Fox News Collapses on Air as Blue Wave Arrives

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Fox News Collapses on Air as Blue Wave Arrives"

Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the chaotic reactions across Fox News in the immediate aftermath of a resounding set of Democratic victories on Election Day 2025. The Meiselas brothers highlight the contrast between Fox News' attempts to spin or downplay the results and the overwhelming evidence of a "Blue Wave," or sweeping Democratic success across governorships, attorney general races, mayoral races, and key ballot propositions. The episode features their signature mix of sharp political analysis, satirical commentary, and curated clips from Fox hosts struggling to cope with the results.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fox News’ On-Air Meltdown Over Democratic Victories

• Opening Reaction ([02:47]):
  Ben Meiselas points out Fox News' visible panic following the strong Democratic showing:

  “Media, which calls itself Fox News, was in an utter panic all last night. They could not handle the, not just the blue wave, but the blue tsunami that crushed MAGA on election day.”

• Fox contributors like Ari Fleischer attempt to rationalize defeats, suggesting Republicans are still in better shape "big picture."

  "If I take all this data tonight, I, I think I'd rather be big picture a Republican than a Democrat." (Ari Fleischer, [03:30])

2. Spin Efforts & Coping Narratives

• Kellyanne Conway’s Rationalizing Losses ([04:48]):
  Kellyanne tries to blame the voters for allegedly “lying to pollsters,” and insists Republicans just need to mirror Trump’s outreach:

  "You can get [Trump's] endorsement. And this is a clarion call for 2026, folks... You have to go and dip into these unfamiliar to Republican constituencies." (Kellyanne Conway, [05:37])

• Jesse Watters Denies Trump Referendum Narrative ([05:53]):
  Watters claims the night wasn't about Trump, despite data and other Fox analysts contradicting him.

• Election Analyst Reveals Trump's Toxicity ([06:31]):

  "71% of them who voted hate [Trump], hate the guy. So this is really what led to the outcome tonight." (Election Data Analyst, [06:31])

3. Fox News Forced to Call Elections for Democrats

• Key Races Called On-Air:
  • Mikey Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey ([07:57]):

    "The FOX News decision desk can now project that Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill will in fact become the next Democratic governor of New Jersey."

  • Zoran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City ([08:27]):

    "The FOX News decision desk can now project New York City has elected Democrat Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani to be its next mayor... the first Muslim mayor of the city and its youngest in more than a century."

  • Jay Jones, Virginia Attorney General ([09:06]):

    "FOX News decision desk can now project that Democrat Jay Jones will become Virginia's next attorney general, defeating the Republican incumbent Jason Mears."

4. Struggling to Explain Democratic Momentum

• Affordability & Economic Concerns ([11:18]):

  • Fox hosts and contributors debate whether their economic message is resonating;
  • Labor market and inflation anxieties seem key, but haven’t translated into GOP wins.

  "Affordability basically means inflation, that prices are too high and that's a real sensitivity spot for people... I think if the economy's stupid ends up being the simple story of a lot of elections." (Labor Market Expert, [11:50])

• Retreat to “Blue States” Excuse ([12:54]):

  “Blue states are blue states and that's why the Democrats won tonight.” (Ari Fleischer, [12:54])

• The brothers highlight inconsistencies, noting that even traditionally competitive states like Virginia flipped strongly blue in both statewide and legislative races:

  “What about all the House of Delegates in Virginia that turned blue? How many was it? 15, 16?” (Podcast Host, [12:47])

5. Desperate and Extreme Claims on Fox

• Personal Attacks and Escalation ([13:01]): Fox panelists smear NYC’s new mayor as “a socialist, anti-Semite, pro-Hamas guy,” representing attempts to ignite culture wars after electoral defeat.

• California’s Prop 50 and Redistricting ([13:15]):
  Major California ballot initiative passing, flipping GOP seats, cited as further evidence of the Blue Wave.

6. Polling & Right-Wing Pollster Meltdown

• Pollster Doubles Down on GOP Advantages ([14:18]):
  Right-wing pollsters dispute media polling averages and argue “look at their actions, not their words”—despite clear Democratic gains.

7. Economic Spin and Labor Market Analysis

• Labor Secretary Response ([15:47]):
  Laurie Chavez Darimer, labor secretary, explains the challenges in the labor market, blaming the continuation of economic uncertainty on GOP-fed rate delays and shutdowns, rather than on Democratic policy.

