It took nearly a full day for former President Donald Trump to acknowledge the surprising news of Rupert Murdoch’s resignation as Chairman of the Fox Corporation. Murdoch had been a target of consistent attacks from the former president.
As expected, Trump celebrated this development in a self-congratulatory fashion, appearing to suggest that he played a role in Murdoch’s decision to step down as the head of the Fox media conglomerate.
Trump claimed that “many people” are crediting him with pushing Murdoch into retirement and used the opportunity to slam another influential conservative figure, Mitch McConnell, whom he held responsible for giving too much to the “Radical Left.” He expressed his views on Truth Social, stating that there was a lack of Republican leadership in the Senate.
Trump wrote: “Many people are saying that,’You forced Rupert Murdoch into retirement!’ I do not believe this is so, but while we’re at it, how about getting rid of ‘Democrat’ Mitch McConnell, who gives the Radical Left Lunatics, together with his small band of automatic ‘yes’ votes, EVERYTHING they want. There is ZERO Republican Leadership in the United States Senate. MAGA!!!”
The political media world was taken aback by Thursday’s unexpected announcement that Murdoch would transition into the role of Chairman Emeritus, passing the torch to his son Lachlan Murdoch. Fox News had faced a tumultuous year, marked by a $787 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, the departure of top-rated host Tucker Carlson, and declining viewership.
One of the pressing concerns was how Fox News would cover former President Trump, who continued to promote unsubstantiated claims of a “stolen election.”
Any reputable news outlet would consistently label these allegations as baseless and harmful to U.S. democracy. However, Fox News hesitated to criticize Trump too strongly due to his significant influence over their viewership, as revealed in internal memos and emails during the Dominion lawsuit’s discovery phase.
Rupert Murdoch’s diminishing political influence, coupled with his age of 92, appeared to be the primary reasons for his resignation. This change raised questions about his ability to shape the next presidential race, particularly given his diminishing sway in political circles.
