Lachlan Murdoch Views Trump as Bad for America, But Keeps Fox News Behind Him Because It’s Good for Business: Report
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A new report from CNN’s Oliver Darcy claims Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch believes former President Donald Trump is bad for the country, but keeps Fox News in his corner to avoid alienating viewers.
With Trump said to be mulling launching a third White House bid, Darcy claims Murdoch is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
By putting the network at odds with Trump, Fox could risk shedding viewers.
In Tuesday’s Reliable Sources newsletter, Darcy writes:
Fox News largely refrains from criticizing Donald Trump. But, in private, Lachlan Murdoch has denounced some of the former President’s behavior in harsh terms.
In private this year, the Fox Corp. chief executive has freely criticized Trump, saying that he disagrees with much of the way the former President behaves, sources tell me. Murdoch has gone so far as to tell people that he believes if Trump were to run again, it would be bad for the country, I’m told.
But, the sources added, Murdoch has also noted that the Fox News audience continues to support Trump. Which is to say that Murdoch knows that supporting Trump is good for business — and, more importantly, he knows that pillorying him is bad for business because it would alienate the channel’s core audience.
Darcy noted Rupert Murdoch’s apparent disdain for Trump is well known. Meanwhile, Lachlan’s views on the 45th president are kept close to the vest.
Darcy concluded that in spite of Lachlan Murdoch’s reported dislike for Trump, Fox News might be put in the position of catering to viewers rather than the personal views of the CEO if Trump wins the 2024 GOP nomination.
