DISCLAIMER: This article was first published in October 2024
Regarding Donald Trump’s relationship with Fox News, he has historically been welcomed there for friendly softball interviews with Sean Hannity. He has also become distraught when he hasn’t received that treatment, as seen in his famous confrontation with Megyn Kelly in 2015 and his rage when Fox called Arizona for Joe Biden on election night in 2020. For a time early in the primary season in 2023, Trump was reportedly “soft-banned” by Fox News, which stood until it was clear that he would likely win the Republican nomination again.
Still, even after all that, it can be surprising when Fox hosts challenge Trump on the air.
Over the weekend, Trump was interviewed on Fox by Laura Ingraham, a longtime Trump ally who spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The interview took place ahead of the former president’s rally in Butler, Pa., and during the interview, Trump accused Kamala Harris of avoiding North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
The end must be near if Laura Ingraham is suddenly the voice of reason. Fact-checked by his biggest cheerleader.#TrumpsABitch #EndOf Times
pic.twitter.com/1pXm0E9389— Jamison Eklund (@HotMoozik) October 8, 2024
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“She shouldn’t be at fundraisers. She’s at fundraisers, and her teleprompter went off, and she didn’t do well with the teleprompter off,” Trump said on Fox. “North Carolina is so bad.”
Ingraham, somewhat surprisingly, interjected to correct Trump.
“She was there today for three hours, I believe,” Ingraham said of Harris, who really did visit North Carolina.
Also in the interview, Trump said that “they’re offering people $750,” referring to the stipend handed out by FEMA following the disaster. Ingraham interjected again, making clear that the $750 figure was “for immediate needs.”
Trump: They’re offering people $750
Fox host: The $750 is just for immediate needs
Trump: She should be in North Carolina
Fox host: She was in North Carolina today pic.twitter.com/DsEdmni0kW
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 7, 2024
The interview took place within days of Trump backing out of what CBS said was an agreement to appear on 60 Minutes, in part because he refused to submit to fact-checking, and due to a demand for an apology from anchor Lesley Stahl, about a statement she supposedly made in 2020, about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Kamala Harris appeared for the interview, which aired on CBS on Monday night, a customary practice for presidential candidates since the 1960s.
“60 Minutes fact checks every story it broadcasts,” CBS said in their report about the dispute.
Featured image via screengrab/YouTube
