Storyline · general · 3 reports from 2 newsrooms
Trump attacks Fox News on election night
First reported Nov 3, 3:17 PM ET · Latest Nov 4, 12:10 AM ET · Explainer updated Nov 4, 2:01 AM ET
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Why it was in the Relay Update: Reported independently by 4 newsrooms, 2 hours old when it aired, picked for the Top Stories desk.
Where things stand
President Trump lashed out at Fox News on election night, criticizing the network’s personalities, polling and coverage as voters awaited midterm results, Axios reports. He also called CBS News to congratulate Democrats on their victories, CBS News reports.
Relay Note
President Trump publicly criticized Fox News on election night, a shift noted by one newsroom that also recorded his longstanding ties to the network, including meals with its founder and hiring of its talent. The same night, another outlet reported that he called CBS News to congratulate Democratic winners, while voting continued across the country in the midterm contest that could determine whether his party retains unified control.
What remains unsettled is why Trump chose to attack the network at that moment and how Fox News will answer, as well as how the election results will shape his sway over the Republican agenda and his broader political strategy.
Written by AI only from this story's record below, and checked line by line against it. Updated .
The living record of this story: every fact with its status and source, updated as reporting comes in. Version 2, updated . Earlier versions
Facts
What the reporting says
Each fact is matched to the exact words of the report it comes from, and checked that those words really say it. Open one to see the source.
- Reported President Trump lashed out at Fox News on election night. Is this wrong?
Source
- “President Trump lashed out at Fox News on election night, attacking the network's personalities, polling and coverage” — Axios
- Reported Trump has repeatedly dined with Fox News patriarch Rupert Murdoch. Is this wrong?
Source
- “Trump, who has repeatedly dined with Fox News patriarch Rupert Murdoch” — Axios
- Reported Trump has hired talent from Fox News. Is this wrong?
Source
- “and hired talent from the network” — Axios
- Reported Voters were awaiting midterm election results on election night. Is this wrong?
Source
- “as voters awaited midterm election results” — Axios
- Reported President Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories in a phone call with CBS News. Is this wrong?
Source
- “President Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories in a phone call with CBS News.” — CBS News
- Reported Voting was underway across the country on Tuesday in a midterm election. Is this wrong?
Source
- “Voting is underway across the country Tuesday in a midterm election” — Axios
- Reported The midterm election could decide whether President Trump gets two more years of unified Republican rule. Is this wrong?
Source
- “could decide whether President Trump gets two more years of unified Republican rule” — Axios
How to read the labels: Reported: one newsroom · Corroborated: two or more independent newsrooms · Confirmed: backed by a primary source such as an official release or filing · Disputed: newsrooms disagree · Updated: replaced by a newer figure. This story as data for AI assistants and developers.
Timeline
What changed: In a message written minutes before the results, Trump specifically attacked Fox News, saying the network’s coverage was unsatisfactory.
How this story developed
- New President Trump lashed out at Fox News on election night. Trump has repeatedly dined with Fox News patriarch Rupert Murdoch. Trump has hired talent from Fox News. Voters were awaiting midterm election results on election night.
- New President Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories in a phone call with CBS News. Voting was underway across the country on Tuesday in a midterm election. The midterm election could decide whether President Trump gets two more years of unified Republican rule.
Every report, newest first
- Trump turns his ire toward Fox News on election night — Axios
President Trump lashed out at Fox News on election night, attacking the network's personalities, polling and coverage as voters awaited midterm election results. Why it matters: Trump, who has repeatedly dined with Fox News patriarch Rupert Murdoch and hired…
- Trump congratulates Democrats in election night call with CBS News — CBS News
President Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories in a phone call with CBS News.
- Election night opens with Trump in battle mode — Axios
Voting is underway across the country Tuesday in a midterm election that could decide whether President Trump gets two more years of unified Republican rule — or faces a potential Democratic check on his power. Why it matters: The results will be the clearest…
Questions
- It remains unclear what prompted Trump’s sudden criticism of Fox News and how the network will respond. Open
- It remains unclear how the election outcomes will affect Trump’s influence over the Republican agenda and his broader political strategy. Open
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More: background
The midterm elections determine whether Republicans will retain unified control of the White House and Congress. Trump, who has historically enjoyed favorable coverage from Fox News and has hired its talent, expected similar support.
How this works: stories from different newsrooms are grouped by topic, then AI writes the explainer using only those reports. It may miss context the reports don't include.