If you thought the Fox News obsession with the WNBA and Sophie Cunningham was out of control during the summer, it\u2019s gone to another level after the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Fox News transformed itself<\/a> after Cunningham came out against transgender athletes, taking to the controversy like a shark seeing a drop of blood in the culture war waters. The channel dedicated so much time to the issue that even its own hosts were wondering aloud<\/a> why the network cared about the WNBA so much.<\/p>\n The whole issue has been exposed as a farce<\/a>, capitalized upon by bad actors like Enes Kanter and others to sow division over a hot button issue that got completely out of control and wasn\u2019t based in reality. But one thing it did do was firmly establish Cunningham\u2019s cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre on the right side of American politics.<\/p>\n So after Republicans suffered a historic shellacking at the ballot box during the 2026 midterm elections across the country, Fox News is turning to Sophie Cunningham as a ray of hope.<\/p>\n On the Wednesday after the election, Fox News dedicated multiple segments<\/a> throughout the day to Cunningham according to media and politics chronicler Aaron Rupar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, the news value of anything to do with Cunningham should be at a low point. The WNBA season is over and a historic election cycle literally just took place. Political news should be at a high point. The country is grappling with the end of the Trump Era and two years of divided politics in Washington DC. There\u2019s also the matter of resolving a disastrous war in Iran and getting the economy back on track and surely a flurry of investigations from a Democratic-controlled congress to come.<\/p>\n But who wants to talk about that when you\u2019re Fox News and you can talk about what Sophie Cunningham reshares on her Instagram profile!<\/p>\n The cable news network doubled down on Friday\u2019s Fox & Friends, ignoring what was going on in the rest of the world to do not one but two extended segments all about their chosen star and a message that wasn\u2019t even hers, but was originally written by nutritional supplement CEO Andy Frisella<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis message isn\u2019t cope\u201d \u2014 you can\u2019t make it up \u2014 Fox & Friends is coping with Republicans\u2019 historic midterm destruction by having daily Sophie Cunningham segments, including treating her social media posts like they are news. Sophie 2028! \ud83d\ude06<\/p>\n [image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com<\/a>) November 6, 2026 at 9:29 AM<\/a><\/p>\n beyond parody \u2014 Fox & Friends this morning had not one BUT TWO lengthy Sophie Cunningham segments based on her cliche-packed social media post that was vaguely meant to cheer up conservatives<\/p>\n [image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com<\/a>) November 6, 2026 at 9:31 AM<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, positive messages of hope and unity are great. Buuuuuut\u2026 that\u2019s not exactly what Fox News has stood for over the years. And there\u2019s no better way of signaling to the world that this is your way of coping with election results by insisting that it \u201cisn\u2019t cope.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophie Cunningham is quickly becoming Fox News\u2019 version of the Dallas Cowboys to ESPN<\/a>. Why talk about whatever is actually happening in the world when you can play the hits and feel good about yourselves? It\u2019s hilarious to think what the progressive alternative would be, perhaps MS Now spending hours on Steve Kerr\u2019s doppelganger<\/a>?<\/p>\n If anything, Fox News should dive even deeper into this content in the months ahead. The possibilities are endless. You can do Sophie Cunningham\u2019s Instagram post of the day, where she might play next year in free agency, even 2026 Fever highlights from her 7.9 points per game this season. And if all else fails, there\u2019s always the classic pointing meme. That should kill several hours so the channel doesn\u2019t have to talk about the new political landscape. Give the people what they want!<\/p>\n But perhaps the 2026 midterm elections are a message from Americans everywhere that it\u2019s time for everyone to move beyond the vitriol, polarization, and cruelty of the Trump years. And if this is a step in that direction for Fox News, then that\u2019d be great for them and for everyone. At the very least, it\u2019s better and less expensive than spending $787 million in a settlement for helping perpetuate lies<\/a> the last time Republicans lost in nationwide elections.<\/p>\n \t