President Donald Trump commended Steve Doocy’s departure from Fox & Friends, emphasizing their multifaceted relationship, which was marked by both support and discord over time. In a special message recorded for Doocy’s transition, Trump described him as a “fantastic guy” who “always treated me fairly.”
This acknowledgment from the president came as Doocy, 68, announced his shift to a “coast-to-coast” hosting role after nearly 30 years with the morning show. Moving forward, Doocy will appear three days a week based in Florida, enabling him to report from different locations across the United States.
In his recorded message, Trump extended his congratulations, stating, “I just want to congratulate you on your new and probably enhanced role.” He highlighted Doocy’s previous treatment of him, adding, “You’ve always treated me fairly — sometimes more fairly than other times, but that’s okay.” This comment reflected the blend of appreciation and acknowledgment of occasional tensions between the two.
The relationship between Trump and Doocy extends back many years. Trump was a frequent guest on “Fox & Friends” prior to his presidential campaign launch in 2015. As noted in a 2019 New Yorker article, Trump reportedly once rated Doocy a “12 out of 10” for loyalty.
However, the relationship has seen considerable strain in recent years. In September 2023, Trump publicly criticized Doocy during an interview, mentioning that although Doocy had been “so nice to me for years,” there seemed to be a change. “I would say over the last year, I don’t know, he just seems to be not nice like he should be,” Trump remarked, even describing the host as “terrible” and suggesting he was “hurting the show.”
The tension appears linked to Doocy’s occasional departure from the typical Fox News stance. Recently, Doocy has been open to questioning Republican narratives, including expressing doubt over investigations into Hunter Biden and highlighting Trump’s legal issues.
In January 2024, Trump used Truth Social to question, “Whatever happened to that guy???” and subsequently labeled Doocy an “unwatchable RINO” (Republican in name only), holding him accountable for the show’s rating challenges.
Despite these past disputes, Trump’s congratulatory message for Doocy’s new role was cordial. The president noted that it was an honor to spend significant time with the group and watch them alongside the entire team in the mornings.
Doocy disclosed that Trump had called him on the morning of his announcement. Doocy mentioned that he had previously reached out to Trump for a quote about his first 100 days and information on tariffs. Trump returned the call just 20 seconds before Doocy was set to go on air.
In his new capacity, Doocy will report from various locations across the U.S., including Florida, where Trump has his Mar-a-Lago residence. “I’ll be going from the Carolinas to the Keys. From Middle America to Mar-a-Lago,” Doocy stated during his announcement, referring to himself as “the coast-to-coast host.”
The timing of Doocy’s role change occurs amid heightened political tension. Just weeks ago, Doocy voiced concerns about President Trump’s trade policies, informing viewers that significant Republican donors were “terrified” about the tariff impacts on the stock market.
Doocy has been with Fox News since its 1996 inception and started co-hosting “Fox & Friends” when it launched in 1998. He is the longest-running co-host on network morning television, second only to Al Roker of the “Today” show.
Departing the “curvy couch,” Doocy cited a desire for a more manageable schedule after years of 3:30 a.m. wake-ups. “When my kids were growing up, I never had breakfast with them. I was always here, Kathy did everything. But starting tomorrow, I’m going to have breakfast with my grandkids and my children whenever I can,” he explained.
Doocy plans to return to Fox & Friends in his new role in ten days. Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt, and Lawrence Jones will continue to co-host from the New York City, New York studios.
