a toss-up.
Democrats won both chambers, and they also scored victories in Republican strongholds including Kansas and Texas. Trump’s criticism came after losses by candidates he supported, including Ken Paxton, running for a Texas Senate seat, and South Carolina nominee Darlene Graham. Asked about candidate quality, Trump said he had no choice but to back Paxton.
Trump has also attacked Fox’s coverage and election panelists on social media. His frustration with the network’s polls played out on air even as Baier pointed to their alignment with the results.
Trump blamed his unpopular war in Iran for the Republican losses but said he did not regret the bombing that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and gas prices and the broader cost of living rose sharply.
The president said he was open to working with Democrats after the losses and had previously said he would accept the election results. The dispute with Fox highlights the tension between Trump’s criticism of the network and its forecasts of the outcome.
Reported by The Daily Beast, Daily Mail US.
