"He Thinks Fox Screwed Him": Trump Enraged at Fox, His Impeachment Bulwark

By Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair

11 December 19

With Chris Wallace, Neil Cavuto, and Andrew Napolitano leveling tough criticism amid the fast-moving proceedings, the president is feeling the heat from his favorite network.

ven as it became clear he would become only the fourth president to face impeachment, Donald Trump has argued to White House officials that he is, in fact, winning. “He’s feeling positive,” a former West Wing official told me. “The prevailing view is the Democrats are blowing it. Trump’s feeling is his all-out brawl strategy is working.” His confidence is buoyed by an uptick in his swing state poll numbers and what he sees as Democrats’ failure to message impeachment effectively. “It’s unbelievable. He’s unfazed," another former West Wing official said. “I spoke to him the other day and he was going, Can you believe this fucking witch hunt? This is a joke!”

So far, Trump’s wall of support from House and Senate Republicans appears as solid as ever. But Trump is less certain about the strength of his ultimate line of defense: Fox News. According to multiple sources who’ve spoken with Trump as impeachment has unfolded in the House, Trump is furious with pockets of Fox’s coverage. “He’s pissed. He thinks Fox screwed him,” a former West Wing official said. The news division carried the impeachment hearings live, a rare instance in which unmediated evidence of Trump’s misdeeds could pierce the Fox bubble. The network’s legal commentator, Judge Andrew Napolitano, declared Trump’s defiance of Congress “an impeachable offense,” a position that directly contradicted the House Republicans’ handpicked witness, George Washington University law scholar Jonathan Turley. Trump has also been engaged in a running war with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace; after Trump tweeted last month that Wallace was “nasty,” fellow Foxer Neil Cavuto rushed to Wallace’s defense.

Fox did not respond to a request for comment.

On Sunday, Trump lashed out on Twitter, writing: “Don’t get why @FoxNews puts losers on like @RepSwalwell (who got ZERO as presidential candidate before quitting), Pramila Jayapal, David Cicilline and others who are Radical Left Haters? The Dems wouldn’t let @FoxNews get near their bad ratings debates, yet Fox panders. Pathetic!” Also over the weekend, Trump tweeted multiple stories from Fox rival Newsmax run by Trump’s friend Chris Ruddy. “Having any opposing voices is a problem for Trump,” a Republican who spoke with the president told me. “He was saying this coverage is bullshit. This was a shot across the bow to all the hosts.”

Inside Fox, the message was received. “He’s clearly worried we’re really going to cover this fairly, and he’s starting to freak. This is about keeping us in line,” a Fox staffer told me.