Former President Donald Trump intends to ask media mogul Rupert Murdoch to cease Fox News from broadcasting negative political advertisements against him in the lead-up to the election.
During an appearance on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, Trump stated, “I’m going to see Rupert Murdoch.”
“I’m going to convey a very simple message to him because I can’t discuss it with anyone else: refrain from airing negative commercials for 21 days,” the Republican presidential nominee remarked.
Murdoch, aged 93, resigned as chairman of Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News, last year, concluding a seven-decade career that established a media empire. His son, Lachlan, currently serves as the company’s chairman and CEO.
Trump acknowledged that the elder Murdoch might not be pleased with him disclosing their meeting on air but mentioned his intention to say, “‘Rupert, please handle it this way.’ And then we will secure a victory, as I believe everyone desires success.”
The former president has recently heightened his criticism of Fox News, particularly through his Truth Social platform, lambasting the network for featuring Democratic pundits and Harris campaign officials.
Reiterating his disapproval on Friday, Trump remarked, “In the past, negative advertisements were never aired. When I depart this place, I will then be bombarded by five or six commercials.”
Host Brian Kilmeade clarified that the network broadcasts these advertisements because advertisers pay for those time slots.
Trump and his supporters have made frequent appearances on Fox News during his third White House bid. His latest criticisms follow Harris’s appearance on an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, an attempt to appeal to the network’s predominantly conservative viewership.
The interview quickly turned contentious as interruptions and talking over each other escalated.
David Plouffe, a senior advisor to the Harris campaign, labeled the interview as an “ambush” in a social media post, while the campaign accused Fox News of selectively editing a video clip of Trump aired during the interview.
Baier later acknowledged on his show, “Special Report,” that he “made a mistake” in anticipating the display of another clip. He also defended his interviewing technique, informing fellow Fox News host Harris Faulkner that redirecting Harris without interruptions was a challenge.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
