President Donald Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses on Tuesday night as Democrats took control of both the Senate and House of Representatives during a historic midterm election. Trump posted on Truth Social that Fox "bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition." The criticism came as Fox News reported 1.1 million average viewers for October, down 27% from the same month a year prior, while Democrats flipped seats in traditionally Republican states including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas.
Trump Posts Multiple Truth Social Criticisms During Election Night
Trump directed multiple posts at Fox News on Tuesday night on his social media network as Democratic wins rolled in. In one post, he stated: "FoxNews Ratings are way down (27%!) because they're spending too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats! All of those people who used to watch Fox, and no longer do, get it. It's them, not me." Trump appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday night ahead of the election. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News Reports 27% Year-Over-Year Viewership Decline
In a press release last week, Fox News reported 1.1 million average viewers for October, down about 27% from the same month a year prior. Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch noted the decline during the company's quarterly earnings call on Monday, citing "viewer fatigue." Murdoch said such a shift is expected in the lead-up to a midterm election with a second-term president and stated it was not the result of viewers turning to competitors' coverage. "Those viewers are not going to any other news channel. They're not switching to MS NOW or to CNN," he said. "They're just fatigued and watching slightly less television overall."
Fox Corp Reports Revenue Growth Despite Ratings Drop
Despite Fox News' year-over-year drop in viewership, the company reported an otherwise strong quarter in what Murdoch called an "outstanding start to fiscal 2027." Fox Corp., which includes the linear TV networks as well as entertainment and sports assets and a streaming business, reported revenue for its fiscal first quarter of $4.57 billion, up 22% year over year. The company pointed to strength in advertising revenue, which increased 47%, buoyed by strong political advertising and the FIFA Men's World Cup, which aired in part on Fox platforms across June and July.
MS NOW and CNN Post Double-Digit Viewership Gains
Versant-owned MS NOW and Skydance-owned CNN both reported primetime viewership was up by double digits in October compared with the year-ago period. However, both networks still had smaller total-day average audiences than Fox News. MS NOW had 588,000 average viewers in October across all day parts, and CNN had 402,000, according to Nielsen data cited by Fox.
FAQ
What did Trump say about Fox News on Tuesday night?
Trump posted on Truth Social that Fox News "bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition" and stated that Fox ratings are "way down (27%!)" because the network spends "too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats."
How much did Fox News viewership decline in October?
Fox News reported 1.1 million average viewers for October, down about 27% from the same month a year prior, according to a press release issued last week.
What revenue did Fox Corp report for its fiscal first quarter?
Fox Corp. reported revenue for its fiscal first quarter of $4.57 billion, up 22% year over year, with advertising revenue increasing 47% buoyed by strong political advertising and the FIFA Men's World Cup.
