Bret Baier, anchor and executive editor of Special Report on Fox News, shares insights from nearly three decades in journalism. He discusses Trump's intricate relationship with Fox, revealing how the network influences the former president's agenda and communication style. Baier highlights the unique challenges of maintaining impartiality while navigating a polarized media landscape. He also reflects on interviewing Trump, contrasting his dynamic press interactions with Biden's more reserved approach, and calls for a more balanced media environment.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Effective Interviewing Technique
To interview effectively, listen actively and redirect based on answers.
Avoid just reciting questions; focus on following up to uncover new information.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Interviewing Trump: Strategy
Brett Baier aims to get Trump off his usual talking points during interviews.
He listens carefully to redirect and unearth new information for viewers.
insights INSIGHT
Golf with the President
Journalists often accept opportunities like golfing with presidents to gain insights.
Such relaxed settings can reveal thoughts not captured in formal interviews.
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The relationship between Fox News and Donald Trump is not just close; it can be profoundly influential. Trump frequently responds to segments in real time online—even to complain about a poll he doesn’t like. He has tapped the network for nearly two dozen roles within his Administration—including the current Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host. The network is also seen as having an outsized impact on his relationship with his base, and even on his agenda. Most recently, it’s been reported that Fox News’ coverage of the Iran-Israel conflict played a role in Trump’s decision to enter that fight. And while the network’s right-wing commentators—from Sean Hannity to Laura Ingraham to Mark Levin—tend to grab the most headlines and stand as the ideological coloring of the network, “Special Report,” Fox’s 6 P.M. broadcast, anchored by Bret Baier, is essential to the conservative-media complex. Baier draws more than three million viewers a night, at times surpassing legacy brands like “CBS Evening News,” despite being available in half as many homes. Baier insists on his impartiality, but his network’s reputation as an outlet for the right and its connection to President Trump himself can make his job representing the news arm of the network more challenging. And, when it comes to Trump and his relationship to the media, Baier tells David Remnick, “I think it is this cat-and-mouse game. You know, for all of the things he says about the media . . . he’s reaching out and doing interviews with the same people he says are nasty.”
The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.
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