Biden Officials, Allies Tell Politico It’ll Be Harder to Go On ‘Toxic’ Fox News After Chris Wallace Departure

Officials and allies of President Joe Biden’s White House reportedly say it will be more difficult for administration officials to appear on Fox News after Chris Wallace’s departure.

The now-former Fox News Sunday host’s move to CNN+ has left a gaping set of shoes to fill at the network, and according to some in the White House, a problem for the press shop.

Officials and allies have told Politico’s West Wing Playbook that Wallace’s exit has left the network a more unfriendly place than ever for Biden administration figures, with one calling Fox News a “toxic outlet” that “smothers” its audience with “lies and smears”:

(T)he thinking among some administration officials and allies who spoke with us is that Wallace’s departure makes it significantly harder to find a “fair and balanced” landing spot on Fox News and that they’ll have to adjust accordingly.

“The outlet has become an unabashed and toxic outlet that the occasional appearance from a reasonable Democrat is never going to be persuasive to an audience that’s being smothered with lies and smears,” said a Biden ally.

Administration officials respected Wallace for his reputation for tough but civil interviews, even as they detested the rest of the Fox News lineup.

An unnamed Fox News source told Politico that “the network had productive conversations this week with the Biden team” about possibly booking a guest this week, but that has not materialized as yet.

Although President Biden and Press Secretary Jen Psaki often have contentious exchanges with Fox News reporters, they get called on frequently, and Psaki told Mediaite in an interview this year that she has a very professional off-camera relationship with Peter Doocy, which includes one-on-one meetings.

While a post-Wallace Fox News Sunday may indeed seem less appealing to these Biden administration officials, that hasn’t stopped the likes of Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby — who was interviewed on America’s Newsroom just two days ago — from appearing on the network.

And since that Politico report, Mediaite has learned that Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, will also be appearing on Fox News Sunday, anchored by Bret Baier. The show will also feature interviews with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D).