Media magnate Rupert Murdoch, whose sprawling empire includes ownership of Fox News, is changing his tune on Donald Trump.
On Sunday, Murdoch, known for leaning right politically, suggested that the Republican Party should begin taking Trump’s candidacy for its presidential nomination seriously.
“Fox Thursday debate vital for all candidates,” Murdoch said in a message on Twitter, referring to the first presidential primary debate of the campaign season, which takes place this week and his hosted by Fox News. “If Trump gets through unscathed it will be big win. Time for all to understand his support.”
It is a shift in opinion for Murdoch. In mid-July, he wrote on Twitter, “When is Donald Trump going to stop embarrassing his friends, let alone the whole country?” The remark was apparently in response to Trump, who at the time had stirred controversy by questioning the substance of Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain’s military service.
Before that, Murdoch had also been critical of Trump’s comments regarding illegal immigrants, writing on Twitter that Trump was “wrong” to say that too many of them are criminals and “rapists.”
Trump is currently leading many national and state-level polls in public support for the GOP presidential nomination. He has emerged as a wildcard heading into Thursday’s debate, given his history of making inflammatory, controversial remarks targeted at the other Republican contenders.
