Trump blames Fox News for GOP midterm losses, calls network's polls 'the worst'

President Trump is blaming Fox News for the Republican Party's losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, attacking the network repeatedly on social media and then calling into its election-night coverage to criticize its polling ¹².

Democrats won control of the House and Senate on Tuesday, setting up a clash with Trump during the final two years of his presidency ¹.

On tapeCNN · Nov 4

▶2:00

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump complained about former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appearing on the network and wrote that "FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition, and worse" ¹².

Trump later called into Fox's election coverage around midnight and criticized the network's polls as "terrible," telling its employees: "You ought to get yourself a good pollster, because your pollsters are the worst" ².

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Fox News anchor Bret Baier pushed back gently, noting that "tonight, actually, the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed" ².

Trump also insisted that if he had been on the ballot, Republicans would not have suffered the sweeping losses they were handed in states including Texas, Ohio and Maine ¹. "I don't view it as a hit on me," Trump told the Fox News panel, adding that "historically, I think I'll be judged for having done the right thing" ².

On tapeCNN · Nov 4

▶13:50

Network commentators defended Trump

During more than six and a half hours of election-night coverage reviewed by The Guardian, Fox commentators largely avoided tying the party's losses directly to Trump, and none suggested the party should back away from him ².

Instead, several commentators blamed voters for being "impatient" and wanting "instant gratification," as host Jesse Watters put it just after 8 p.m. ². Watters later offered: "I think it's prices. People are mad" ².

Larry Kudlow, a Fox Business Network host who served as Trump's Director of the National Economic Council during his first administration, said: "In some sense, Mr Trump was too successful in the first year and didn't sell it enough in the second year" ².

Dana Perino, who served as press secretary to George W. Bush, said: "From a messaging standpoint, a lot of times the administration has got too many balls in the air and it's hard to figure out what is the headline we want to drive" ².

Former Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who sat on Fox's election-night panel, singled out the media: "Unfortunately, I think the American people forgot about the good policy, [and] maybe listened to the lying media on the other side that is definitely in the back seat of the Democratic party" ².

Primetime host Laura Ingraham acknowledged the election was a "referendum on Trump," but said that "overwhelmingly his policies have been phenomenal for the country" ².

Why it matters

The pattern is a president publicly turning on his most loyal media ally rather than examining what voters rejected. That matters because Democrats will take control of Congress, and a party fighting over blame may struggle to present a unified opposition ¹.

Trump's attacks on Fox were consistent through election night, with the president calling out pundits by name and knocking the network's polling before votes were counted ¹. The president has had a complicated relationship with the Rupert Murdoch-owned channel for years, hiring a slew of former hosts to serve in his administration while blasting its editorial decisions ¹.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats win control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections ¹.
2. Nov 3, 2026Trump posts on Truth Social that Fox News 'bears responsibility' for Republican losses ¹².
3. Nov 4, 2026Trump calls into Fox News election coverage around midnight and criticizes its polls as 'terrible' ².

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<h2>Trump blames Fox News for GOP midterm losses, calls network&#39;s polls &#39;the worst&#39;</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-blames-fox-news-for-gop-midterm-losses-calls-network-s-polls-the-worst">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>President Trump is blaming Fox News for the Republican Party&#39;s losses in Tuesday&#39;s midterm elections, attacking the network repeatedly on social media and then calling into its election-night coverage to criticize its polling .</p> <p>Democrats won control of the House and Senate on Tuesday, setting up a clash with Trump during the final two years of his presidency .</p> <p>In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump complained about former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appearing on the network and wrote that &quot;FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition, and worse&quot; .</p> <p>Trump later called into Fox&#39;s election coverage around midnight and criticized the network&#39;s polls as &quot;terrible,&quot; telling its employees: &quot;You ought to get yourself a good pollster, because your pollsters are the worst&quot; .</p> <p>Fox News anchor Bret Baier pushed back gently, noting that &quot;tonight, actually, the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed&quot; .</p> <p>Trump also insisted that if he had been on the ballot, Republicans would not have suffered the sweeping losses they were handed in states including Texas, Ohio and Maine . &quot;I don&#39;t view it as a hit on me,&quot; Trump told the Fox News panel, adding that &quot;historically, I think I&#39;ll be judged for having done the right thing&quot; .</p> <h2>Network commentators defended Trump</h2> <p>During more than six and a half hours of election-night coverage reviewed by The Guardian, Fox commentators largely avoided tying the party&#39;s losses directly to Trump, and none suggested the party should back away from him .</p> <p>Instead, several commentators blamed voters for being &quot;impatient&quot; and wanting &quot;instant gratification,&quot; as host Jesse Watters put it just after 8 p.m. . Watters later offered: &quot;I think it&#39;s prices. People are mad&quot; .</p> <p>Larry Kudlow, a Fox Business Network host who served as Trump&#39;s Director of the National Economic Council during his first administration, said: &quot;In some sense, Mr Trump was too successful in the first year and didn&#39;t sell it enough in the second year&quot; .</p> <p>Dana Perino, who served as press secretary to George W. Bush, said: &quot;From a messaging standpoint, a lot of times the administration has got too many balls in the air and it&#39;s hard to figure out what is the headline we want to drive&quot; .</p> <p>Former Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who sat on Fox&#39;s election-night panel, singled out the media: &quot;Unfortunately, I think the American people forgot about the good policy, [and] maybe listened to the lying media on the other side that is definitely in the back seat of the Democratic party&quot; .</p> <p>Primetime host Laura Ingraham acknowledged the election was a &quot;referendum on Trump,&quot; but said that &quot;overwhelmingly his policies have been phenomenal for the country&quot; .</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>The pattern is a president publicly turning on his most loyal media ally rather than examining what voters rejected. That matters because Democrats will take control of Congress, and a party fighting over blame may struggle to present a unified opposition .</p> <p>Trump&#39;s attacks on Fox were consistent through election night, with the president calling out pundits by name and knocking the network&#39;s polling before votes were counted . The president has had a complicated relationship with the Rupert Murdoch-owned channel for years, hiring a slew of former hosts to serve in his administration while blasting its editorial decisions .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-blames-fox-news-for-gop-midterm-losses-calls-network-s-polls-the-worst">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/trump-blames-fox-news-for-gop-midterm-losses-calls-network-s-polls-the-worst.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Trump: Fox News 'bears responsibility' for GOP losses” (2026-11-04). thehill.com/homenews/media/6197174-trump-fox-news-2026-midte
2. The Guardian, “Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses even as network’s hosts went easy on him” (2026-11-04). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/04/trump-blames-fox-news-re

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