Fox News anchor Bret Baier challenged President Donald Trump during a live interview after the president criticised the network’s midterm election polling, which had accurately forecast major Democratic victories.
The exchange took place shortly after midnight ET on Wednesday, November 4, when Baier questioned Trump about the performance of Republican candidates he had supported, including Texas Senate hopeful Ken Paxton and South Carolina nominee Darlene Graham.
Both candidates lost their respective races.
Asked whether he had any regrets about his endorsements, Trump defended his support for Paxton, saying he had no choice but to back him and describing him as a good person.
He then turned his attention to Fox News, criticising its polling operation and telling Baier: “The Fox polls are terrible. You ought to get yourself a good pollster, because your pollster is the worst.”
Baier immediately challenged the president’s assessment, pointing out that the election results were largely consistent with the network’s forecasts.
“But tonight actually the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed,” Baier responded.
Fox News Polls Accurately Forecast Democratic Victories
Fox News published its final midterm election forecasts on November 1, predicting that Democrats would take control of the House of Representatives, a projection that was borne out by the election results.
The network also classified the Senate race as a toss-up, with Democrats ultimately securing control of the chamber.
Its forecasts had additionally identified several traditionally Republican states, including Kansas and Texas, as too close to call.
Democrats went on to record historic victories in both states.
Despite Baier’s response, Trump maintained his criticism of the network’s polling accuracy, dismissing the anchor’s argument.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” the president said.
He subsequently claimed that Fox News had consistently underestimated his popularity over the past 12 years.
“I can just tell you about speaking for myself and the results with Fox with me were wrong for 12 years.
They’ve got me wrong for 12 years,” Trump said.
Trump Questions His Popularity Ratings on Fox News
The president continued his criticism by comparing his reported popularity ratings with historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.
“I shouldn’t say this,” Trump remarked, before claiming that Lincoln had received an eight per cent rating, Reagan had been at 13 per cent, while his own figure stood at approximately 54 per cent.
He questioned why Fox News subsequently reported that he was unpopular and repeated his demand for the network to replace its pollster.
“You know, I mean, the Fox polls are terrible. You ought to get yourself a new pollster because your polls are the worst,” he said.
Trump concluded his criticism by saying that he did not care about the polling dispute.
Trump Defends Paxton Endorsement Despite Texas Defeat
During the interview, Trump also maintained his support for Ken Paxton, who conceded defeat in the Texas Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
Baier had questioned whether the Republican losses pointed to problems with the quality of candidates selected by the party, specifically mentioning Paxton and Darlene Graham.
Graham also lost her South Carolina Senate contest to a Democratic opponent.
Trump’s response indicated that he stood by his decision to support the candidates despite their defeats.
President Signals Openness to Working With Democrats
Following the Republican Party’s poor midterm performance, Trump indicated that he was prepared to work with Democrats in the new political landscape.
The president had previously told Fox News that he would accept the outcome of Tuesday’s elections, which saw Democrats take control of Congress and make significant gains in traditionally Republican states.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump also expressed willingness to cooperate with the opposition party.
“We’ll, you know, look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out,” he said.
Trump Blames Iran War for Republican Election Losses
Trump also attributed the Republican Party’s midterm setbacks partly to his administration’s February invasion of Iran, which he acknowledged had proved unpopular.
The president, however, insisted that he did not regret the military action, which resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an air strike.
Iran subsequently responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a major international shipping route through which approximately 25 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
The disruption contributed to sharp increases in petrol prices and the wider cost of living.
Trump had secured a decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election after campaigning on promises to address rising prices under the Biden administration and avoid involving the United States in new wars.