  "With the shutdown and with the delay in dropping that Fed rate, it has caused some more uncertainty. And so we want the labor market to grow." (Laurie Chavez Darimer, [15:52])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Big Picture Cope:

  “I'd rather be big picture a Republican than a Democrat.”
  — Ari Fleischer, ([03:30])

• Referendum on Trump:

  "71% of them who voted hate [Trump], hate the guy. So this is really what led to the outcome tonight."
  — Election Data Analyst, ([06:31])

• Fox Forced to Announce Dem Wins:

  "Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill will in fact become the next Democratic governor of New Jersey."
  — Fox News Decision Desk, ([07:57])

• Desperate Culture War Turn:

  “We've got a socialist, anti Semite, pro Hamas guy as mayor of New York.”
  — Political Analyst on Fox, ([13:01])

• Economic Spin:

  “Affordability… that prices are too high and that that's a real sensitivity spot for people.”
  — Labor Market Expert, ([11:50])

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Important Timestamps

• 02:47 – Opening: Fox News’ reaction to Democratic wins
• 03:30 – Ari Fleischer defends GOP “big picture”
• 04:48 – Kellyanne Conway on polling and Trump endorsement
• 05:53 – Jesse Watters on referendum narrative
• 06:31 – Analyst on Trump’s unpopularity
• 07:57 – Fox calls NJ for Mikey Sherrill
• 08:27 – Fox calls NYC mayor race for Zoran Mamdani
• 09:06 – Fox calls VA attorney general for Jay Jones
• 11:18 – Hosts discuss Fox’s economic narrative
• 12:54 – Ari Fleischer: “Blue states are blue states”
• 13:15 – Fox projects Prop 50 win in California
• 14:18 – Right-wing pollster on polling reliability
• 15:47 – Labor Secretary on the economic outlook

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Tone and Takeaways

Throughout the episode, the Meiselas brothers deploy their trademark mix of irreverence and sharp critique, exposing Fox News’ inability to process the scope of Democratic victories and the catastrophic failures of the MAGA GOP strategy. The hosts highlight the repeated cognitive dissonance, the desperate spins, and the eventual on-air acknowledgments that Fox News was forced to make—often with visible reluctance and palpable discomfort.

This episode is especially useful for those wanting a real-time, media-savvy breakdown of the 2025 “Blue Wave” as it played out not just in vote tallies, but in the fraught and telling moments of conservative media’s live reaction.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

Media, which calls itself Fox News, was in an utter panic all last night. They could not handle the, not just the blue wave, but the blue tsunami that crushed MAGA on election day. This massive repudiation of Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. I want you to watch this utter cope by all of these Fox hosts. This is probably the favorite video I've ever done on Fox, at least in recent memory. So you had one of the Fox contributors, Ari Fleischer, and he was like, look, if I take all this data tonight, I, I think I'd rather be big picture a Republican than a Democrat. Oh, really? Is that how you're going to cope here? Play this clip.

[Political Commentator]

Socialism is a growing problem for the Democratic Party and more. The Democrats embrace socialism with all the horrors that it entails, the crime that'll take place in New York City, the abandonment of New York City by the successful and the taxpayer. This is what's going to hurt the Democratic reputation and base going forward. It's hollowing out the Democratic Party. I would so much rather, even with tonight's bad results, be the Republicans in the big picture than the Democrats. There's also, I just want to add a race in Maine we should pay attention to tonight. It's a ballot initiative to see if voters in Maine want to mandate driver's licenses in order to vote. That looks like it's going to pass. So outside of the bigger race here, pay attention to Minneapolis, pay attention. That ballot initiative in Maine, but it's a tough night for Republicans, but It sets up 26 Republicans are running against socialism.

[Podcast Host]

Then you have Kellyanne Conway, Ms. Alternative Facts, I should call it Alternative Universe. And she said, look, the voters, they told all the pollsters they wanted this, that, but they lied to the pollsters and that's why we saw the results. Really? That's what you think? Or maybe it's because Trump and MAGA are just vile and people hate them and, and hate you. Here, play this clip.

