As Vice President Kamala Harris continues to lead Donald Trump in major polls, including those from Fox News itself, the conservative news outlet seems to be struggling to maintain its influence.
Fox’s latest tactic has involved an attack on Vice President Harris’s speaking style, with hosts absurdly suggesting she should sound “more like an Indian woman and less like a Black woman.”
This bizarre criticism was repeated throughout the day on Fox, with the network losing control over its messaging and spiraling into increasingly desperate tactics. Jesse Watters, a prominent Fox host, explicitly echoed these sentiments, ridiculing Harris by comparing her speech to that of a southern district attorney.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy even brought the issue up in the White House briefing room, only to be met with bemusement by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who pointed out the ridiculousness of such a question.
In addition to these petty attacks on Harris, Fox News is also trying to downplay the recent controversy surrounding Trump’s appearance at Arlington Cemetery. During a PR stunt at the cemetery, a Trump campaign member reportedly assaulted a staffer, only for the campaign to later dismiss the victim as “mentally ill.”
Fox News hosts like Watters and Janine Pirro quickly rushed to Trump’s defense, downplaying the incident and attacking the staffer for enforcing rules meant to protect the sanctity of the cemetery.
This kind of behavior is symptomatic of Fox News’s broader problem: they are increasingly out of touch with the issues that matter to Americans. While they focus on trivial attacks, most Americans are concerned with the economy, healthcare, and the state of democracy. Even as Trump’s campaign faces significant legal and public relations challenges, Fox continues to double down on its defense of the former president, to the detriment of its own credibility.
Meanwhile, as Trump’s media ventures suffer from plummeting stock prices and ongoing scandals, the network’s continued loyalty to him only further erodes its standing. With Trump’s popularity declining and his legal troubles mounting, Fox News finds itself in a precarious position, desperately clinging to a narrative that fewer and fewer people are buying into.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that Fox News’s approach is not resonating with the broader American public. Their attempts to discredit Kamala Harris and other political figures are increasingly seen as out of touch and out of line, leading to a well-deserved reckoning for the network.