- Trump lashed out at Fox News and contributor Karl Rove, who criticized Trump having documents at Mar-a-Lago.
- Trump also said he would support CNN if the network decided to take a conservative approach.
- The comments come amid exits at CNN that suggest the network wants to appeal to a wider audience.
Former President Donald Trump tore into Fox News on Sunday, accusing the network of amplifying the Democratic agenda and going harder on Republicans than Democrats.
“Wow! Fox News is really pushing the Democrats and the Democrat agenda. Gets worse every single day,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “So many Dems interviewed with only softball questions, then Republican counterparts get creamed.”
It’s unclear what interviews exactly Trump was referring to, but he also specifically called out Karl Rove, a former GOP White House official and Fox News contributor.
“RINO Karl Rove is unwatchable, very negative, and on all the time – Has a big record of losing! Not an easy place to be as a Republican, especially with all of the ‘pervert’ purchased ads,” Trump said. It’s unclear what ads he was referring to.
Rove served as a senior adviser and deputy chief of staff during the Bush administration in the 2000s. He has appeared on Fox News several times to discuss the Justice Department’s investigation into Trump’s handling of government records and the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago on August 8.
“None of these documents are his to have taken,” Rove said last week, citing the Presidential Records Act.
While criticizing Fox News on Sunday, Trump also said that if the network’s cable news competitor CNN adopted a conservative approach, he would support it.
“If ‘low ratings’ CNN ever went Conservative, they would be an absolute gold mine, and I would help them to do so!” Trump said of CNN, which he has frequently described as “failing” and “fake news.”
Trump’s comments about CNN come as the network appears to be shifting its strategy in order to attract a wider range of viewers.
On Friday, longtime CNN White House correspondent John Harwood abruptly parted ways with the network shortly after calling Trump a “dishonest demagogue” and saying the point made by President Joe Biden during his anti-MAGA speech on Thursday was “true.”
Brian Stelter also had a sudden exit from CNN last month. Stelter, whose show “Reliable Sources” covered media, frequently criticized Fox News and right-wing outlets.
The shake ups come after Chris Licht took over as CEO of CNN earlier this year, following the departure of Jeff Zucker.
Several unnamed CNN employees and former staffers told The Washington Post they viewed the recent string of exits as evidence of Licht’s plans to reposition CNN as an ideologically neutral network by limiting voices that are critical of Trump.
Representatives for Fox News and CNN did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
