Clashing Over "Election Defeat"... Did Murdoch Drop Trump?

As the Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, analyses have emerged that media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who has long represented conservative voices, is distancing himself from Donald Trump.

According to the Financial Times (FT) on November 4 local time, Fox News, owned by the family of News Corporation founder Murdoch, pointed to President Donald Trump as the cause of the midterm election defeat.

Sean Hannity, an anchor and prominent supporter of President Trump, responded "100 percent, without a doubt" when asked if the election outcome would have been different had President Trump not waged a war with Iran. Laura Ingraham, another leading Trump supporter and host on Fox News, also evaluated the Iran war, saying, "It was really tough and never properly explained."

President Trump did not hide his frustration at the shifted mood on Fox News.

While watching Fox News on election night, he took to social media to launch successive criticisms, writing, "I can't stand the anchor's voice" and "The polls were always the worst."

The day after the election, newspapers owned by Murdoch also collectively blamed President Trump for the midterm defeat.

In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) labeled President Trump as the architect behind the Republican Party's defeat, while the New York Post featured an image on its front page of a giant blue tsunami engulfing President Trump.

However, local analyses suggested that parting ways with President Trump immediately would not be easy for Fox News, given that its core viewership consists heavily of pro-Trump voters.

Some observations also suggested that despite signs of change, the relationship between President Trump and Fox News remains close. In fact, President Trump appeared via a direct phone call on the broadcast on election night for an interview lasting over 20 minutes, still showing a close ties with Fox News.

Reported by Son Hyeong-an | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.