The Fox-Trump White House Merger Is Complete

Summary

Bulwark Takes: The Fox-Trump White House Merger Is Complete

Release Date: May 6, 2025

In the episode titled "The Fox-Trump White House Merger Is Complete," hosts Sam Stein and Tim Miller from The Bulwark delve into the intricate and deep-seated relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration. Through an insightful analysis of recent media appearances and specific interactions, they uncover the extent to which this merger influences political discourse and governance.

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1. Surge in Fox News Appearances by Trump Cabinet Members

Sam Stein initiates the discussion by highlighting the unprecedented number of Trump administration officials appearing on Fox News within a single evening. “Howard Lutnick was one of six cabinet members appearing live on Fox News between the hours of 4pm and 10pm... that's nine people on Fox primetime in one evening. That's crazy. That's crazy.” ([00:00] – [01:15])

Tim Miller reflects on whether these appearances serve the purpose of holding officials accountable or if there's a deeper strategic underpinning. “I think that's part of it. I also think it's part of their flood the zone media strategy.” ([02:36])

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2. Depth and Coordination of the Fox-Trump Relationship

The hosts explore the depth of the relationship between Fox News and the Trump White House, suggesting a level of coordination that surpasses mere media appearances.

Sam Stein points out the possibility that cabinet members are strategically positioning themselves on Fox News to influence perceptions and perhaps gain favor with President Trump. “They are trying to find ways to impress their boss.” ([02:36])

Tim Miller speculates on the operational mechanisms behind this coordination, mentioning the existence of dedicated channels that facilitate seamless booking of guests on Fox News. “There's no doubt there's got to be a signal channel, there's got to be a great White House Fox signal channel going on.” ([04:45])

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3. Case Studies: Analyzing Specific Fox News Interactions

a. Sean Duffy and Laura Ingram on Pentagon Flights

Sam Stein introduces a clip featuring Sean Duffy, a former Fox official, discussing Pentagon flight protocols with Laura Ingram, a current Fox host. The conversation unintentionally criticizes Pete Hegseth, another former Fox host, highlighting internal tensions. “He kind of throws Pete Hegseth, another former Fox host, under the bus.” ([04:29])

Tim Miller critiques the performative nature of such segments, questioning the relevance of discussing technical FAA regulations on prime time shows. “What is the point of doing a Laura Ingram interview about the FAA regulations? Like, who are you trying to reach?” ([06:08] – [07:04])

b. Kristi Noem’s Plea to Attorney General Pam Bondi Regarding AOC

Sam Stein references a concerning clip where Kristi Noem, South Dakota Governor and Trump ally, urges Pam Bondi, Attorney General, to investigate Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). “You have a cabinet official using Fox News to tell another cabinet official to investigate Democratic member of Congress and a predominantly popular one.” ([09:58])

Tim Miller expresses alarm over the normalization of extreme political rhetoric facilitated by media channels. “But it is just...they're making wild statements on Twitter.” ([10:20] – [10:55])

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4. Media Strategy and Its Implications

The hosts discuss how the synchronization between Fox News and Trump administration officials blurs the lines between bureaucratic roles and media personalities. This melding serves to reinforce political agendas rather than promote objective governance.

Sam Stein describes the relationship as "incestuous," emphasizing the lack of diverse media engagement and the prioritization of partisan narratives. “This is how incestuous this whole thing is.” ([03:59])

Tim Miller underscores the potential dangers of such a strategy, where media appearances become a tool for political maneuvering rather than accountability. “They're not sending the best.” ([09:58])

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5. Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Sam Stein: “That's nine people on Fox primetime in one evening. That's crazy.” ([00:00] – [01:15])
• Tim Miller: “I think that's part of their flood the zone media strategy.” ([02:36])
• Sam Stein: “This is how incestuous this whole thing is.” ([03:59])
• Sam Stein: “You have a cabinet official using Fox News to tell another cabinet official to investigate Democratic member of Congress and a predominantly popular one.” ([09:58])

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6. Conclusions

"The Fox-Trump White House Merger Is Complete" offers a critical examination of the symbiotic relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration. Sam Stein and Tim Miller argue that the high frequency of cabinet officials' appearances on Fox News is not merely about communication but reflects a strategic alignment aimed at influencing political narratives and public perception.

