# Bret Baier on Trump, Fox News, and Press Peril

> Bret Baier warns Trump’s press attacks threaten media independence.
- Title: Bret Baier on Trump, Fox News, and Press Peril · Vanity Fair
- Summary: Bret Baier warns Trump’s press attacks threaten media independence. Bret Baier says Trump’s press ban efforts risk media independence, but Fox News remains…
- Keywords: bret baier, fox news, trump, press ban, special report, maga, us president, media independence, Bret, Baier, Fox, News
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/bret-baier-fox-news-anchor-trump-press-ban
- Author: Aidan McLaughlin
- Published: 2026-10-16T18:49:57.999+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: bret baier, fox news, trump, press ban, special report, maga, us president, media independence
## Bret Baier at Cafe Milano
Bret Baier, Fox News anchor, meets at Georgetown’s Cafe Milano for dinner.

> This is kind of my clubhouse
## Election Diet
Baier drops 15 pounds every October during election years.

> I have an election diet
## Fox News and Trump
Fox News joined media in pulling coverage from White House press pool after Trump’s press ban attempt.

> We made our feelings clear the second it happened
## Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Fox paused booking interviews with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his Pentagon press pool ejection.

> I always had a good relationship with him at Fox
## Special Report
Special Report airs weekdays at 6 p.m. and draws over 2.5 million viewers nightly.

> Good evening, and welcome to Washington
## Trump and Baier Relationship
Baier and Trump have a strained but functional relationship with Trump calling Baier a 'six' and Baier saying he'll take six.

> Bret, I tell you what, you’re a six. You’re not a seven or an eight. You’re a six
## Baier’s Critiques
Baier fact-checked Trump on inflation and aired a poll showing 77% of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling.

> 77 percent of voters disapprove of the president’s handling of the issue
## Mollie Hemingway
Mollie Hemingway, a Trump booster, appears on Special Report despite past criticism of Trump.

> Mollie said something that was egregious on the panel
## Press Ban Impact
Trump’s press ban attempt led Fox News to pull coverage from White House press pool.

> We made our feelings clear the second it happened
## Baier’s Book
Baier wrote 'The Case for America' highlighting founding principles like freedom of press and speech.

> The Case for America
## Trump’s Rhetoric
Trump called Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews 'Trannie Andrews' during campaign.

> Trannie Andrews
## Fox News and Trump
Fox News has a complex relationship with Trump, balancing press criticism and political support.

> I think history will judge whether he’s been, in the big picture, this great figure or whether he has been what some would describe as a divisive figure
## Press Independence
Baier says Trump’s press attacks threaten media independence but Fox News remains Trump’s closest media partner.

> I think history will judge whether he’s been, in the big picture, this great figure or whether he has been what some would describe as a divisive figure
## Trump’s Press Attacks
Trump’s press attacks led to Fox News pulling coverage from White House press pool.

> We made our feelings clear the second it happened
## Baier’s Role
Baier acts as a hockey goalie blocking misinformation while hosting Trump supporters.

> I’m still the goalie
## Press Ban Consequence
Trump’s press ban attempt led to Fox News pulling coverage from White House press pool.

> We made our feelings clear the second it happened
## Key takeaway

Bret Baier says Trump’s press ban efforts risk media independence, but Fox News remains Trump’s closest media partner.