Donald Trump has been in a low-grade Civil War with Fox News for several months.
Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch tried to defeat Trump in the GOP Presidential Primary.
And Donald Trump just got revenge on Fox News in the biggest way ever.
Fox News firing Tucker Carlson proved to be one of the most self-defeating media moves ever made.
Ratings across the network’s primetime lineup tanked 30 percent overall and 45 percent in the key 25 to 54-year-old demographic.
But Fox executives thought the 2024 GOP Primary – and specifically the debates – were the key to regaining lost viewers.
Fox’s theory of the case is that conservative viewers would not want to watch left-wing networks like CNN or MSNBC cover the GOP Primary and thus would have no choice but to return to Fox.
Key to this belief was the August 23 GOP debate in Milwaukee.
But Donald Trump had other ideas.
The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Trump leading his nearest competitor by 39 points.
Trump told Newsmax’s Eric Bolling that it would be foolish for him to grant longshot candidates equal footing by appearing with them in a debate stage so they could lob pot shots at him.
WATCH: Donald Trump says he's "already decided" on first GOP primary debate, will soon make an announcement
"What's the upside? Am I gonna go up 1 point? But they could go up… you know, they're not dumb people […] They're intelligent people." pic.twitter.com/XC15auGqFs
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 10, 2023
Trump also believes that Fox News is a hostile network since its coverage has been reliably pro-Ron DeSantis since the Midterm elections.
Fox News executives traveled to Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club to pitch him on appearing at the debate.
Those entreaties appeared to have failed.
While Trump said he will make his debate announcement this week, he also tipped his hand that he will not appear on stage when he told Bolling that he refused to sign the loyalty pledge the Republican National Committee is requiring all candidates to sign in order to qualify for the debate.
Trump told Bolling there were several RINOs in the race, like former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who he could not support if they were the nominee.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge,” Trump declared. “They want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for President. So right there there’s a problem.”
When Trump showed up to the first GOP debate in 2016, Fox News drew a record 25 million viewers.
Media executives predict Fox will get nowhere close to that number on August 23 without Trump’s presence.
Rupert Murdoch thought he could use Fox News and the rest of his media empire to push Donald Trump out of the GOP.
But it looks like Trump could drive the final nail in the coffin for Fox’s ratings slump.
Deplorable Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
