Former President Trump criticized Fox News in an interview Friday for airing negative political ads attacking him, saying he would appeal directly to media mogul Rupert Murdoch to remove them from the network.
“In the old days, you never played negative ads. In other words when I leave here, I’ll then be hit by five or six ads,” Trump said Friday during an in-studio interview on Fox & Friends, the network’s flagship morning show.
“You mean Fox News?” host Brian Kilmeade interjected.
“When I leave, I’ll have 12 people from Kamala on, and pretty much unopposed,” Trump said. “For 19 days I don’t think we should do that anymore. I think you shouldn’t play negative ads. It’s very tough.”
“You do a show—and I complain all the time. I love complaining,” he added. “I like to have everything perfect. But when I leave here…it’s sort of a net neutral.”
Before the former president left the show’s signature couch, he said he plans to meet Friday with Murdoch, the founder of Fox Corp. and the company’s longtime executive chairman, and voice his displeasure with ads the network airs that are critical of him — and bringing on a myriad of guests on shows who are not supportive.
“I’m going to see Rupert Murdoch,” the former president continued. “I don’t know if he’s thrilled that I say it … and I’m going to tell him something very simple … don’t put on negative commercials for 21 days and don’t put on … they’re horrible people that come on and lie. I’m gonna say Rupert please do it this way.”
Trump predicted that if he gets his way “we’ll have a victory,” saying of Murdoch, “everyone wants a victory.”
The GOP presidential nominee has for months railed against Fox, the top-rated cable news channel, over its coverage of him and programming, though he is seen on the outlet regularly for interviews, town halls and other appearances.
He has also criticized Murdoch directly in the past, calling the billionaire a “globalist” who is trying to tear him down.
Murdoch, 93, stepped back as chairman of Fox Corp late last year, ceding control of the media company to his eldest son Lachlan.
