# Fox News loses grip on culture wars

> Fox News' culture war strategy fails as Trump criticizes its GOP coverage tilt.
- Title: Fox News loses grip on culture wars · Salon | Shortify
- Summary: Fox News' culture war strategy fails as Trump criticizes its GOP coverage tilt. Fox News' culture war tactics are failing as Trump criticizes its…
- Keywords: fox news, culture wars, trump, 2026 midterms, jessie watters, maga, democratic candidates, republican candidates, wnba, transgender, inflation, iran war
- Source: Salon — https://salon.com/2026/11/02/fox-news-loses-its-grip-on-the-culture-wars
- Author: Amanda Marcotte
- Published: 2026-11-02T11:45:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: fox news, culture wars, trump, 2026 midterms, jessie watters, maga, democratic candidates, republican candidates, wnba, transgender, inflation, iran war
## Fox News gaffe
Reporter Lucas Tomlinson covered Sen. Darline Graham's South Carolina rally but misidentified a white man as a Trump superfan.

> There’s nothing like seeing a cult right up front, man
## Trump criticizes Fox
Trump claims Fox News spends too much time covering Republican opponents instead of GOP candidates.

> FoxNews is spending far too much time putting on the OPPONENTS of Republican Party Candidates
## Coverage disparity
Media Matters reports Fox News mentions Democratic candidates three times more often than Republican candidates this cycle.

> the network has mentioned the names of Democratic candidates at over three times the rate of Republicans
## Uninspiring GOP field
Vivek Ramaswamy and Ken Paxton are so repulsive that even lifelong Republicans can't pretend to like them.

> so repulsive that even lifelong Republicans can't pretend to like them
## Stronger Democratic candidates
Democratic candidates like Sen. Jon Ossoff and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are making more compelling TV.

> the most compelling television
## Fox's culture war strategy
Fox News tries to distract voters from serious issues with culture war hysteria.

> distract voters from serious issues like inflation, the war with Iran or the metastasizing deportation crisis
## Jesse Watters' complaint
Jesse Watters boycotts Fox's WNBA segment after criticizing its focus on trans players.

> I don’t want to push this story anymore! I want to leave this story alone! I am no longer talking about the WNBA
## Fox's WNBA strategy
Fox uses WNBA to stoke conservative fears about female athletes.

> pretending they want to 'clean up' the sport
## Watters' 'fear porn' comment
Watters argues Republicans need more 'fear porn' to win elections.

> Republicans need more 'fear porn' if they want to win
## Fox's dilemma
Fox faces dilemma between losing ad dollars and radical viewers to pursue extreme tactics.

> it doesn’t do to be coy any longer, that only the hard-core stuff will move the base
## Key takeaway

Fox News' culture war tactics are failing as Trump criticizes its disproportionate focus on Democratic candidates during the 2026 midterms.