As Vice President Kamala Harris continues to surge ahead of Donald Trump in polls, Fox News is struggling to find a foothold in its defense of the former president. Their latest attempt to protect Trump has resulted in one of their biggest media failures yet, showcasing just how desperate the network has become. Instead of addressing pressing political issues or Trump’s numerous controversies, Fox News has resorted to trivial, irrelevant topics—so much so that their big story recently focused on Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, and his supposed love for pretzels. This bizarre focus highlights just how far Fox News will go to divert attention from Trump’s growing troubles.
On *The Ingraham Angle*, host Laura Ingraham fixated on a light-hearted comment from Vice President Harris about her husband snacking on pretzels, framing it as if it were some kind of scandal. The clip, which Ingraham played for viewers, showed Harris jokingly mentioning her husband’s late-night snacking habits, saying, “He secretly eats pretzels at night, and I’m like, ‘Honey, you’ve got to slow down on the pretzels.’” Rather than dismissing this as harmless banter, Fox News amplified it as a key story, portraying it as a sign of Harris’s alleged lack of seriousness.
Following that absurd segment, Fox News host Jesse Watters joined in on the bizarre narrative, spending considerable time discussing Emhoff’s past work at McDonald’s and bizarrely dubbing him “Dougie McDouble.” Watters’ tangent about Emhoff’s early career—intended as an attempt at humor—felt forced and disconnected, leaving viewers wondering why this was even being discussed. The attempt to portray Emhoff’s background as an indictment of Harris or her leadership abilities fell flat and came across as desperate and irrelevant.
Fox News’ coverage only became more ridiculous when Watters had billionaire Woody Johnson on the program and asked if Trump was truly a “man of the people.” Johnson’s emphatic reply, “100%,” seemed absurd in light of Trump’s elitist background and lifestyle. The network’s continued attempts to paint Trump as relatable or down-to-earth felt increasingly hollow, especially given Trump’s own luxurious lifestyle and tone-deaf responses to working-class concerns.
At this point, it’s clear that Fox News is grasping at straws. Instead of addressing critical issues like Trump’s legal troubles or policy failures, they are trying to manufacture controversies around Kamala Harris and her family’s personal lives. The network’s failure to address real political concerns and their focus on irrelevant matters like “pretzelgate” only serve to highlight how little they have to work with in defending Trump.
What’s more troubling is that this isn’t the first time Fox News has prioritized trivial matters over substantive political discourse. A glaring example is the media’s infamous obsession with former President Barack Obama’s tan suit. For days, Fox News covered Obama’s decision to wear a tan suit as though it were a major political scandal. Hosts and pundits repeatedly criticized the suit, claiming it was unbecoming of a president and even suggesting it made Obama look weak on the global stage. It was a moment that reflected the absurdity of media spin, as Fox latched onto something as inconsequential as fashion in order to undermine a sitting president.
While Fox focused on Obama’s suit, they have consistently downplayed or ignored far more serious issues involving Trump. Trump, an adjudicated sexual assaulter found guilty of 34 felony counts, has been recorded bragging about sexually harassing women, calling it “locker room talk.” Yet Fox News is more concerned about Harris’ husband’s love for pretzels. This kind of selective outrage and double standards is a hallmark of Fox News’ coverage, where they amplify minor issues involving Democrats while ignoring or excusing Trump’s numerous scandals.
Even when discussing more substantive topics, Fox’s approach has been to shield Trump from any criticism. For example, when Jesse Watters claimed that the only things that could truly get under Trump’s skin were accusations of bankruptcy or bad golfing, he conveniently ignored Trump’s well-documented sensitivity to being labeled “weird,” a characterization that has clearly rattled him. Fox News’ refusal to hold Trump accountable for his behavior or address his personal insecurities undermines their credibility as a news organization.
Perhaps the most glaring example of Fox News’ misplaced priorities is their attempt to downplay “Taylor Swift mania” in the NFL, a direct response to Swift’s rising influence and her potential endorsement of Harris. The network tried to convince its viewers that Swift’s presence was irrelevant, even as her influence continued to grow. Jesse Watters’ condescending remark about women thinking they could change men’s looks, referring to Swift’s relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, further demonstrated Fox News’ outdated and sexist approach to both women and political coverage.
The network’s inability to land substantial blows on Kamala Harris is made even more evident when faced with real data. Pro-democracy advocate Jessica Tarlov pointed out that Harris has moved significantly ahead of Trump in many polls and has raised $361 million in fundraising in August alone—triple what Trump brought in during the same period. Tarlov highlighted that Harris’ campaign has resonated with voters, particularly in swing states, with 1.3 million new donors contributing to her campaign.
In the midst of these political victories for Harris, Fox News remains fixated on nonsensical narratives. Instead of addressing Harris’ growing support or Trump’s mounting legal troubles, they are focusing on pretzels and unflattering nicknames for Doug Emhoff. This disconnect between the real political landscape and Fox News’ coverage only further highlights their desperation to shift the narrative away from Trump’s failings.
At a time when Americans should be discussing policy, leadership, and the future of the country, Fox News has chosen to focus on trivial matters and avoid meaningful discussions. Their attempts to shield Trump from criticism and distract from his failures are backfiring, and their fixation on Kamala Harris’ personal life is doing little to halt her momentum.
Ultimately, Fox News’ latest failure in trying to save Trump reveals a network running out of viable strategies to protect their chosen candidate. As Trump continues to face legal challenges, sinking poll numbers, and a formidable opponent in Kamala Harris, Fox News seems more interested in manufacturing scandals than addressing the real issues facing the nation. But as their desperation grows, their credibility as a news organization continues to erode.