This merger blurs the traditional roles of cabinet members, transforming them into media figures whose primary function appears to align more with partisan agendas than with objective governance. The hosts suggest that this deepened relationship raises concerns about media influence on political processes and the erosion of unbiased accountability within the administration.

Tim Miller concludes with a poignant observation: “It's an interesting place to watch Fox.” ([11:00])

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Final Thoughts

The episode underscores the profound intertwining of media and politics within the Trump White House, highlighting the potential ramifications for democratic accountability and the integrity of governance. By dissecting specific instances of media engagement and strategic appearance scheduling, Sam Stein and Tim Miller illuminate the complexities and challenges posed by such a merger.

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Transcript

[Sam Stein]

Hey guys, it's me, Sam Stein, managing editor at the Bulwark. I'm joined by my pal Tim Miller and we are going to be talking about the marriage between Fox News and the Trump White House. A marriage that goes way deeper than even I suspected. Before we get into that, yes, this is much worse than. Well, I don't want to call worse. It's much deeper than I suspected. Before we get into that. Subscribe to the feed. Thank you very much. All right, this is, I'm just going to read this is was in playbook. Kudos to them for this. Going to read what happened yesterday. Actually, sorry. I'm going to read what happened Monday afternoon in terms of the cabinet and top officials who appeared on Fox News. And then we're going to play two of these clips. Okay. Howard Lutnick was one of six cabinet members appearing live on Fox News between the hours of 4pm and 10pm so that's six cabinet members in a six hour window along with Attorney General Pam Bondi, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. On top of that, Fox News interviews with two of the White House's most powerful aides, Stephen Miller and Karen Levitt, and part two of an interview with Doge's Elon Musk. So that's nine people on Fox primetime in one evening. That's crazy. That's crazy.

[Tim Miller]

I mean, were they holding the people in power to account?

[Sam Stein]

Yes, of course.

[Tim Miller]

That's exactly. I don't know, man. I don't know how much deeper the marriage could be. That would surprise me. Like if you had told me that Fox has a booker embedded outside of Caroline Levitt's office. Well, like that I would say, okay, that makes sense to me. Like, I don't know. Or if you told me that like Trump has demanded that one of his flunkies like works out of Suzanne Scott, the new, the new Roger Ailes work out of Suzanne Scott's office and determine like what the scheduling and programming would be for the day. I don't think that would surprise me. Would that, would you be shocked if that was a little Vanity Fair item about that? I don't think so.

[Sam Stein]

I mean, I mean, I guess in theory, no, but it just seems crazy to me. And it's also because so much of this seems driven by the idea that these cabinet officials know Trump watches Fox and they're just kind of like rushing to get real estate in the afternoon hours in hopes that he sees them. Because I'M not totally sure. Like, you know, there are other ways to reach viewers or conservatives or to placate the base or to like influence voters. If you really were trying to do this, this really does seem like they are trying to find ways to impress their boss.

[Tim Miller]

I think that's part of it. I also think it's part of their flood the zone media strategy. And I was just trying to think about this. Like, you know, what were some of those secretaries again? Secretary of Education you said was in there.

[Sam Stein]

Education, hhs, Transportation, Homeland Security and the Attorney General.

[Tim Miller]

Hhs. Right. I mean, it's like, was Miguel Cardona ever on MSNBC prime time?

[Sam Stein]

No.

[Tim Miller]

Was, was Merrick Garland do more than.

[Sam Stein]

Like three TV appearances this whole time here?

[Tim Miller]

And so at some level, like, you don't want that, right? You don't want Merrick Garland becoming a, you know, cable TV pundit, partisan warrior. Like, that's what you want out of an Attorney general. Maybe you do want that. Maybe, like I do think it all, it is their turn to impress Trump, but it also is part of their worldview about what the cabinet secretaries are, which are not functionaries running a bureaucracy, but are like the front people for this part of Trump world. And so like it's part of your remit as a character.

