California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Democrats have to do a better job countering the influence Fox News has over the American electorate.
“These guys are ruthless on the other side. Ruthless on the other side,” Newsom said during an event hosted by The Texas Tribune over the weekend. “That prime-time lineup by Fox, they’re ruthless. They dominate the most important thing in American politics today, and that’s the narrative. Facts become secondary to narrative. They dominate with illusion and we are getting crushed.”
Fox has recently dominated the cable news ratings landscape, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch top hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham react to the day’s news.
All three pundits have spent the last year and a half criticizing President Biden, congressional Democrats and liberals more generally on various cultural issues.
Newsom has spoken openly about what he sees as deficiencies in the national Democratic Party and called for a stronger messaging campaign to answer the megaphone Republicans have on Fox.
The California governor is one of several prominent Democrats expected to consider a run for president should Biden not run for reelection, and in July he released a political ad attacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), encouraging residents of Florida to move to California.
During an episode earlier this summer of Fox’s popular daytime panel show “The Five,” co-host Greg Gutfeld slammed the ad about DeSantis and said “the only reason [Newsom’s] taken seriously as a candidate is because he’s got the hairline.”