Fox News Ends Lara Trump’s Employment. Here’s Why.
Fox News Parts Ways With Lara Trump, Cites Donald’s Presidential Campaign
Fox News informed a Donald Trump relative she was released soon after the former president declared his candidacy for president.
The Murdoch-owned network confirmed that Lara Trump, the wife of the 45th president’s son Eric, was notified she could not be an official contributor for Fox. Ms. Trump was hired by Fox in 2021.
“We appreciate Lara’s valuable contributions across Fox News Media programming,” a company representative said in a statement, according to an Los Angeles Times report.
A long-standing network policy prohibits individuals campaigning for public office from being paid contributors, the report noted. The rule extends to Ms. Trump because her father-in-law is an announced candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination.
She was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and his policies during his 2020 presidential reelection campaign and presumably will pick up where she left off, then.
Since Ms. Trump appeared on Fox News during the last general election’s campaign as an unpaid commentator, she may occasionally appear during the 2024 campaign.
She appeared on Fox Business Network after Trump announced his candidacy for reelection.
“I’m sure you’re very supportive of your father-in-law, but to those of us on the outside looking at it, it didn’t seem as though he’s got the old magic, you know what I mean?” anchor Stuart Varney asked her.
“Oh, well, I highly disagree with that,” Ms. Trump responded.
The relationship between Donald Trump and the Murdochs has diminished since the Capitol riot.
The former president and his staff used to be greeted warmly and almost slavishly parroted by on-air personalities. Since he turned the keys of the Oval Office over to Joe Biden, attitudes at Murdoch properties have hardened.
Fox News may have gotten a jump start on other Murdoch news organizations when it called Arizona a Biden win during election coverage of the 2020 race.