A striking pattern has emerged in the relationship between President Trump and Fox News: when Trump publicly demands the removal of a network personality, the network’s history suggests it listens. The most recent targets are Shannon Bream and Jessica Tarlov, but they’re far from the first to face the president’s ire.
The personnel connections between Fox News and the Trump administration tell much of the story. Trump selected at least 19 former Fox News hosts, journalists and commentators for senior positions by Inauguration Day 2025. Seven were still actively working at Fox when chosen. By mid-2025, that number exceeded 20 — equaling the total from his entire first four-year term.
Former Fox host Eric Bolling offered insight into how Trump views this relationship: “With Fox talent, Trump can simply watch clips for proof of loyalty.” Regarding Trump’s public attacks on the network, Bolling said: “He does that to course correct them. And it tends to work.”
The clearest example came with Howard Kurtz. Trump attacked the MediaBuzz host on Truth Social in May 2025 after a segment about the ousting of then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Angry that he was only “weakly defended” during the discussion, Trump wrote: “It is time for Howie Kurtz to retire!” Trump added that Kurtz’s defense was “so pathetic that it would be a lot better if he didn’t say anything.”
Fox News officially cancelled MediaBuzz four months later. The network presented the decision as part of a weekend lineup overhaul, launching The Sunday Briefing with correspondents Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy focused on White House coverage. But the September cancellation followed a clear timeline from Trump’s May demand.
Kurtz signed off Sept. 14, 2025, after more than 12 years hosting the program. During his final broadcast, he said he was proud the show had been No. 1 every week for a dozen years and thanked Fox for giving him “extraordinary independence.” He stayed on as a contributor and political analyst.
The loss extended beyond Kurtz personally. MediaBuzz was the last regular media criticism program on any major national cable news outlet. CNN had cancelled Reliable Sources in 2022 during Warner Bros. Discovery cost-cutting. No major TV news network now maintains a dedicated program examining media coverage and accountability.
Trump’s April 6, 2026, attacks marked his latest escalation. In a Truth Social post, he criticized Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream for not “correcting” Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss during an interview where the congressman accused Trump of lacking a strategy to end the Iran conflict.
His sharpest language targeted Jessica Tarlov, co-host of “The Five.” In a message Trump labeled “for Fox executives only,” he wrote: “Take Jessica Tarlov off the air. She is, from her voice, to her lies, and everything else about her, one of the worst personalities on television, a real loser! People cannot stand watching her.”
That wasn’t Trump’s first attack on Tarlov. During a March 26 phone call into “The Five” while she was absent, Trump told the hosts he “wasn’t a fan” and accused her of using “fake numbers.” Social media users defended Tarlov, with one writing on X: “She lives rent free in his head.”
Fox News has not publicly responded to Trump’s demand to remove Tarlov. The network’s silence on the matter leaves the question open: will the Kurtz precedent repeat itself with public pressure followed by quiet compliance months later?
The power dynamic is unmistakable. Trump offers administration jobs to those who demonstrate allegiance and launches social media attacks designed to destroy the careers of those he views as disloyal. For Fox News personalities who value independent journalism — or even just the occasional tough question — the message from the White House is clear: fall in line, or become the next name on Trump’s list.