Trump Admitting Privately He’s Pitting Newsmax and OAN Against Fox News to Make the Network More Loyal

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President Donald Trump has made no secret of his issues with Fox News. Now, the president is trying to exert some control over his long-preferred network by letting them know he’s got other options.

According to the Washington Post, Trump is now following through on his recent promotion of far-right outlets OAN and Newsmax by actually watching them. The Post reports that Trump is privately telling people that he’s deliberately pitting those outlets against Fox News to try to secure more favorable coverage from Fox. As part of that effort, administration guests are appearing more often on Newsmax programs.

Newsmax and OAN are more willing to entertain and push baseless election conspiracies than news programs on Fox. According to the Post report, Trump is not happy with the amount of airtime that Fox News has given his legal team — including, most notably, Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis — to peddle the campaign’s unfounded claims.

The maneuvers have had some impact, as Newsmax in particular has made some ratings gains. There are signs, however, that their surge is stalling, and Fox News is still watched by far more people than either of the rivals that Trump is trying to prop up.