The Impact of Donald Trump's Super Tuesday Triumph on Rupert Murdoch

Sign up for the "Reliable Sources" newsletter to read more articles like this one. Donald Trump has once again emerged victorious over Rupert Murdoch.

With Nikki Haley dropping out of the presidential race, the former president who has been impeached twice and indicted four times, and who incited the insurrection, has emerged as the dominant figure in the Republican Party. This gives him full control over the GOP challengers.

This is a development that Murdoch, the billionaire media mogul who controls Fox News and was once a significant figure in the Republican Party, had hoped to avoid. Murdoch has been critical of Trump in private and even expressed his desire to make Trump irrelevant in an email to a Fox News executive after the 2020 election.

While Fox News never fully criticized Trump for denying the election results, they did show less support for him and instead focused on other Republican candidates, particularly Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

After the 2020 election, Fox News shifted its attention to promoting DeSantis while temporarily ignoring Trump. Even Murdoch's newspaper, The New York Post, went as far as labeling DeSantis as the "DeFUTURE" candidate, indicating a deliberate strategy.

Trump himself knew that Murdoch did not support him as the Republican nominee. He has expressed his frustration towards the media mogul on his Truth Social platform, criticizing him for various reasons, including promoting DeSantis.

While some of Trump's criticisms may not be justified, it is worth mentioning that Fox News has been generally supportive of Trump, even when facing legal issues. Despite this, Trump was correct in his belief that Murdoch's network would have preferred a different candidate to lead the Republican Party.

Now that Trump has solidified control over the GOP, Murdoch is experiencing a sense of déjà vu. Just like how Trump dominated Fox News during the 2016 race, he has once again asserted his influence. As the expected GOP nominee, Trump can once again utilize Fox News as a powerful tool, just as he did during his time in the White House, to challenge President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in the coming weeks and months.

It has been clear for some time now that Murdoch's fate was sealed. This gradual realization has been evident in Fox News' recent coverage. The network has reverted back to its previous behavior, giving Trump a platform to spread misinformation. This shift has even led Fox anchors to criticize other news outlets for fact-checking Trump's false claims.

With his win in the primaries confirmed, Trump has not only gained control of the GOP but also regained control of his most powerful propaganda tool. Fox News, which will never back a Democratic candidate for president, is now forced to support him. Murdoch and his team understand that if they don't align with Trump, he could criticize the right-wing channel and urge his supporters to switch to Newsmax, as seen after the 2020 election.

In simpler terms: Trump has outsmarted Murdoch, overcoming another obstacle on his journey to the White House.

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights the power struggle between Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul behind Fox News. Despite Murdoch's initial attempts to distance himself from Trump, the former president's dominance over the Republican Party has forced Murdoch to align with him once again. This victory for Trump consolidates his control over the GOP and gives him a powerful propaganda tool in the form of Fox News.

The article also reveals the complex relationship between Trump and Fox News. While Fox News has been generally supportive of Trump, even during his legal battles, the network has also shown a willingness to shift its attention to other Republican candidates. However, with Trump's resurgence, Fox News has reverted to its previous behavior, providing him with a platform to spread misinformation and attack his opponents. This move demonstrates the network's dependence on Trump for ratings and its fear of losing viewers to more conservative outlets like Newsmax. Ultimately, the article suggests that Trump has outmaneuvered Murdoch and regained control of the media landscape that is crucial for his political ambitions.