Sean Hannity Pleaded With Trump to Stop Slamming Fox News to Get Relationship ‘Back to Normal’: Report

Fox News

Fox News’ Sean Hannity reportedly went to bat for his employer during a rough patch in its relationship with Donald Trump, pleading with Trump not to publicly criticize Fox or the Murdoch family in one phone call.

An excerpt of Axios’s Alex Isenstadt’s new book, Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power obtained by The Washington Post details the efforts.

As some Fox personalities expressed their preference for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) to Trump in early 2023, Trump slammed Fox and Rupert Murdoch himself over their handling of the Dominion defamation lawsuit pertaining to Fox’s promotion of Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election.

“Why is Rupert Murdoch throwing his anchors under the table, which also happens to be killing his case and infuriating his viewers, who will again be leaving in droves — they already are,” asked Trump in one Truth Social post.

“If Rupert Murdoch honestly believes that the Presidential Election of 2020, despite MASSIVE amounts of proof to the contrary, was not Rigged & Stollen, then he & his group of MAGA Hating Globalist RINOS should get out of the News Business as soon as possible, because they are aiding & abetting the DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA with FAKE NEWS,” he wrote in another.

Here’s how Hannity reacted, according to The Post:

“Please do not hit Fox, do not hit the Murdoch family. Just please, for the love of God, please don’t do it,” Hannity said, according to an excerpt from the book obtained by The Washington Post. “Mr. President, I’m trying to help you out here with the Fox people here. But you’re not making it easy for me by going after the Murdochs. You’re not helping me. You’re not helping yourself. If you can just lay off, we can start making some moves and getting back to normal.”

Trump held up the phone to nearby aides so they could hear Hannity’s call. “Sean is trying to do the right thing. But, man, the Murdochs? I don’t know,” Trump said.

With Trump not biting, Hannity turned his attention to Trump’s campaign manager, Susie Wiles.

“Susie, are you in the room? Susie, can you talk to the president? For the love of God can you talk to the president?” Hannity reportedly asked.

“Well, Sean, President Trump is going to do what President Trump thinks is best and fair,” Wiles said in response. (Through a Fox News spokesperson, Hannity said he did not recall speaking with Wiles during the conversation.)

Trump then called Hannity a “good man” and ended the call.

Trump continued to attack Fox throughout the 2024 election cycle, insulting flagship anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum last September and railing against the network for sometimes bringing on liberal guests in October.

The problem with FoxNews is that every time they put on someone who is positive and touting all of the good things I have done for the Country, they always feel it necessary to follow up with a really negative voice, often people who are storytellers and willing to outright lie,” complained Trump in the latter instance. “The daytime anchors are no match for these lunatics, and they get away with absolute murder. The net result is NOTHINGNESS, so what’s the purpose in watching?”