Fox News Hosts Pretend the Biggest MAGA Story — The ‘Epstein Hoax’ — Doesn’t Exist

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Fox News has spent years walking a high-wire act — catering to President Donald Trump’s MAGA base while trying to maintain journalistic credibility. This week, that wire is on the verge of snapping. Faced with a bombshell story rooted in MAGA conspiratorial paranoia — the Epstein files — Fox’s top opinion hosts have removed themselves from a national discourse.

Over the weekend, Trump posted a frantic, all-caps Truth Social missive effectively demanding that all stories about Epstein’s client list be dismissed as a Democrat “hoax.” He went further, blaming the whole thing on a cabal of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. It is a ludicrous conspiracy — and this time, even his own supporters aren’t buying it.

Polling shows that 60 percent of Trump voters believe the Epstein revelations deserve more scrutiny. GOP lawmakers, typically allergic to crossing Trump, are now openly disputing his spin. The MAGA coalition is showing real cracks — and Fox News knows it.

So what has the most-watched cable news network done in response? Mostly, pretend it’s not happening.

A search of SnapStream transcripts from Monday through Thursday at 8 a.m. reveals just how stark the avoidance is. CNN has mentioned “Epstein” 1,274 times. MSNBC: 1,156. Fox News? Just 136 — and that includes reruns. Strip out Special Report and the late-night satire of Gutfeld!, and Fox has mentioned Epstein a meager 82 times since Trump told his base to drop it. That’s not editorial discretion — that’s subservience.

Yes, Fox & Friends Weekend and MediaBuzz acknowledged Trump’s pivot in solid segments Sunday morning. But since then, the network’s main opinion engines — Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, the weekday Fox & Friends crew — have been radio silent. Not a single monologue, segment, or real engagement with the story. For the most-watched hosts on the most-watched network, it’s a staggering omission.

After stirring the pot by currying disfavor over the Trump admins handling of this sordid affair during her appearance at the Talking Points USA conference, Laura Ingraham then pivoted back to her more comfortable pro-Trump position by scolding MAGA influencers who aren’t buying it. She did mention it briefly Wednesday night in a more skeptical manner.

Only Fox News’ flagship news show, Special Report with Bret Baier, has taken the story seriously, and has been “unafraid” in leading with it on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That’s telling. Baier’s news team saw what the opinion side didn’t want to touch: a rare fracture between Trump and his base that could reshape the GOP. You know who else who finds this a big story? Fox News Digital, who have featured this story and its many updates prominently on the FoxNews.com hompeage.

So why the blackout from the network’s biggest stars? The answer seems obvious: Trump told them not to.

His Truth Social post wasn’t just a tantrum — it was a directive. And Fox’s opinion hosts appear to be obeying, whether out of loyalty, fear, or a cynical belief that toeing the line is good for business. That’s not just journalistic failure — it’s complicity.

Let’s be clear: Trump’s claim that Democrats fabricated the Epstein files is nonsense. The names originate from sworn testimony and FBI records, much of which was collected while Trump was still president. No credible evidence supports his deep-state fantasy. And yet, the same Fox hosts who once shouted that “Hillary spied on Trump’s servers” — a story that collapsed under John Durham’s own testimony — won’t go near this one. That’s how weak the hoax theory is: even pro-Trump Fox News hosts know it’s too dumb to touch.

The irony? Trump hasn’t stopped commenting on it. To his credit, he remains accessible to reporters, and they keep asking — which is how he’s been cornered into doubling down on this delusion. Meanwhile, Fox’s silence speaks volumes.

This isn’t just bad journalism. It’s an abdication. Fox has recently beaten every network on television — including the Big Three broadcasters, CBS, ABC and NBC — in primetime ratings over the last few weeks, which makes their intentional ignorance even more stunning.

What does it mean when the most-watched media outlet in America is more interested in appeasing a politician than informing its audience? It means something is broken.

And when that brokenness masquerades as loyalty or strategy, it’s not just Trump who’s the problem — it’s the institutions that are too afraid to challenge him.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.