President Donald Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday night, writing shortly before midnight that the network "bears responsibility" for the defeats after giving airtime to Democratic voices he dislikes. The outburst, posted on Truth Social as results confirmed a painful night for Republicans, attacked the network's polling, its coverage and one of its hosts. Minutes later, Trump softened his tone on a telephone call to Fox itself, congratulating Democrats and saying he was surprised by some results. The contrast exposed, in public and in real time, the strain between a president and the television network long seen as his closest media ally.

Key Points

• Trump wrote shortly before midnight on election night that "FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses" because it kept putting Democratic opponents on air.
• He called Fox's polling unit "terrible", attacked host Jessica Tarlov as "DUMB AS A ROCK", and said he would change channels until she left the air.
• He criticised Fox for hosting former New York mayor Bill de Blasio, whom he called "the Worst Mayor in the History of New York City".
• Minutes later, on a Fox telephone call, Trump struck a calmer note, congratulating Democrats and expressing surprise at some results.
• Anchor Bret Baier defended Fox's polling on air, noting results were close to what Fox polls had shown, while Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

What Happened

The sequence unfolded late on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as the scale of Democratic gains became clear. Democrats were projected to win both houses of Congress, changing the balance of power in Washington and setting up two years of divided government. For Trump, who had campaigned hard for Republican candidates, the result was a personal as well as a political blow.

Shortly before midnight Eastern Time, Trump posted that "FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the 'Dumocrat' opposition, and worse". Earlier in the evening he had called Fox's polling "terrible" and attacked Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and co-host of "The Five". He also claimed that "FoxNews Ratings are way down (27%!) because they're spending too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats", without giving a source for the figure.

Minutes after the angriest posts, Trump called into Fox News. On that call his tone was noticeably different: he congratulated Democrats and said he was surprised by some results. Baier, who took the call, defended the network's polling, pointing out that final results were close to what Fox polls had forecast. Viewers were left with two versions of the president in a single evening: furious on social media, conciliatory on the network he had just attacked.

Background/Context

The row did not come from nowhere. Trump and Fox News have had a long, complicated relationship, close for years and punctuated by public fallings-out. During his first presidency, Trump regularly praised the network's primetime hosts, while also attacking it whenever its polling showed him behind or its news coverage carried stories he disputed. In 2020, his anger at Fox's early call of Arizona for Joe Biden became a defining media moment of that election night.

The midterm campaign itself gave that argument a particular edge. Exit polls on Tuesday night showed about 70 per cent of voters wanted Congress to do more to check Trump, and about six in ten blamed his policies, rather than outside factors, for higher-than-usual prices. Democratic challengers campaigned relentlessly on affordability, health care and the war with Iran. The question after the results is whether voters punished the party for those issues, or whether, as Trump argued, coverage changed the outcome.

Trump Blames Fox News for GOP Midterm Losses

At the centre of the story is the specific charge that Fox "bears responsibility" for Republican losses. That is stronger than saying one poll was wrong or one host was unfair. It assigns the network a share of the blame for a result decided by millions of voters across the country. It also raises an awkward question: if coverage was too favourable to Democrats, why did Fox's own polls point to the very results that arrived on the night?

Baier's on-air response went directly to that point. By noting that Fox polls were close to the final results, he suggested the network had not misled its audience about the state of the race. The dispute, on that reading, is about editorial judgement — which guests get airtime — rather than about numbers, and it is harder to settle with a single statistic.

Reactions/Quotes

Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and made no on-air apology for its coverage. Baier's defence of the polling unit was, for the moment, the network's most direct answer, delivered live while Trump himself was on the line.

Trump's own words, quoted in full in news reports, left little doubt about his mood. "FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the 'Dumocrat' opposition, and worse," he wrote. Of Tarlov, he wrote that she was "DUMB AS A ROCK". Of de Blasio, he wrote that he was "the Worst Mayor in the History of New York City". Each line was aimed at a different target within the same network.

Why It Matters

The row matters most because it shows how Trump intends to explain a defeat: not mainly on policy, but on coverage. That framing could protect his standing with his base, even as it complicates his relationship with the outlet that reaches that base most directly.

What Happens Next

In the short term, attention will turn to whether Trump repeats the attack, and whether Fox responds more formally. A further round of posts, or a primetime interview restating his case, would deepen the rift. A quiet period would suggest both sides have decided the public row has served its purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Trump say about Fox News on election night?
He wrote on Truth Social shortly before midnight that "FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the 'Dumocrat' opposition, and worse".

Why did Trump criticise Fox's polling?
He called the polling unit "terrible" earlier in the evening, although anchor Bret Baier later noted on air that Fox polls had been close to the final results.

Who is Jessica Tarlov, and why did Trump attack her?
Tarlov is a Democratic strategist and co-host of Fox's "The Five". Trump called her "DUMB AS A ROCK" and said he would change channels until she was off the air.

Did Trump also congratulate anyone that night?
Yes. Minutes after his angriest posts, he called Fox News and congratulated Democrats on their victories, while saying he was surprised by some results.

Has Fox News responded to Trump's criticism?
Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment, beyond Baier's on-air defence of the network's polling during Trump's call.

Read more on the 2026 midterms: Midterm Exit Polls 2026: 70% Want Congress to Check Trump as Prices Dominate, Democrats Flip All Three Contested Iowa House Seats in 2026 Midterm Sweep and Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Midterms a 'Complete Referendum' on Trump.