Fox News host Chris Wallace argued that President Trump’s repeated attacks on the network for providing a platform to Democrats show a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the network’s goals.
The president most recently derided the conservative outlet for hosting Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland to discuss the Senate’s impeachment trial. In the same tweet criticizing Van Hollen’s appearance, Trump called Fox News “really pathetic” while shaming Wallace and former network anchor Shep Smith, who left his position last year.
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…..So, what the hell has happened to @FoxNews. Only I know! Chris Wallace and others should be on Fake News CNN or MSDNC. How’s Shep Smith doing? Watch, this will be the beginning of the end for Fox, just like the other two which are dying in the ratings. Social Media is great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2020
Wallace addressed the condemnation from the president, which has come in waves recently as Trump responded to negative polls from the network and interviews he found “unfair,” during an interview with Deadline.
“I think that the president fails to understand what Fox News is all about, which is that we are covering the election, and there are two other two parties in the election, the Republicans and the Democrats, and we’re going to give equal coverage and equal exposure to both sides and ask equally tough questions of both sides,” he said.
“But, you know, to suggest that there’s something wrong with putting a Democrat on the show or covering a Democratic political event just shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Fox News is all about,” Wallace said.
The host was also asked about his thoughts on the president’s attacks toward him and explained that “it would bother” him if he thought he had done something wrong but that he doesn’t feel he has. He also added that, “on some basic level,” Trump’s insults have hurt “his feelings” but that he’s “getting used to it.”
“Generally speaking, I think it is an indication that you’re doing your job. I mean, I’m not in this to make friends. I am in this to do the best reporting that I can do,” he said.
Wallace has previously pushed back on some of the insults coming from the president.
