IHIP News Podcast Summary
Episode: Fox News Hosts Betray Trump in Leaked Texts and He is Furious
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Date: August 24, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan dissect newly released court documents and leaked texts from top Fox News hosts that expose the network’s behind-the-scenes attitudes towards Donald Trump and the 2020 election. With their trademark irreverence, the duo exposes the hypocrisy, self-serving interests, and crumbling alliances within the right-wing media ecosystem—all while aiming comedic barbs at the key players.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fox News’ Legal Woes & The Arizona Call
- Jennifer recounts Fox News' massive lawsuit settlements with voting machine companies (Dominion and Smartmatic) over the network’s promotion of Trump’s false election claims. (00:30)
- These lawsuits unearthed internal texts showing Fox News personalities admitting to knowingly spreading untrue narratives.
- Jennifer: "All of the depositions and the court documents have become public. And buried in these documents are statements and text messages from the on air talent at Fox News as to what they really say behind the scenes and how much they know that they are willfully stupid, willfully dishonest, willfully corrupt, and that they just suck." [01:08]
- The conversation highlights Fox News' early call of Arizona for Biden on election night, angering Trump and shifting the network’s relationship with him:
- Jennifer: “Fox called Arizona on election night, which Trump had no path. No path to 270 with Arizona in it. And that sat in Trump's craw for a very long time because it was the Fox News desk that called it before NBC or any of the others...Rupert was done with him.” [05:29]
2. Leaked Fox News Host Texts: Backstabbing and Backpedaling
- Discussion of incriminating and gossipy texts by Fox News hosts revealed in lawsuit documentation:
- Janine Pirro’s outrage: Pirro was furious her ex-husband was left off Trump’s pardon list and lashed out via text. Jennifer: "That's the United States Attorney for Trump fighting for her husband's pardon, which what did her husband do? Is everybody corrupt? Everybody's corrupt." [01:39]
- Sean Hannity in the West Wing: Pirro described Hannity as an “egomaniac” who acted like he owned the Oval Office. [03:13]
- Pumps (quoting Pirro): “He storms in like he owns the place, throws his papers on the press desk and says, you don't mind if I use your private bank bathroom? And walks into the bathroom within the Oval and uses it, looks at me and says, I gotta talk to him. I. E. You go. It's all about him, period. No one else matters.” [03:17]
- Bret Baier’s warning ignored: Baier warned Fox News President Jay Wallace that claims about vote dumps for Biden were false—no fact-checking was done, fueling the lawsuit. [04:42]
3. Fox’s Calculated Grift and Power Dynamics
- The hosts discuss how Fox News’ moguls and billionaire stakeholders (e.g., Rupert Murdoch) cynically calculate their alliances, using Trump (and then abandoning him) to maximize ratings and profit.
- Jennifer: "I just think this is all an advertisement. Everybody's fucking owned and beholden. But not Ihip News. No viewer, not the gals at Ihip News." [04:33]
- Rupert Murdoch’s waning support for Trump post-January 6th, only to be dragged back for financial gain, is called out for hypocrisy.
4. Hostility, Racism, and Corruption at Fox
- Angie ("Pumps") blasts the corrupt environment, especially among attorneys like Pam Bondi and the revolving door of criminal associations:
- Pumps: “How do you, especially as an attorney...You work for a corruption on steroids...now I know they're all corrupt and they're all fucking criminals or married to criminals.” [02:22]
- Discussion about Fox News moving on from Trump, returning to hyperbolic coverage and new scapegoats (Biden, transgender issues), highlighting the network’s opportunistic outrage machine. [06:37]
5. Fox Hosts on Sidney Powell and “Stop the Steal”
- Jesse Watters called Sidney Powell’s conspiracy theories “radioactive,” yet Fox kept putting her on air.
- Pumps: “‘She’s lost it. Fox can’t even touch that...When he says Fox can’t even touch that, she’s radioactive now...You never go full Soros. And the minute you drop Soros, the Clinton Foundation, and Venezuela in the same sentence, you lost even me.’” [07:37]
- The most telling moment is the admission that what was said on Fox “wouldn’t hold up in court,” underlining how the network deliberately misleads viewers for outrage and ratings. [08:16]
- Jennifer draws a stark line on personal accountability for both the network and its audience:
- “They willfully lie, they're willfully stupid. And, and most importantly, the people who watch Fox News are willfully stupid. I'm not letting these people off the hook. They are choosing each day to hang on and clamor on to low hanging fruit and to not be good people.” [09:23]
6. Ratings over Truth: The “Stop the Steal” Grift
- Jesse Watters to Greg Gutfeld: “Think about how incredible our ratings would be if Fox went all in on Stop the Steel.” [10:45]
- The hosts ridicule Gutfeld’s “Napoleon complex,” tying Fox personalities’ personal insecurities to their public persona. [11:08–11:41]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Fox’s internal hypocrisy:
"All of… [the] court documents have become public. And buried in these documents are statements and text messages from the on air talent at Fox News as to what they really say behind the scenes and how much they know that they are willfully stupid, willfully dishonest, willfully corrupt, and that they just suck." – Jennifer [01:08] - On personal responsibility:
"They willfully lie, they're willfully stupid. And… the people who watch Fox News are willfully stupid. I'm not letting these people off the hook... Republican Party was all about personal accountability and I'm going to take that from them and I'm going to hold all of these people personally responsible." – Jennifer [09:23] - On bias and cynicism:
"I just think this is all an advertisement. Everybody's fucking owned and beholden. But not I hip News. No viewer, not the gals at I hip News." – Jennifer [04:33] - On airing “Stop the Steal” for ratings:
"Think about how incredible our ratings would be if Fox went all in on Stop the Steel." – Jesse Watters (quoting text) [10:45]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:30 — Fox sued by voting machine companies; leaks begin
- 01:39 — Janine Pirro’s anger over pardon list
- 02:56 — Internal back-stabbing: Pirro on Hannity
- 04:42 — Bret Baier warns Fox News president about false claims
- 05:29 — Fox calls Arizona for Biden; Murdoch turns on Trump
- 07:20 — Jesse Watters criticizes Sidney Powell’s conspiracy spree
- 09:23 — Jennifer’s monologue on accountability, Fox, and its audience
- 10:45 — Jesse Watters texts Greg Gutfeld about “Stop the Steal” ratings
Tone and Style
Jennifer and Angie maintain a sharp, comedic, and unapologetically progressive tone. Their banter and metaphors—such as labeling media figures with outlandish nicknames or discussing commentators’ height and ego—add humor while reinforcing their conviction about Fox News’ manipulation and the dangers of willful ignorance.
Conclusion
This episode pulls back the curtain on Fox News’ post-2020 election chaos, revealing not just the self-interested maneuvering of its stars and executives, but also the network’s calculated betrayal of Trump and its audience. Jennifer and Angie leave listeners with a call for personal responsibility and media literacy, sharp wit intact.
If you want to laugh while getting the unvarnished progressive take on the right’s latest self-inflicted drama, this episode delivers.