[Political Analyst]

No doubt this is what happened when Democrats turn out to vote in largely Democratic blue states. And that's what happened. The one curious thing though, Sean and Ari, is that the voters told pollsters they want lower taxes, fewer regulations, less crime, less chaos with respect to migration. They want to make sure that the police are respected and that their values are reflected. And then they went and voted against all of that today in the form of these governors. Look, Jack Cittarelli, we were all very hopeful, but guess what? The Fox News voter analysis suggests that he failed to win young men and to replicate what President Trump did one short year ago with Hispanics, with union households, with independence. So to the extent that tonight is a referendum on President Trump at all, guess what it means that he's one of one. You can get his endorsement. And this is a Clarion Call for 2026, folks. You can have President Trump's endorsement. It doesn't mean you're going to win. You have to do what he did. You have to go and dip into these unfamiliar to Republican constituencies. You've got to be very specific and granular and show up every single moment.

[Podcast Host]

Then you had Jesse Waters, one of Fox cheap propagandists, and he's like, so the Democrats are going to try to spin this as like a referendum on Trump, but it certainly isn't that at all. Here, play this clip. The Democrats are going to spin this. This is a referendum on Trump. I mean, these are all blue states. Is it really, Jesse? Because one of your other hosts, she was talking about New Jersey and some of the other states seemed to indicate that the voters actually really wanted to repudiate Donald Trump. She says the reason for their vote, they hate Donald Trump. 71% of them who voted hate him, hate the guy. Here, play this clip.

[Election Data Analyst]

And as far as the Trump impact on the Sheryl voters, the reason for their vote, the Sheryl voters vote those who said that they wanted to oppose the sitting president, 71% of them. So this is really what led to the outcome tonight.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, but Jesse, I thought you said he was an alpha and he was so popular. Yeah, I guess that's not the case. Also, what Fox was trying to grapple with as well, after coming up with all their contrived and fake attacks on Mikey Sherrill, who's like a distinguished helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor. We've had her on the Midas Touch network a ton. They were trying to attack her. I don't know what the attack was there, but, but they were like, yeah, most people didn't care about what we were attacking her for yet because it was stupid. Here, play this clip.

[Election Data Analyst]

With a college degree In New Jersey, 59% showed up for Cheryl. But just looking at some of these other top findings, I mean, when it comes to the, the quality that they were looking for in their candidate, she did not get hit on honesty and trustworthy, even though she's, you know, she had to suffer through this Naval Academy controversy, those that were looking for that in a candidate, still 70% cast their vote for her. So that did not end up hurting her, Sean.

[Podcast Host]

All right, my favorite part, when Fox had to call the victories for the Democrats, here was Fox calling New Jersey for Mikey Sherrill. Play this clip.

[Fox News Decision Desk]

All right, we are ready. Projection time. The FOX News decision desk can now project that Congresswom Mikey Sherrill will in fact become the next Democratic governor of New Jersey. Now Sherrill defeats Republican Jack Cittarelli, whom President Trump endorsed in May. The GOP had hoped that Cittarelli could deliver an upset after a very close loss four years ago.

[Podcast Host]

Now here's, here's one. Hannity had a call it for Zoran Mamdani. Play this clip.

[Fox News Decision Desk]

The FOX News decision desk can now project New York City has elected Democrat Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani to be its next mayor. Now he will become the first Muslim mayor of the city and its youngest in more than a century. Not really a surprise. I don't know why people waking up in the last, you know, two and a half weeks, I think they should have woke up after the primary where he handily defeated Andrew Cuomo.

[Podcast Host]

It gets better. Here he is calling that the next Virginia attorney general will be Jay Jones. Here. Play this clip.

[Fox News Decision Desk]

We have a lot to talk about throughout the night right here on the FOX News Channel. But we can now make it a call. The FOX News decision desk can now project that Democrat Jay Jones will become Virginia's next attorney general, defeating the Republican incumbent Jason Mears.

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[Podcast Host]

And they were trying to process it. They were trying to cope even more. So you had Bret Baer who lives in his $40 million Florida mansion and McCallum, they were like, okay, so I think people really do care about this affordability stuff. And maybe they're not buying what Donald Trump is selling. Not talking about the Trump Bibles or the Trump meme coins or the whatever things that he's selling. Like when he's telling people right now that we're done with inflation and that everybody's living a golden age. Oh, maybe that's not the best message here. Play this clip.

