Kathrine Frich
The president turns against Fox News once again and tells his supporters where they should watch him instead.
Donald Trump has never been particularly shy about telling television networks what he thinks of their coverage.
Even Fox News, a network that has long enjoyed a close relationship with the American conservative movement, has repeatedly found itself on the receiving end of the president’s criticism.
Their relationship has grown increasingly strained in recent weeks, with Trump publicly questioning the network’s political priorities and complaining about its coverage of his rallies.
Now, the president has escalated the dispute by encouraging his supporters to abandon Fox News in favor of a competing conservative broadcaster, as he wrote on Truth Social.
His latest attack came Monday morning in a Truth Social post that accused the network of giving Democrats preferential treatment.
Trump accuses Fox News of defending Democrats
The president’s latest complaint centers on what he considers excessive attention given to his political opponents.
Trump claimed that Fox News has increasingly prioritized Democratic perspectives over those of Republicans, suggesting the network has abandoned its traditional audience.
“Fox spends more time defending Dumocrats, and putting on their views versus their Republican opponent, than at any time in the History of FoxNews. It’s ridiculous!” Trump wrote.
He followed the accusation with another criticism, this time suggesting the network was becoming overly concerned with political correctness.
“FoxNews is trying too hard to be Politically Correct! Watch my big Kansas Rally today on RSBN. Great early coverage!”
The message went beyond another familiar complaint about unfavorable reporting.
Trump was explicitly encouraging his supporters to watch Right Side Broadcasting Network, commonly known as RSBN, instead of Fox News.
His previous boycott didn’t last long
Monday’s criticism follows several recent confrontations between Trump and the conservative news network.
Earlier this month, the president announced that he would stop watching Fox News after expressing frustration with its coverage of a political rally in Ohio.
Trump was reportedly unhappy with the attention the network had given the event, prompting him to publicly declare that he was finished watching.
However, his television boycott appeared to be short-lived.
Just two days later, Trump was once again criticizing the network’s programming, suggesting that he was still keeping a close eye on its coverage.
His latest remarks indicate that the disagreement has not been resolved.
Rather than simply complaining about individual broadcasts, Trump is now directing viewers toward a different outlet.
Trump promotes a controversial alternative
Right Side Broadcasting Network was founded in 2015 and has become particularly well known for its extensive coverage of Trump’s political appearances.
The network frequently broadcasts his speeches and campaign-style rallies, providing viewers with lengthy coverage of events that traditional broadcasters may only show in part.
Its strongly pro-Trump approach has helped establish RSBN as an alternative for supporters who believe mainstream television networks do not give the president fair treatment.
That includes Fox News, despite the channel’s longstanding association with conservative politics.
Trump’s endorsement of RSBN therefore carries significance beyond a disagreement over one rally.
It highlights his willingness to promote smaller, politically aligned outlets when he becomes dissatisfied with coverage from established media organizations.
Rival broadcaster has faced repeated controversies
RSBN has also attracted criticism over its programming and the conduct of people associated with the network.
In 2017, the broadcaster apologized following inflammatory remarks by host Nick Fuentes, who has since become a prominent white nationalist figure.
Fuentes said he wanted the people running CNN “arrested and deported or hanged.”
The comments prompted controversy and led RSBN to distance itself from the remarks.
The network has also faced disciplinary action from YouTube.
During 2021, RSBN was suspended from the platform on at least two occasions involving broadcasts of Trump’s speeches.
One suspension followed coverage of his appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, commonly known as CPAC.
According to YouTube, the broadcast violated its rules concerning election misinformation.
Another suspension occurred ahead of a Trump rally in Florida later that year.
Those incidents illustrate the controversies surrounding the broadcaster that Trump is now recommending to his supporters.
