Newly released court documents have unveiled the strained relationship between Fox News and former President Donald Trump during the fall of 2020. These revelations are part of a defamation lawsuit filed against Fox News by voting technology company Smartmatic. Among the documents is a striking exchange where Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp, instructed anchor Sean Hannity that Trump could not appear on Fox if he criticized the network.
The exchange, dated October 1, 2020, shows Murdoch writing to Hannity, “Sean, sorry, but the president is not coming back on air if he uses it to attack us.” The message, which also included Murdoch’s father Rupert and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, emphasized that this was a “golden rule” applied to both political sides. The backdrop to this was an interview where Trump remarked that Fox was “a much different place than it used to be.”
Hannity’s response to Murdoch’s directive was redacted in the documents. The tension escalated post-2020 election, as many Fox News viewers, including Trump, turned against the network following its decision to call Arizona for Joe Biden. This led to an internal crisis at the network, which had long dominated conservative media.
Internal Struggles and Viewer Backlash
In the aftermath of the election, Fox News faced significant backlash from Trump supporters. Hannity acknowledged this sentiment in a message to a producer, stating, “Trump people hate Fox. Hate hate hate.” Despite this, Fox publicly defended its Arizona call, even as internal discussions revealed concerns about the decision.
A November 6, 2020 email from Suzanne Scott indicated that Lachlan Murdoch considered reversing the Arizona call if Biden’s margin fell below 1%. However, Scott did not recommend such a move at the time. The documents released on Sunday include these internal communications, offering a deeper look into the network’s decision-making process during this tumultuous period.
Murdoch’s Reflections and Strategic Shifts
Further emails reveal Rupert Murdoch’s concerns about the network’s ratings and the backlash it faced. A November 23, 2020 email to Lachlan highlighted the impact on audience numbers and advertising revenue. “Getting killed in audience numbers,” Rupert wrote. “We have to keep our nerve but worth a discussion.”
By January 2021, Rupert Murdoch was still addressing criticism that Fox News had amplified false claims about the election. In a January 21 email, he discussed removing host Lou Dobbs from the air, a decision that was executed the following month. Murdoch also mentioned hiring former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, noting the potential difficulty in attacking a Black woman on air.
During a deposition, Rupert Murdoch admitted that Fox News decided to “pivot” after the election, moving away from Trump support. However, he acknowledged the challenge of not alienating their largely pro-Trump audience. He also stated that he believed Trump’s claims of election fraud contributed to the January 6 Capitol attack, though he refrained from labeling it a “riot.”
Legal Battle and Future Implications
Lachlan Murdoch, in his deposition, defended the network’s coverage of Trump’s election fraud claims, citing their newsworthiness. “I can’t imagine a more newsworthy story than the sitting president of the United States calling into question the election results,” he said. He emphasized that Fox News did not endorse these claims but reported on them as part of their journalistic duty.
Smartmatic, meanwhile, faces its own legal challenges, having been indicted for bribery in the Philippines. The company has denied these charges, calling the indictment “targeted, political, and unjust.” Fox News has countered Smartmatic’s defamation claims, arguing that the company has exaggerated its damages and that any harm to its reputation predated Trump’s allegations.
Despite Fox’s attempts to delay the trial pending Smartmatic’s criminal case, a judge denied this request on Monday. A Smartmatic spokesperson hailed the decision as a victory, stating, “The court made clear that Fox’s attempts to delay accountability won’t work, and its day of reckoning is coming.”
The case is set to progress with both parties scheduled to argue for summary judgment next month. The outcome could have significant implications for media accountability and the boundaries of free speech in reporting politically charged claims.
