Election Night Rants and Network Calls
President Donald Trump launched a series of blistering attacks against Fox News on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, using social media to berate the network’s polling and commentators before abruptly calling into the station just five minutes later as midterm results rolled in. As Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, The Daily Beast reported that the 80-year-old president dialed into hosts Bret Baier and MacCallum around midnight for a 23-minute appearance filled with grievance and defense of his administration.
The sequence began earlier in the evening on Truth Social, where The Independent noted the president lashed out at liberal panelist Jessica Tarlov, attacking her voice and calling her intelligence into question. Trump also railed against the network’s polling data, claiming it was systematically biased against him. Despite the heavy public criticism, the president turned directly to the Rupert Murdoch-owned network to air his views as the scope of Republican losses became apparent.
Stakes and Administration Reax
The bitter public feud unfolded against a backdrop of severe legislative losses for the Republican Party, driven by voter frustration over the cost of living and military actions abroad, including the ongoing war in Iran. During his late-night call, Trump deflected blame for the blue wave away from his own tanking approval ratings, asserting instead that his endorsed candidates simply failed to inspire voters. “They just didn’t inspire the people to get out and vote,” Trump said during the broadcast, adding that his absence from the ballot suppressed turnout.
Despite losing congressional control, a White House official maintained a cautiously optimistic posture on Tuesday, telling The Independent that the administration had exhausted every necessary effort. During his interview, Trump offered unexpected congratulations to Democrats while declining to rule out a major military strike on Iran in the coming days, signaling potential escalation as the political landscape shifts in Washington.