President Donald Trump phoned Fox News during its live election-night coverage on Tuesday to rail against the network’s polling in the wake of sweeping Democratic victories in the midterms.
Anchor Bret Baier quickly pushed back, noting that the election results largely aligned with the network’s forecasts.
“I read at Fox that I’m not popular. The Fox polls are terrible. You ought to get yourself a good pollster ’cause your polls are the worst,” Trump told Baier during the late-night call.
Baier countered, reminding the president that the night’s outcomes largely supported the network’s projections.
“Tonight, actually, the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed,” Baier responded.
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Trump dismissed the observation. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he said, before continuing his complaints about the network.
The exchange drew a wave of responses from viewers, a number of whom criticized Trump for refusing to acknowledge the results and for continuing to assign blame to Fox News.
“He lies constantly and is so sheltered by privilege that he can ignore his own voters, lose dismally, and still tell himself it’s their fault. Absolute denial,” one commenter wrote.
“Dude needed this reality check,” another added.
A third commenter joked, “man those polls really got under his skin lol.”
Another viewer faulted what they deemed an unwillingness to accept the results, writing, “The denial is CRAZY; what is it with him and his self-praise without any award or anything of the sort for him? Ego is what fuels this man, and honestly I hope it runs out.”
The exchange came as Democrats surged, signaling gains that would put them in control of both the House and the Senate after Republican losses in multiple races. Rather than address the night’s outcomes, Trump directed much of his ire at Fox News, accusing the network of publishing unfavorable polling and granting excessive airtime to Democratic voices.
His criticisms extended beyond the phone line. Throughout Election Day, Trump used Truth Social to attack the network, blasting its polling, its coverage, and its on-air contributors.
Trump began targeting Fox News even before the major calls, singling out the network’s decision to include Democratic pundit Jessica Tarlov on its election coverage as a particular point of contention.
In one post, he vented about her on-air presence, hurling insults and writing, “Watching the Pre-Election Results on Fox News, but I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov’s voice – DUMB AS A ROCK, but it’s the voice that gets me. Have to go somewhere else until that LOSER is off the air – I’ll be back later! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
He also assailed the network’s polling, accusing it of consistently producing unfriendly results for him.
“The Fox News Poll, always the worst, is so insulting with the questions they ask. Every question is a hit job, and every answer is bullsh*t,” Trump wrote. “This has been going on for years.”
Trump also argued that the network’s falling ratings reflected a drift among longtime viewers who felt alienated by its emphasis on Democratic coverage.
“Fox News Ratings are way down (27%!) because they’re spending too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats!” he wrote.
He insisted that his own standing remained robust, pointing to a CNN poll he claimed showed strong Republican support.
Trump broadened his accusations to accuse Fox Corp. of underwriting Democratic politicians and groups, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Jamie Raskin and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC. He argued the alleged political contributions suggested the network was acting against him.
“Fox News bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the ‘Dumocrat’ opposition, and worse,” Trump later wrote.
Trump’s diatribe also drew on recent Fox News polling that reflected waning approval of his performance on a range of major issues.
The survey indicated an overall job-approval rating of 36%, the lowest Fox News has recorded for him in either term as president. The figure had held at 39% since May before slipping.
On economic matters, the results were even harsher: only 22% approved of his handling of inflation, while 77% disapproved, a new nadir on that issue.
His standing with regard to the broader economy showed 70% disapproval, and 69% disapproved of his tariffs policy. On foreign policy, disapproval reached 64%.
Immigration was another area where more voters disapproved than approved of his performance, with 56% voicing disapproval. Border security was the lone issue showing a split, with 50% approving and 50% disapproving.
The poll also identified demographic shifts in support, noting the steepest losses among voters under 45, those earning under $50,000 annually, non-White voters, and individuals without a college degree.
Even as these results emerged, several Fox personalities came to the president’s defense during the network’s election-night coverage.
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, now a Fox contributor, suggested that voters had overlooked the administration’s achievements.
“Unfortunately, I think the American people forgot about the good policy, [and] maybe listened to the lying media on the other side that is definitely in the back seat of the Democratic Party,” she said.
Host Will Cain also defended Trump’s record, noting, according to USA Today, that “the pros significantly outweigh the cons” of the last two years under his administration.
As Democrats’ victories became clearer, Trump could not resist weighing in again. He posted on Truth Social suggesting the results would have flipped had his name appeared on the ballot.
“I wasn’t on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.
By night’s end, Democrats had reclaimed leadership of both chambers, ending four years of minority status and delivering a sobering setback to Republicans. The outcomes underscored a reality that Trump’s critiques of Fox News could not alter.
