President Donald Trump blasted Fox News on Tuesday for giving airtime to candidates opposing Republicans, including Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, accusing the network of promoting Democrats and others at the expense of the MAGA movement. In two Truth Social posts, Trump targeted Fox's coverage of both El-Sayed and Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn, an independent, arguing the network was providing favorable exposure to political opponents while failing to adequately highlight Republican candidates and his own rallies.
Trump's criticism highlights recurring tensions between the president and Fox News, one of the most influential television networks among Republican voters. When reached for comment via email on Tuesday, the White House referred Newsweek to Trump's Truth Social posts. Newsweek also reached out to Fox News, Osborn, El-Sayed and Senator Pete Ricketts by email Tuesday for comment.
The latest dispute comes as candidates from both parties make their final push ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. Michigan's Senate race is among the most closely watched contests of the cycle. Democrats view it as critical to their hopes of winning control of the Senate.
Trump's initial criticism focused on Fox anchor Martha MacCallum's interview with El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official who is the Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat in Michigan. In his Truth Social post, Trump complained that Fox "spends more time covering the Jihadist and Dumocrat candidates than they do the good old fashioned Republicans." He also described MacCallum's piece with El-Sayed as a "softball interview," adding: "She never interviews me like that." Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign with El-Sayed at a Detroit rally on October 24. The appearance is expected to include other Michigan Democrats and signals the significance national Democrats have placed on the race.
El-Sayed defeated former Representative Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary and is now facing Republican Mike Rogers in the general election. Polls show a competitive race, with several recent surveys placing the candidates within a few percentage points of each other. A Fox News survey conducted from September 24 to September 28 found El-Sayed leading Rogers 50 percent to 49 percent among likely voters.
A Trafalgar Group poll held from September 28 to September 30 showed El-Sayed ahead 47 percent to 45 percent. Other surveys have given the Democrat a somewhat wider advantage, including a Marist University poll that found him leading 51 percent to 44 percent and a Big Data Poll survey that showed him ahead 47 percent to 42 percent. Trump's frustration with Fox extends beyond its coverage of El-Sayed.
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