President Donald Trump has used a symbiotic relationship with Fox News to advance his rhetoric and propaganda.
But occasionally his favorite network decides to air dissenting opinions or facts that disprove statements made by Trump.
When Fox News chooses truth over the Trump administration's alternative facts, the President makes his displeasure known.
Recently Fox News host Neil Cavuto drew Trump's ire again. A guest on Cavuto's program Your World With Neil Cavuto, A. B. Stoddard, referred to Trump's 2016 debates as "cringeworthy."
For hurting Trump's feelings, the President attacked Cavuto during his latest MAGA rally. He once again spoke as though the network serves as his own state media propaganda machine.
Trump said:
"Fox doesn't treat us the way they used to."
"All of their high-rated shows are the ones that like Trump. All of their loser shows are the ones that don't like Trump."
"How is Shepard Smith doing? He had the lowest ratings and now Neil Cavuto took his place."
Trump also took his tantrum to Twitter.
He posted:
"Could somebody at [Fox News] please explain to Trump hater A.B. Stoddard (zero talent!) and [Neil Cavuto], that I won every one of my debates, from beginning to end."
"Check the polls taken immediately after the debates. The debates got me elected. Must be Fox Board Member Paul Ryan!"
But unlike some previous attacks, Fox News personalities responded to Trump.
Fox News contributor Richard Fowler said while analyzing Trump's rally:
"He spent the past 30 or so minutes trashing one of our colleagues, Neil Cavuto, for no reason in particular."
"This speaks to the problem with this presidency. He can run on the good economy and I will give him points for that, but to sit on this air and trash a good journalist, it speaks to the problem that we have."
"We can't tell our kids not to bully, we can't tell our kids to be nice to our neighbors, we can't tell our children to do unto others when you have a President attacking a good man for no reason in particular aside from the fact that he criticized a particular policy position of his."
Fox Business anchor, Trish Regan stated:
"It's come to my attention that the President while speaking to that crowd in Colorado Springs said some rather disparaging things about one of my colleagues someone who I respect tremendously, Neil Cavuto."
"He is someone who started this network, Fox Business, and someone who is the utmost journalist and always fair, I can tell you that about Neil. He is a fair person, a fair guy, and a good man."
"So I'm disappointed that the President said those things. Because Neil Cavuto is one guy who just doesn't deserve it."
Undeterred, Trump took to Twitter and posted:
"So [Neil Cavuto] has very bad ratings on [Fox News] with his Fake guests like A.B.Stoddard and others that still haven't figured it all out. Will he get the same treatment as his friend Shepherd Smith, who also suffered from the ratings drought?"
Despite his repeated whining, Trump found few sympathizers.
As of Friday, February 21, the 2020 presidential election is 255 days away. How much time the President will devote to complaining about Fox News not being nice to him is unclear.
The book Goodnight Trump: Say goodnight to America's manchild-in-chief is available here.