[Sam Stein]

I get that. But then do it on more than one network, right? Like that's the, or if you were comms office, you would want to have a little bit more diversity in the networks. You're here.

[Tim Miller]

You think so? Well, you might get some tough questions on some of the other channels though.

[Sam Stein]

No, there are plenty of sycophantic other, other media outlets there that you can go to.

[Tim Miller]

I mean, I think some of them are doing Newsmax and Aon. I just, you're just, you're just maybe.

[Sam Stein]

I'm just not seeing it. I, I, this is how incestuous this whole thing is. I want to play this clip which was of Sean Duffy talking to Laura Ingram. Both Sean Duffy is a former Fox official, just, he was a Fox contributor. He's talking to Laura Ingram, a current Fox host, about issues surrounding Pentagon flights near Reagan Airport. And he kind of throws Pete Hegseth, another former Fox host, under the bus.

[Tim Miller]

This is important before the clip. It is important. Also, we should not have just given Short strip to the idea that also the booking is really easy because they're all pals, right? It is much easier to get booked on a show if you can just text the hosts and sends signals.

[Sam Stein]

There's no doubt there's got to be a signal channel, there's got to be a great White House Fox signal channel going on. If you're there and you know about it.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, you got to find the booker of the other network. You know, you got to figure, get the process. Where is the studio? Like this isn't an issue and it's just all of your colleagues.

[Sam Stein]

Exactly. Let's play the clip because it's really funny.

[C]

They have a mile and a half nautical separation. Nautical miles. 500ft separation as well. They breached that airspace. The helicopter did. And so two airplanes had to go around. The question becomes, who are the VIPs?

[Tim Miller]

Who are the.

[C]

Is it a two star, three star general? There's a lot of traffic going into the Pentagon. The top brass at the White House, they take a Suburban or a Tesla or they take their own car. Who do these generals think they are that they have to take helicopters to go to meetings or go to airport? I don't know who it was. We should find out. And will the dod, we ask here, the transfer station secretary. How do you know the fa. The FAA doesn't know. We asked the dod. The DOD has promised radical transparency. They should tell us who is qualified to take a helicopter out of the Pentagon. I don't know, but they have to tell us.

[Tim Miller]

Oh, could you just call up hegsa?

[C]

Why I should. Actually, why don't you call them right now? Call Pete.

[Tim Miller]

Okay.

[C]

I got the fact she actually has a phone right by our desk.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, I do. I'm ready for that.

[C]

But. But those are the answers that we need again, when we have these near misses, you got to stop the traffic. And this. The president, the vice president, Pete Hegseth. They all should fly in helicopters. But a two star. I mean, come on.

[Tim Miller]

I have a couple of questions.

[Sam Stein]

It's amazing.

[Tim Miller]

I mean, at some level, I love, like, the Real Housewives element of this. And it's like, you know, like they're coming into the confessional and they're like, oh, I've got a shit talk so and so over there. Who is so. Some of it is that. I guess I also. I also think that, like, they're playing pretend. Like they're playing a character. Like, what is the point of this? Like, what is the point of doing a Laura Ingram interview about the FAA regulations? Like, who are you trying to reach? Are you trying to educate people about this?

[Sam Stein]

Oh, it's your point, buddy. That was the point you made. They're out there to try to, like, you know, sell their department and sell their.

[Tim Miller]

I get it. But, like, I understand that. Talking about other stuff.

[Sam Stein]

Like he's not talking to Aviation magazine.

[Tim Miller]

Right, I know, but this isn't even political. And it'd be one thing if he was out there trying to blame. I would get the point of this interview. If he was out there being like, I don't know, who was the fucking Biden Transportation Secretary?

[Sam Stein]

That would be Pete Buttigieg.

