Critics slammed Fox News after two situations involving former President Donald Trump seemed to be slanted in his favor, Newsweek reported. They believe this can be gleaned from what the network is willing and not willing to say about him.
Last week, network host Mark Levin urged Trump's rich friends to pay his legal bills. "Why are there no Republican multi-billionaires offering to lend President Trump the funds to file his appeal in the outrageous case in NY state?" Levin wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
"Are none of them liquid enough to help or join with others to help? This is an outrage," he added
Why are there no Republican multi-billionaires offering to lend President Trump the funds to file his appeal in the outrageous case in NY state? Are none of them liquid enough to help or join with others to help? This is an outrage.
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) March 18, 2024
Meanwhile, the network decided to ignore former Vice President Mike Pence's refusal to endorse his former running mate for president in 2024, Media Matters reported. Normally, the leftist watchdog group is best ignored, but it points to a burgeoning problem with the network.
On one hand, Fox has hosts like Levin who are pulling for Trump, which has always been a draw to the network for conservatives. On the other hand, doing so at the expense of the truth in what it's not reporting is a mistake.
"Former Vice President Mike Pence announced on Friday that he would not endorse his former running mate Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House in 2024," Media Matters pointed out. The network gave it only "4 minutes of airtime through Monday."
Other networks like MSNBC and CNN each gave more than an hour of airtime to the story, no doubt relishing in the news. Of course, their aim is to elect President Joe Biden, so this is red meat for their base as well.
Still, it's clear that the network is working overtime to prop up Trump in a way that's disingenuous. This may be an effort to right some wrongs of the past.
During the 2020 presidential election, many viewers were stunned to see the network call the race early for Biden in Arizona, the Associated Press reported. Fox saw its ratings take a nosedive while the pro-Trump Newsmax network got a boost after the election.
Subsequent restructuring at Fox meant personnel cuts at the network, including two top executives. Although nobody would put the pieces together publicly, it was clear that viewers were disgruntled with the way things worked out.
It seems Fox isn't about to make the same mistake twice in 2024 for the presumptive GOP nominee. Levin's calls to help Trump out of the financial mess, coupled with the virtual silence on Pence's non-endorsement, point to a change in tactics.
However, the network's positive bias toward Trump is just the flip side of the same strategy. What viewers want is the truth, even if only delivered with the most positive spin.
Trump stirs passion for and against him, and Fox seems to be riding the wave headed in his favor right now. Still, Fox should stick to the "Fair and Balanced" motto that made the network popular and trusted.
