US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Fox News, blaming the conservative television network for the Republican Party's major setbacks in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. His criticism came as Democrats made significant gains, securing control of both chambers of Congress and delivering a major political setback to the Republican administration.
Trump accused Fox News of giving excessive airtime to Democratic commentators and opposition voices, arguing that the network's election coverage contributed to Republican defeats. His remarks also highlighted growing tensions between the president and a media organisation that has traditionally attracted strong support from conservative audiences.
Trump Accuses Fox News of Undermining Republicans
During election night, Trump criticised Fox News through a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social. He questioned the network's polling, criticised its political commentators and objected to the presence of Democratic figures during its election coverage.
As the scale of Republican losses became clearer, Trump directly blamed the network, writing that Fox News bore responsibility for the results by repeatedly featuring Democratic opposition.
He also criticised the network for inviting former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to discuss political leadership and questioned its decision to give Democratic voices prominent airtime.
Despite his criticism, Trump later called into Fox News' election coverage for an extended interview, where he continued challenging the network's polling and political analysis.
Fox News Faces Declining Viewership
Trump's criticism comes amid a reported decline in Fox News viewership. The network's audience has weakened compared with the same period last year, with October 2026 total-day viewership reportedly down 27%.
Fox Corporation Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch acknowledged the decline during an earnings call, attributing the trend partly to viewer fatigue.
However, Fox News continues to maintain a substantial audience compared with several competing cable news networks. Its election-night performance was less impressive, with preliminary Nielsen figures showing approximately 3.88 million prime-time viewers between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
That figure placed the network behind NBC, ABC, CNN and MS NOW during the election coverage period.
Democrats' Election Gains Intensify Political Tensions
The Republican Party's losses have triggered a wider debate over the administration's political strategy, campaign messaging and policy decisions.
Democratic victories in key congressional races are expected to make it more difficult for Trump to advance his legislative priorities during the remaining years of his presidency.
Several political observers have also pointed to voter dissatisfaction over economic pressures, higher energy costs and the administration's foreign policy decisions as possible factors behind the Republican setback.
Trump, however, has largely rejected the idea that the results represent a personal rejection of his leadership, instead criticising Republican candidates and media coverage.
A Complicated Relationship Between Trump and Fox News
Trump has maintained a close relationship with Fox News for years, frequently appearing on its programmes and relying on the network as an important platform for communicating with conservative voters.
The latest dispute illustrates how quickly that relationship can become strained when coverage or commentary conflicts with his political expectations.
For Fox News, the challenge is to maintain its audience and editorial independence while navigating criticism from one of the most influential figures among its viewers.
The dispute also raises broader questions about the relationship between political leaders, media organisations and audience trust as the United States enters a new period of political uncertainty.
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