Fox’s complicated relationship with Donald Trump: The Katie Zacharia death trap exposed how close the President keeps his friends at the network… but he has a hit list of ememies, too

An apparent Fox News interview with new press secretary Katie Zacharia became a public test of her credentials and performance, after which Donald Trump urged her to reconsider the job and she was fired. The article alleges that Trump or chief of staff Susie Wiles arranged for Sean Hannity to challenge Zacharia, though it says how the interview was set up remains unclear.

The episode highlights Trump’s complicated ties with Fox News: he relies on friendly presenters but also attacks the network when its coverage displeases him. He criticised Fox on Truth Social for giving Democrats too much airtime, and had earlier lamented Maria Bartiromo’s departure; her lawyer said she remained employed by Fox, while the Wall Street Journal reported executives were concerned she shared broadcast plans with the White House. The article begins a profile of Fox figures it considers loyal to Trump, including Ainsley Earhardt and Hannity.