Fox News Prepares for Trump's Town Hall Appearance in Iowa
Fox News anchor Bret Baier has made it known that the network has a contingency plan for former President Donald Trump’s potential discussion of the 2020 election integrity during an upcoming town hall in Iowa.
Alex Carter
- 2024-01-12
- Updated 03:42 AM ET
(NewsNibs) - The town hall, set for Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Eastern in Des Moines, marks the third Republican presidential event hosted by Fox News this week. It follows appearances by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Monday and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday. Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the event. The town hall comes just days before the Iowa caucuses, highlighting its significance in the lead-up to the event. This will be Donald Trump’s first live appearance on the network since April 2022; since then, he has only appeared in pre-taped interviews with Fox.
Preparation and Precedents
The network's relationship with Trump has evolved since settling a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023. Following the settlement, Fox News made changes to its prime-time lineup, though the network did not explicitly connect the decision to the lawsuit's resolution. Trump, who now reportedly watches Fox News less frequently and shows a preference for outlets like Newsmax, has continued to express appreciation for Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, and Maria Bartiromo. Despite a decrease in patronage, Baier reached out directly to Trump, even visiting him in-person at Mar-a-Lago to secure his participation for the town hall.
Past Interactions and Legal Perspectives
Engagement between Baier and Trump has been tense in the past, with Trump categorizing an interview in June 2023 with Baier as "nasty" and not friendly. Baier previously refuted Trump's claims that he won the 2020 election during their discourse, citing reviews of battleground states that did not support assertions of widespread fraud. Additionally, the legal battle that ensued after the election, where Texas and 17 other states challenged election laws in key states, ended with the U.S. Supreme Court determining that the plaintiff states had no standing to sue. An ABC News/Ipsos poll from January 2022 indicated that election integrity was a concern for 80% of Americans, underscoring the ongoing public interest in the topic Trump is likely to address.
Anticipation Ahead of Iowa Caucuses
As political focus turns to Iowa with the caucuses set for the following Monday, all eyes will be on Trump's live appearance. With a plan in place, Fox News aims to navigate the potentially difficult conversations around the 2020 election and its aftermath, ensuring that the town hall remains a key moment of insight for viewers into the stance of a prominent figure in the Republican presidential race.
