Trump Calls Fox News ‘The RINO Network’ Over DeSantis Coverage And 2020 Election Revelations

Topline

Former President Donald Trump attacked Fox News on Tuesday, calling it “the RINO Network,”— referring to the moniker Republicans In Name Only—following allegations made public last week that Fox News hosts and executives privately rejected Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 election, despite hosting a steady stream of election deniers who promoted Trump’s unfounded allegations.

Former US President Donald Trump gestures to supporters during Trump’s President Day event at the … [+] Hilton Palm Beach Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2023. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, took issue with Fox’s coverage of a Staten Island event hosted Monday by his likely opponent in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The network, however, did not cover what Trump claimed was a much larger event he hosted in West Palm Beach on Monday, the former president lamented, claiming that “thousands of people, many unable to get in” were in attendance (The Palm Beach Post estimated upwards of 300 people gathered at the Palm Beach Airport Hilton to hear Trump speak).

Trump encouraged CNN to pick up the perceived Trump-coverage gap left by Fox, a move he predicted would make the network a “ratings juggernaut.”

The remarks are the strongest of several criticisms Trump has issued against Fox since a new court filing revealed that a number of anchors who parroted Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 presidential election were allegedly in wide agreement that there was no evidence of fraud.

In previous Truth Social posts since the alleged Fox sentiments were made public on Friday, Trump, without specifying a timeline, claimed that Fox News is down in ratings (Fox finished 2022 as the top-watched cable network for the seventh consecutive year in a row with a 1% dip in prime time viewers from 2021, according to Nielsen ratings data).

Big Number

139. That’s the number of people Trump said were at what he described as a “small and unenthusiastic” DeSantis event on Staten Island Monday, where the Florida governor delivered a tough-on-crime message to members of law enforcement. While it’s unclear how many were in attendance, the Prive catering hall that hosted the event states on its website that its capacity is 140 people. ABC 7 described the event as “packed.” Forbes has reached out to DeSantis’ campaign for comment.

Key Background

DeSantis delivered pro-law enforcement messages in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago on Monday, though he has yet to formally announce a run for president, a decision some politicos speculate will come after the Florida legislature concludes for the year in May. DeSantis has largely shied away from criticizing Trump, who has coined the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” for his protege-turned-rival. Polls show the two are dominating the hypothetical 2024 GOP field, with 42% of Republican-leaning voters choosing Trump and 36% choosing DeSantis in a line-up of 14 potential candidates, according to a February Quinnipiac University survey.

Tangent

Trump has faced a string of controversies that have prompted many in GOP circles to distance themselves from the former president since announcing his third run for the White House—the latest of which came Friday in court papers filed by Dominion Voting Systems in its billion-dollar defamation suit against Fox News. The company alleged that Fox personalities and executives denied, in testimonies and internal communications, the far-right conspiracy aired by the network that linked its voting systems to widespread fraud. Some of the network’s most prominent vehicles for the conspiracy—hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham—were among those who said in text messages, emails and testimonies they never believed the claims. Hannity allegedly called Trump’s lawyers who promoted the conspiracy “f’ing lunatics.” Carlson said it was “shockingly reckless” to repeat the unfounded fraud claim, and Ingraham referred to Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani as “complete nut[s],” court papers say.

What To Watch For

Trump on Wednesday will visit East Palestine, Ohio, where a train carrying hazardous materials derailed more than two weeks ago, leading to reports of health issues among residents. Some Republicans have criticized President Joe Biden for visiting Ukraine—where an estimated 40,000 civilians have died over the past year as a result of its war with Russia—instead of East Palestine. Biden made an impromptu stop in Kyiv on Monday days before the February 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it would send a team to East Palestine on Friday, hours after Gov. Mike DeWine (R ) said the agency had deemed the town ineligible for the FEMA relief. Trump suggested, without evidence, FEMA’s decision was prompted by his announcement that he would visit the site of the derailment. “As soon as I announced that I’m going, [Biden] announced a team will go,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.