President Donald Trump is once again turning his fire on Fox News — this time demanding the network get rid of longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove after the former Bush adviser discussed Democrats’ midterm prospects during a Thursday appearance.
“FoxNews should get rid of sloppy RINO Karl Rove,” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after Rove appeared on America’s Newsroom.
The president’s outburst came after Rove analyzed what Democrats would need to reclaim control of the House in next year’s midterm elections.
“Having a Democrat advantage of one [point] ain’t much. A Democrat advantage of four is significantly better,” Rove said. “But I’m thinking that they need to have at least five or six minimum lead in the advantage on the ballot if they’re going to take the House with a significant margin.”
Rove also noted that voter dissatisfaction could play a major role in determining the outcome.
“And remember, this is a contest between two unfavorables,” he said. “The president’s unfavorability is at 40%. The Democratic Party’s unfavorability is below 37. So who’s less popular and how’s that going to affect the outcome?”
That assessment apparently struck a nerve.
“He’s called ME and MAGA wrong for 11 years now, and he still doesn’t get it, and he never will, because he suffers from a completely inoperable, and totally dysfunctional, case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump wrote.
The president didn’t stop there.
“Put Karl Rove out to pasture, NOW. He is a LOSER, and he always will be!” Trump added.
The latest clash is hardly the first time Trump has publicly lashed out at a Fox News contributor or personality despite maintaining a generally friendly relationship with the conservative network.
Over the years, Trump has repeatedly targeted commentators who have challenged him on policy, polling, or political strategy. He has feuded with former Fox News host Chris Wallace, frequently blasted former House Speaker Paul Ryan during Ryan’s tenure on Fox’s board, and has repeatedly attacked Fox contributors he views as insufficiently supportive of his political movement.
Rove, one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable establishment figures, has often found himself in Trump’s crosshairs. The former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush has been openly skeptical of some of Trump’s political instincts and has repeatedly offered critical assessments of the president’s electoral standing.
Following Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this year, Rove argued that portions of the speech “didn’t sound based in reality.” He has also long questioned whether Trump’s brand of politics represents the Republican Party’s future.
Back in 2019, Rove told National Review editor Rich Lowry that “The Republican Party is going to have to recreate itself after Donald Trump leaves office,” adding that the future direction of conservatism would depend on who ultimately succeeds Trump and his “dark charisma.”
The episode highlights Trump’s complicated relationship with Fox News. While he regularly attacks network personalities and even Fox chairman emeritus Rupert Murdoch when coverage displeases him, the president has also drawn heavily from the network’s talent pool when staffing his administration, appointing several former Fox hosts and contributors to key government positions.
For now, however, Rove appears to have earned a place on Trump’s ever-growing list of Fox News figures who have felt the president’s wrath for deviating from the MAGA script.
