Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech on Thursday to the America First Policy Institute in Washington, marking his first return visit to the nation's capital since the end of his presidency in January 2021.
And yet, Trump's speech didn't get much coverage on Fox News.
This prompted Brian Andersson, a former New York City commissioner with the Giuliani and Bloomberg mayoral administrations and now a Newsmax contributor, to rhetorically wonder to Newsmax, "If the tree falls in the forest and Fox didn't report it, did it happen?"
Andersson's playful media jab from Thursday's "American Agenda" with Newsmax hosts Bob Sellers and Katrina Szish plays into a larger question:
Are Murdoch family-owned media outlets such as Fox News, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal consciously suppressing any positive Trump news heading into the November midterm elections?
In the last week, the Post and WSJ have both condemned Trump's "silence" regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol, even though the former president has spoken out against the events surrounding that day — whether it's refuting the Jan. 6 testimony of others, or reiterating how he implored rallygoers to "peacefully and patriotically" head to the Capitol.
"There's a difference between [giving] opinions and reporting the news," Andersson said of Murdoch media's sudden shift away from Trump.
He added, "It's a little distressing that [Trump's speech] wasn't reported on. It's sad we didn't get enough information to make our own opinions."
The Murdoch family's so-called breakup with Trump fascinates Andersson in two ways:
The former president leads the majority of polls highlighting the expected Republican primary candidates for the 2024 presidential race; and Trump has an exemplary record as a must-have endorser with Republican House, Senate and gubernatorial races.
At last count in May, Trump had a 100-6 primary record with GOP races.
In other words, if Fox executives are deliberately putting Trump-related news on the back burner, how will they respond if he reclaims the White House?
"Oh, certainly, [Fox and Trump] go back and forth all the time," in terms of mutual acknowledgment, when it's convenient for both sides, Andersson said.
The next 28 months should be "an interesting time" for conservative-leaning networks, especially if the Republicans overtake the House and/or Senate chambers during the November midterms, he said.
At the same time, he's quick to remind Newsmax audiences of the following:
For most TV networks, it would be boring to simply present Trump as the Republican Party's clear front-runner — and one who isn't worthy of being challenged by former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"It's a game," Andersson cautioned when discussing the polls that tout DeSantis or other candidates as the new GOP favorite over Trump.
"But just give us the information," he added. "We're intelligent viewers here at Newsmax. We can decide" on our own.
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