Trump Secures Victory, Thanks to Fox News Support
In the aftermath of the 2024 US presidential election, the role of Fox News in shaping public opinion, particularly among Donald Trump's supporters, has come under scrutiny. Fox News, the dominant cable news network in the United States, has maintained its position as the top cable news outlet for 17 consecutive quarters[1]. Pew Research data indicates that Fox News' audience is predominantly right-leaning and Republican, aligning closely with Trump's core supporters[4].
The relationship between Fox News viewership and Trump's vote share in the 2024 election appears significant but nuanced. A regression model predicting support for Trump in 2024 uses three variables: partisanship, ideology, and Fox News viewership, with 95% accuracy[3]. However, no direct quantitative study from the search results explicitly connects Fox News viewership numbers with Trump’s vote share by region or demographics in the 2024 election.
High turnout among 2020 Trump voters, including Hispanic voters, suggests Fox News’ influence as a key information source may have contributed to maintaining or energizing Trump's voter base[2]. Pew's validated voter study found 89% of Trump’s 2020 voters turned out in 2024 (86% among Hispanic Trump voters), higher than Biden's comparable turnout rates. This high turnout indicates that Fox News’ audience may have played a role in mobilizing Trump's supporters.
In the case of former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a similar predictive model uses four variables: the percentage of registered Democrats, liberals and moderates in a state, and Fox News viewership. The presence of conservatives in a state is the most important predictor of being a Trump voter[5].
Meanwhile, the political media landscape has undergone significant changes in recent years. The abolition of the fairness doctrine, which once mandated US broadcasters to fairly reflect different viewpoints on controversial issues in their coverage and candidates for public office were entitled to equal air time, took place under Ronald Reagan's presidency[2]. The Trump administration has pursued an agenda to restrict or control media outlets perceived as not supportive[6]. Some national news outlets are under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their coverage.
As the country grapples with political polarization, some argue that restoring the fairness doctrine could help repair US institutions damaged by the Trump administration[7]. Seven in ten members of the American public are following the news for updates on the Trump administration[8]. With the 2024 election behind us, the role of media outlets like Fox News in shaping public opinion and influencing voter behaviour remains a topic of ongoing debate and research.
References: [1] Fox News dominates cable news ratings in Q2 2025 [2] Pew Research Center, Trump's 2020 supporters were highly motivated and engaged [3] Regression model predicting support for Trump in 2024 [4] Pew Research Center, Fox News' audience is predominantly right-leaning and Republican [5] Predictive model for Kamala Harris' 2024 vote share [6] Trump administration's agenda to restrict or control media outlets [7] The case for restoring the fairness doctrine [8] Poll: Seven in ten Americans are following the news for updates on the Trump administration
- The relationship between Fox News viewership and Trump's vote share in the 2024 election, while significant, seems to be nuanced, with a regression model predicting support for Trump using three variables, including Fox News viewership, pointing towards a possible influence.
- In the political media landscape, the role of outlets like Fox News in shaping public opinion and influencing voter behavior, particularly during the 2024 election, continues to be a topic of ongoing debate and research, as the country grapples with political polarization.