[Labor Market Expert]

You know, this idea of affordability which just basically means inflation, that prices are too high and that that's a real sensitivity spot for people is I think something that Republicans do have to look carefully at. It's obvious that they're very aware of it. I saw James Blair today on with Larry Kudlo talking about how he believes that what they're seeing in the future indicator economic numbers are very positive. Scott Besant has implied the same thing. So obviously before you get to the midterms, Republicans are gonna wanna work on making sure that that is tangible, that you know that people feel that increase. And I think if the economy's stupid ends up being the simple story of a lot of elections. And I think that's clearly one of the lines here.

[Podcast Host]

More from Ari Fleischer. He goes, these are blue states. This is all about blue states. And that's it. Democrats blue states really like Virginia and all of these areas that. What about all the House of Delegates in Virginia that turned blue?

[Mando Advertiser / Podcast Announcer]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

How many was it? 15, 16? Here, play this clip of Fleischer. Let's Play it.

[Fox News Decision Desk]

Ari Fleischer, let's get your take on tonight.

[Political Commentator]

Well, blue states are blue states and that's why the Democrats won tonight and.

[Podcast Host]

Fox is not taking that New York City may erase. Well, play this clip.

[Political Analyst]

He barely won. He won by far smaller margin than she did. She dragged him over and now he should be a drag on her because my goodness, we've got a socialist, anti Semite, pro Hamas guy as mayor of New York.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, here's when Trace Gallagher, I feel like I'm watching anchorman with these ridiculous names. Trace Gallagher here. Trace Gallagher. Gallagher now projects that Proposition 50 will pass. Play this clip. This is a special election night edition of America's Late News, Fox News at night. And breaking right now, the polls are closed in California and Fox News is now projecting that Proposition 50 will pass the congressional redistricting plan from Governor Gavin Newsom that is expected to flip five seats held by Republicans. Okay then, do you remember when we showed this video on the Midas Touch podcast? Remember the Trafalgar pollster last week on Hannity's New Jersey town hall? Remember this guy? He's like the right wing pollster. I won't do an impression. Play the clip.

[Pollster]

And like you said four years ago, we had the best poll in New Jersey. We saw this thing close then, we see it close now. And what you said is also very important. Look at who has this race close and who doesn't. The pollsters that have good records like us, like Emerson College, like Coefficient and like Qantas, they all have this race extremely tight. The ones that consistently fail at elections, they're the ones skewing the averages. So it's important to pay attention to the pollsters who get it right. And it's impulsive to look at what the Democrats do, not what they say. And the fact that they're sending Obama and the fact that they're worried that. Look at their actions. Don't look at their words and certainly don't look at their media polls. Look at what they do.

[Podcast Host]

And then earlier in the day you had my brothers are going to say, stop, don't do your impressions, man. Just call the clips. Okay then, Laurie Chavez, Darimer, the anti labor secretary, the labor secretary. Now my jokes are getting cornier as we get into more of these videos. Laurie Chavez, Darimer here, she's asked so like what do you say when people are like, yo, this economy's horrible under Donald Trump and that America's lost more jobs, 950,000 jobs in the first three quarters than at any time since the Great Recession. And Covid while Donald Trump was in office and it was only 3/4 of results. Here's what Chavez Darimer says here, play this clip.

[Political Commentator]

How would you right now describe the labor market?

[Labor Market Expert]

Well, I can tell you when the president took office, there was so much consumer confidence from what we inherited in the Biden administration that we were excited with the executive orders to develop the workforce. We had been focused on our apprenticeship program, registering more of our blue collar workers, making sure that they had the skills they needed. And now with the shutdown and with the delay in dropping that Fed rate, it has caused some more uncertainty. And so we want the labor market to grow. This is what the president has been so focused on. This is what I have been focused on. It was to bring the private sector together with the public sector, to bring labor and management together. And all of the private sector jobs have increased. And that is what we wanted to see. And now this delay has stopped that momentum. And I can tell you it's not good for the American economy. It's not good for the American people. And so we're focused. We're going to keep doing everything we can during the shutdown, but it has to end soon.

[Podcast Host]

Well, there you have it, folks. Let me know what you think.

[Political Commentator]

Hit.

[Podcast Host]

Subscribe. Subscribe. I told you that would be your favorite. My favorite take on Fox. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million. Thanks for watching.

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