During an Axios House event on Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. made a surprising revelation: he believes he's been blacklisted from Fox News. However, Fox News has a different story, stating that "he is and always has been welcome on all FOX News Media platforms."
This discrepancy adds an interesting twist to the ongoing dynamics between Trump Jr. and the influential media network.
So why does this matter? Well, Trump Jr. didn't just stop at the blacklist claim. He also commented on Rupert Murdoch's diminishing influence over the conservative media landscape.
"There was a time where if you wanted to survive in the Republican Party, you had to bend the knee to him or to others," Trump Jr. told Axios' Mike Allen during the convention. "I don't think that's the case anymore."
This statement is a big deal. Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, has long been seen as a kingmaker within the Republican Party. Trump Jr.'s assertion that Murdoch's sway isn't as strong as it once was could signal a shift in the power dynamics of conservative media and politics.
Interestingly, despite his claims of being blacklisted, Trump Jr. was interviewed by Fox News correspondent Aishah Hasnie during a media scrum on Monday at the RNC.
Additionally, a Fox News spokesperson mentioned that Trump Jr. had been invited to appear on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, and he accepted the booking. This seems to contradict the idea that he's been kept off the network entirely.
However, according to Matthew Gertz of Media Matters, Trump Jr. hadn't been on Fox News on a weekday in over two years before Monday's interview. Trump Jr. believes this was due to management intervening to keep him off the air, despite being scheduled for interviews multiple times during that period.
Zooming out, Trump Jr.'s influence within the GOP, especially within the MAGA wing, continues to grow. His role as a key figure in Trump's legacy was further solidified on Monday when Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) was named as Trump's running mate for the upcoming election. Trump Jr., a close friend of Vance's, had advocated for him to get the position, demonstrating his clout within the party.