Donald Trump criticized Fox News for giving limited coverage to a series of recent rallies and warned the network could face ratings declines.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday morning, Trump questioned Fox News leadership and hit out at Maria Bartiromo’s departure from the network.
The comments come as the White House remains locked in a legal battle with CNN, MS NOW and Politico over the administration’s ban on the outlets from White House access.
Read More on News
Newsweek reached out to Fox News for comment on Sunday.
Trump Targets Fox News Coverage
In his social media message, Trump expressed frustration that Fox & Friends Weekend had not highlighted rallies held in Ohio, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma.
Trump said the events drew “packed” crowds and reflected enthusiasm within the Republican Party. He argued that rival networks were covering the rallies more aggressively and suggested Fox News viewers wanted more reporting on them.
The president also took aim at some of the network’s programming decisions, singling out commentator Jessica Tarlov and accusing Fox News of spending too much time featuring political opponents.
Trump warned that failing to cover the rallies could hurt the network’s audience, writing that viewers would “very quickly stop watching” if the approach continues.
Maria Bartiromo Drawn Into Dispute
Trump’s criticism also touched on the recent departure of Bartiromo, a longtime Fox Business and Fox News host.
In the post, Trump questioned who was making decisions at Fox News and suggested it could be “the same loser” who “fired” Bartiromo “because she complained about not being allowed to cover” him.
However, Bartiromo has publicly disputed reports that she was fired.
In a statement previously provided to Newsweek through attorney Bryan Freedman, Bartiromo denied that she was terminated and described reports claiming she had been fired as “absolutely and unequivocally false.”
Meanwhile, Fox News announced in September that it had parted ways with Bartiromo effective immediately after more than 12 years with the company.
The network thanked Bartiromo for her work and said it wished her well in the future but did not provide a detailed explanation for the split.
Newsweek reached out to Freedman for an updated response on Sunday.
Questions Around Bartiromo’s Exit
Reporting from Status and other outlets suggested Bartiromo’s departure may have stemmed from a dispute involving internal communications shared with White House officials.
No official reason for the separation has been confirmed by Fox News, and Bartiromo has largely limited her public comments to thanking supporters for their messages following the announcement.
Fox Business has since announced a new programming lineup. Beginning October 12, Mornings with Maria will be replaced by Big Money in the Morning, featuring Dagen McDowell, Brian Brenberg, Taylor Riggs and Josh Schafer.
Trump’s criticism of Fox News follows weeks of conflict between the White House and other media organizations.
On September 18, Trump announced a ban preventing CNN, MS NOW and Politico from accessing the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing “fiction and lies.”
The three organizations subsequently filed a First Amendment lawsuit seeking restoration of access.
Judge Timothy James Kelly later ordered the administration to reinstate access temporarily, finding the ban likely violated the outlets’ due process rights. That order is scheduled to expire on October 8 unless extended.
While Trump has not suggested any similar action against Fox News, Sunday’s post carried a familiar warning: media organizations that, in his view, fail to cover him fairly risk losing audience support.
Update, 10/4/2026, 11:42 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Cristina Diciu.