The relationship between President Donald Trump and Fox News has become a case study in media influence, with Trump’s public attacks on network personalities repeatedly followed by personnel changes that align with his demands. The cancellation of “MediaBuzz” and Trump’s recent targeting of Shannon Bream and Jessica Tarlov reveal a pattern where presidential pressure and network decision-making appear closely intertwined.
Former Fox host Eric Bolling offered a blunt assessment of the dynamic: “He does that to course correct them. And it tends to work.” Bolling explained that Trump uses Fox talent as a loyalty testing ground, noting, “With Fox talent, Trump can simply watch clips for proof of loyalty.”
The evidence supporting Bolling’s view is substantial. By Inauguration Day 2025, Trump had appointed at least 19 former Fox News hosts, journalists and commentators to senior positions in his second term. Seven were still actively employed by Fox when they received their White House appointments. By mid-2025, that number exceeded 20 — equaling the total Fox-affiliated appointments Trump made during his entire first four years in office.
Trump’s April 6, 2026, assault on Bream and Tarlov represents his latest effort to shape Fox’s lineup. In a Truth Social post, he attacked the “Fox News Sunday” host for not “correcting” Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss when the congressman said Trump lacked a strategy to end the Iran conflict.
His criticism of Tarlov went further. Addressing “Fox executives only,” Trump wrote: “Take Jessica Tarlov off the air. She is, from her voice, to her lies, and everything else about her, one of the worst personalities on television, a real loser! People cannot stand watching her.”
That wasn’t Trump’s first shot at “The Five” co-host. On March 26, he told the hosts during a phone-in appearance — while Tarlov was absent — that he “wasn’t a fan” and claimed she used “fake numbers.” One X user responded to the attacks by writing: “She lives rent free in his head.”
The Kurtz episode shows how these attacks can translate into real consequences. Trump launched his offensive against the “MediaBuzz” host in May 2025 following a segment about the ousting of then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The president was angry that commentators only “weakly defended” him during the discussion.
His Truth Social response was direct: “It is time for Howie Kurtz to retire!” Trump wrote that the defense Kurtz offered was “so pathetic that it would be a lot better if he didn’t say anything.”
Fox News officially cancelled “MediaBuzz” four months later. The network replaced the Sunday morning media affairs show with “The Sunday Briefing,” a White House-focused program hosted by correspondents Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy. Fox executives described it as part of a broader weekend programming restructure, but the sequence of events raised obvious questions.
Kurtz signed off on Sept. 14, 2025, after more than 12 years hosting the program. During his final broadcast, he thanked Fox for giving him “extraordinary independence” and noted with pride that the show had been No. 1 every week for a dozen years. He continued working at the network as a contributor and political analyst.
The show’s cancellation had implications beyond Kurtz’s career trajectory. “MediaBuzz” was the final regular media criticism program on any major national cable news outlet. CNN had already ended “Reliable Sources” in 2022 during cost-cutting under Warner Bros. Discovery. No major TV news network now maintains a dedicated program focused on media coverage and accountability.
Fox News has offered no public response to Trump’s demand that Tarlov be removed. The network’s silence on the matter leaves unanswered whether the Kurtz pattern will repeat — presidential pressure in spring, quiet compliance by fall.
The power relationship is unmistakable. Trump offers administration jobs to loyalists and launches social media campaigns against those who fail his tests. For Fox News personalities who attempt independent journalism or ask challenging questions, the White House message couldn’t be clearer: conform or risk becoming Trump’s next target.