[Tim Miller]

Oh, yeah. Pete Buttigieg. Mayor Pete. He was out there trying to be like, mayor Pete really fucked this up. I went through a memo and I saw that mayor. I saw that Mayor Pete was in over his head, and he. And he didn't put the right restrictions on. I would get that. What's the point of. Otherwise of having an FAA nautical miles discussion on the show?

[Sam Stein]

Because she's a fairly well regarded expert in nautical. No, obviously not. I don't know. Because they're petty. I'm excited to see if Pete Hegseth go. Which. Which Fox show Pete Hegseth goes on to respond to Sean Duffy about the criticism.

[Tim Miller]

Couldn't think of Mayor Pete because I couldn't get Ray LaHood out of my head. I was. I was like, Ray LaHood, Silver Fox.

[Sam Stein]

I love Ray. Ray LaHood. I have a soft spot. All right, last one. Totally unrelated, but this kind of caught my mind, caught my eye, because this is what happens on these shows, and it goes kind of unremarked because there's so much flooding of the Zone. But if you actually listen to the substance of this and you step back, you're like, this is a pretty, you know, alarming thing for a Cabinet official to say. And we wouldn't normally just sort of let it go in normal times. This is Kristi Noem again on Fox News making a plea to Pambondi.

[Tim Miller]

Whoa. The face is still alarming.

[Sam Stein]

Oh, just.

[Tim Miller]

I'm sorry. It is. I'm sorry. It's like. It is. It's the uncanny valley.

[Sam Stein]

Let it go.

[Tim Miller]

Play the clip. I can't let it go. Look at the. Look.

[Sam Stein]

Play, play. Clip.

[D]

Let me get your reaction. Tom Holman referring Congresswoman AOC to the Justice Department. She had a webinar, Know youw Rights, and as part of it, recommended that illegal immigrants ask for warrants, deploy phones to record ICE searches. Tips on how to differentiate between ICE people and others. Is this what you see? And I'm sure you've looked at it. Is this aiding and abetting, in your view?

[Tim Miller]

I think she might be frozen.

[E]

I think the Department of Justice absolutely should look into this situation. We've seen not just those that serve in public office be willing to break the law to facilitate the invasion that has happened and allow criminals to stay here. We've also seen judges take radical action to help protect these criminals. It's time that we stand for what's right. The American people are sick of these. These people abusing our system to try to promote an agenda. And remember, the Democrats are using fear to control people. They're out there motivating people by fear, and they're standing alongside known terrorists in order to endanger our future. So I think it's entirely appropriate that the Department of Justice look into these situations.

[Sam Stein]

All right, so you have a cabinet official using Fox News to tell another cabinet official to investigate Democratic member of Congress and a predominantly popular one. So just, you know, a casual day.

[Tim Miller]

It's kind of like a dark Pinocchio situation. But I am tired of people abusing our system. Not, not in the way that she means tired of her. It is like, I mean, the fact that they just. It isn't scary in, like a real sense that I'm worried that AOC is going to be put in a gulag. Right. But it is just.

[Sam Stein]

Although they did arrest a judge.

[Tim Miller]

They did so, like how willy nilly, though, they are just, like, throwing this, like, accusation.

[Sam Stein]

There was a congresswoman yesterday, Tim, that tweeted out, I want to throw Anthony Fauci onto Alcatraz. He should be the first person. Like, that's not going to happen. They're not going to make Alcatraz. But it's like the willy nilliness of. It's like just. Yeah, you know, I'm going to let my thought bubbles fart out into Twitter.

[Tim Miller]

It's not. They're not sending the best.

[Sam Stein]

No, definitely not. All right, man. Appreciate you.

[Tim Miller]

Appreciate you.

[Sam Stein]

I watched a lot of Fox for.

[Tim Miller]

This, so thank you for doing that.

[Sam Stein]

The viewers. The viewers should appreciate me.

[Tim Miller]

Thank you. I only do Fox in hotel rooms. Hotel rooms only rule for me on Fox.

[Sam Stein]

It's an interesting place to watch Fox. All right, talk to you later, buddy. And thank you guys for watching. Subscribe to the feed. We will be in touch.

[Tim Miller]

Bye.