The Trump & Fox News Love Day is going through a difficult time

Bernie Sanders, Democratic presidential candidate, has seen a leftist candidate in the hot seat on a network known for his close relations with President Donald Trump.

But Trump himself saw something else: grim forces lining up against his favorite information network. The next day, Trump complained twice of the event on Twitter, complaining to an allegedly pro-Sanders audience and claiming that the presenters had succumbed to one of his rivals of 2020.

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The political class may marvel at Trump's perceived control over Fox, which liberal critics have compared to a point of propaganda. But the president's complaints suggest that he is frustrated at not getting enough. In particular, Trump repeatedly sent scathing criticism to Twitter news presenters of the network, knowing that they are not sufficiently enthusiastic about his agenda.

"So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @ Fox News," Trump commented Tuesday morning, in the aftermath of Bret News presenters Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, who hosted Sanders for an hour. "Unsurprisingly, @BretBaier and the" public "were so smiling and kind. Very strange, "he wrote. Trump then asked why the network had recently hired former interim president of the Democratic National Committee, Donna Brazile, as a political analyst. He complained that the audience was filled with fans of Sanders – what a network spokesman denied – while his supporters were stranded outside, calling: "What's going on with @ FoxNews?"

Trump attacks an open wound at Fox. According to sources close to the dynamics of the network, the relations between Fox and his opinion group have been straining more and more for a long time. Some of the channel's presenters are questioning what they view as the pro-Trump cheerleader of their opinion-driven senior colleagues. The opinion leaders say that they get better grades and earn more money for the network – and blame their fellow journalists for not announcing the news. A prime time employee also casually described the news side of the "resistance" network.

"I do not think he sees the Fox as a monolith, he's dissatisfied with some Fox News personalities," said a former senior white house official.

The official is reminded to have heard Trump criticize news presenters such as Neil Cavuto and Shepard Smith when he was working at the White House. In March, Trump criticized Smith – perhaps the most critical voice of the network vis-à-vis the president – as Fox's "lowest ranked presenter" and said that he, along with two of weekend, "should work" at CNN.

It turns out that Smith has also been targeted by Sean Hannity, Trump's referral host on the network. "I love Shep, but he's so anti-Trump," Hannity complained during his radio show in July 2017.

Trump has also come to the rescue of at least one friendly opinion host who, in his opinion, has been mistreated. Last month, he urged Fox to bring back host Jeanine Pirro from his brief suspension following remarks questioning the patriotism of a Muslim congressman. He also has tweeted that the network should "[s]top works so hard to be politically correct, which will only depress you. "

Former White House officials said that – thanks in part to the largely fictitious coverage that Trump had enjoyed, for example, from Hannity and his colleagues Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, during prime time – The president, who sometimes spends hours watching Fox every day, has In reality, he becomes spoiled and very sensitive to the cruel words on a network that he looks for as a safe haven in a largely hostile media environment.

This is the "same reason why he thinks everyone in the Washington Post meets the expectations of Jeff Bezos," said the same former manager. Trump thinks "if you have a strong leader at the top, like Fox does with [co-chairman Rupert] Murdoch they should just be queuing up and they should not have any questions about it anymore. "

Sarah Sanders, Press Secretary at the White House, told POLITICO: "We expect all news to be fair and accurate and not to advance the Liberal agenda. It is amazing that the country is doing so well while the president's coverage is 90% negative. … We simply want the media to be more interested in the great things that are happening than to attack the intrigue of the president and the palace. "

Another former White House official said Trump had already criticized Fox's coverage of the network, and that he had complained about the coverage of his presidential campaign in early he thought the network was more user-friendly for GOP candidates such as Sense. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

The former official added that the network would inevitably cover the primary field of saturated Democrats, with the 2020 campaign occupying more space in the news environment. "Part of that is to realize that it's no longer the only game in town," said this person.

While the president is a frequent guest of Fox, he tends to stick to interviews of more likeable personalities such as Hannity and Tucker Carlson, opinion leaders at prime time, or at night. "Fox & Friends" morning show of the network, that he looks regularly and that he receives regularly. positive coverage. Hannity alone made eight televised presidential interviews, more than any other television network.

On the other hand, more than 300 days have passed since Baier – considered one of the most balanced figures in the network – got an interview with the president.

"We'd like to see you soon in a city hall – or even in an interview on @SpecialReport – it's been a long time. We cover all sides, "Baier tweeted in response to Trump's complaints against Fox on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Fox News told POLITICO several instances in which the opinion-makers in the network had pushed Trump away. These include the beginning of 2017, when Hannity blamed Trump for being too tweeted; a December segment in which Ingraham challenged Trump's claim that he was already building a border wall, saying, "There is no wall!" and "Fox & Friends" greet Brian Kilmeade and Trump for attacking John McCain after the death of the Arizona senator.

Rejecting Trump's accusations that the Sanders Town Hall hearing had been poorly chosen, FOX News also referred to the Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call, which said Fox had "contacted various groups Local politicians and locals and had undermined requests to attend after being publicly invited. announced the event. "

Some former Trump White House officials have argued that Trump's anger poses a threat to the network, which has long been the highest-rated cable news channel.

"Fox News's critics by President Trump represent a clear and present danger to the network," said Andy Hemming, former director of the fast-paced White House Trump. "The president knows that Fox News viewers are much more loyal to him than the network, which means he can push those fans to more open media, like One America News Network or Newsmax, with just a few tweets and access additional. It goes without saying that the financial implications for these networks are enormous. "

A spokesman for Fox said ratings on the network remained strong and Sanders mayor ratings were the highest of any of the 2020 Democrats televised by a cable channel, including those of its rivals. CNN and MSNBC.