Trump insults Fox News host and attacks channel over election coverage

US President Donald Trump criticised the television channel Fox News on his social network Truth Social over its coverage of the midterm elections, and called the channel's host Jessica Tarlov "dumb as a rock". The midterms are held halfway through a presidential term and decide the makeup of part of the US Congress.

Trump wrote that he was watching preliminary election results on Fox News but could not stand Tarlov's voice. According to him, he would have to switch to another channel until she disappeared from the air. In the post he also called her a loser.

Later, the president claimed that Fox News ratings are collapsing. In his view, the channel devotes too much time to "crazy Democrats" who are set against Trump. He said ratings had dropped not because of him but because the channel is against him, and predicted they would fall much lower. Trump also claimed that something similar had happened before, when Fox nearly went bankrupt, and that it was happening again.

Earlier incidents

This is not the first time Trump has insulted journalists and presenters. In the summer he abruptly ended an interview with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, insulted her and walked out after she pointed to his false claims about the 2020 election. At one point he told her she was either dishonest or stupid.

Last November, while speaking to reporters, Trump called one of the reporters "stupid" after a question about vetting of Afghans during Joe Biden's administration.