Former President Trump went on a tirade against Fox News on Monday, labeling it the “DeSanctimonious Network” and blasting its coverage of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is seen as Trump’s main rival for the 2024 GOP nomination.
“They are desperately pushing DeSanctimonious who, regardless, is dropping like a rock,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “FoxNews has become the DeSanctimonious Network, but it will never work because he doesn’t have the goods.”
The attack on Fox News continues the former president’s distancing from the network, which was instrumental in his rise to the White House in 2016 and provided him glowing coverage throughout his presidency. But now, with Trump launching his third White House bid, the former president has taken a more aggressive attitude toward the channel.
Trump also dinged Fox News for letting go of Tucker Carlson, a high-profile divorce between the network and its top-rated prime-time host that sent shockwaves through the political media landscape. He also blasted them on their more than $780 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for their coverage of Trump and his allies’ false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
“After firing Tucker Carlson and refusing to fight against a VERY Corrupt and Rigged 2020 Presidential Election, which just cost them plenty of money, prestige, and RATINGS, they are a far cry from what they used to be,” Trump said in the post.
Trump zeroed in on DeSantis, who is expected to challenge Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
“Without my Endorsement, he was a dead man walking,” Trump said of DeSantis. “Even with Fox, he’s already pretty close to that again!”
Trump’s Fox News criticism comes after he appeared on a town hall on CNN last week, a move from one of Fox News’s rival networks that garnered much attention and criticism. Trump told CNN on social media Sunday to “take the great ratings” as it faced backlash for the program.