Podcast Summary: Rupert Murdoch Presents: Succession

Today, Explained – Vox
Host: Sean Ramisviram
Guests: Dave Folkenflick (NPR), Oliver Darcy (Status News)
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Today, Explained delves into the real-life drama behind Succession—the saga of Rupert Murdoch, his enormous global media empire, and the family battles surrounding the future of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Drawing direct parallels to the HBO hit, the hosts and guests dissect Murdoch's complex relationship with Donald Trump, his influence on American and global media, and the ongoing power struggles among his children to control his legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Murdoch-Trump Relationship: Two Sides of a Media-Political Coin

• The episode opens with a look at how Fox News, under Rupert Murdoch's leadership, became intertwined with Donald Trump’s rise and presidency.
  • [02:37] Dave Folkenflick: “The one thing Murdoch has always wanted and never gotten was a bat phone in the White House… And with Donald Trump, he got it.”
• Trump’s long-rooted relationship with Murdoch’s media—especially the New York Post and Fox News—predates his presidential run.
  • [03:24] Oliver Darcy on Trump’s Fox and Friends appearances: “He used to have that weekly segment where he would call in and opine on everything under the sun.”
• Murdoch’s personal skepticism about Trump didn’t stop him from leveraging Fox News as a kingmaker and ratings magnet.
  • [04:51] Dave Folkenflick: “Rupert just has kind of an amused contempt for [Trump]. He thinks this is not a serious person.”

2. Symbiotic Alliances and Betrayals

• Murdoch and Trump found mutual benefit in their relationship—ratings and influence in exchange for unwavering support—but underlying tensions persisted.
  • [05:23] Oliver Darcy: “Rupert Murdoch likes being in Trump’s good graces because it’s good for ratings, business… Trump likes Fox because it’s his megaphone.”
• Fox’s coverage during Trump’s presidency became “unquestionably… a propaganda mouthpiece for Donald Trump.”
  • [06:37] Oliver Darcy
• Fox’s pivotal call of Arizona for Biden in 2020 marked a rupture:
  • [07:29] Dave Folkenflick: “The Fox News decision desk is calling Arizona for Joe Biden. That is a big get for the Biden campaign.”
  • [08:03] Oliver Darcy: “Donald Trump and his campaign are calling Fox News, calling the Murdochs, demanding that they retract the call. And Fox News stands firm.”
• Facing a conservative viewer exodus, Fox News doubled down with opinion hosts and softer Trump coverage.

3. Election Denial and Legal Fallout

• Fox aired election fraud conspiracy theories, leading to a historic defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems.
  • [10:37] Sydney: “Dominion Voting is now suing Fox for defamation… Court records unsealed Monday showed that Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged under oath that some Fox News hosts endorsed false claims…”
  • [11:14] Dave Folkenflick: “On the eve of trial, right before the trial starts, right before Rupert Murdoch has to testify in open court, they settle for $787.5 million.”
• After firing Tucker Carlson and facing a crisis of credibility, Fox’s strategy shifted as Trump reclaimed the presidency, now relying on the very media personalities they’d cultivated.

4. Murdoch Family Succession: Real-World Succession Drama

• Murdoch’s anxiety over liberal children controlling his conservative empire drives much of the recent family intrigue.
  • [16:44] Oliver Darcy: “It becomes clear to Rupert that if he should die, there is a very decent chance that the more liberal children might take control of his media empire.”
• The saga between sons James and Lachlan is “the most uneasy, publicly uneasy partnership you could imagine.”
  • [18:50] Dave Folkenflick: “Murdoch really pitted James and Lachlan against each other from the outset, and that’s kind of brutal. That was not necessary.”
• James Murdoch eventually resigned, explicitly denouncing Fox’s editorial direction.
  • [19:44] James Murdoch (via Dave Folkenflick): “My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.”
• Control over the family trust was hotly contested, with Rupert attempting—unsuccessfully—to change its structure to prevent non-conservative heirs from having influence.
  • [22:04] Oliver Darcy: “Murdoch tries to effectively oust his children from the trust… But he was effectively able to buy the children out in a $3.3 billion deal.”

5. Legacy and Tragedy: What Does Murdoch Leave Behind?

• Lachlan, now the “chosen son,” is expected to continue the ideological mission. Yet, the succession struggle left permanent family division.
  • [24:00] Dave Folkenflick: “Lachlan is not Rupert… he may not be quite as ruthless.”
• The episode closes on the theme that Murdoch’s greatest legacy may be the fracturing of consensus reality itself.
  • [25:12] Oliver Darcy: “Rupert Murdoch’s legacy will be leaving behind a world in which shared reality no longer exists and where a large portion… believes in debunked conspiracy theories, believes in lies, has been trained to hate the other side.”
  • [26:15] Sean Ramisviram: “It’s Rupert’s world and we just live in it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:37] Dave Folkenflick: “The one thing Murdoch has always wanted and never gotten was a bat phone in the White House… And with Donald Trump, he got it.”
• [04:51] Dave Folkenflick: “Rupert just has kind of an amused contempt for [Trump]. He thinks this is not a serious person.”
• [06:37] Oliver Darcy: "Fox News in Donald Trump's first term unquestionably becomes a propaganda mouthpiece for Donald Trump."
• [11:14] Dave Folkenflick: “Right before Rupert Murdoch has to testify in open court, they settle for $787.5 million.”
• [19:44] James Murdoch (via Dave Folkenflick): “My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions. Sincerely, James R. Murdoch.”
• [22:48] Oliver Darcy: “…In exchange for rewriting the trust… Lachlan Murdoch on the throne.”
• [25:12] Oliver Darcy: “Rupert Murdoch's legacy will be leaving behind a world in which shared reality no longer exists... These are the narratives that Rupert Murdoch’s empire have helped promote…”
• [26:15] Sean Ramisviram: “It’s Rupert’s world and we just live in it.”

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:00 – 02:00: Introduction, Succession/HBO parallels, background on Murdoch
• 02:05 – 07:19: Trump’s relationship with Murdoch media, Fox News’ role in politics
• 07:29 – 11:14: Fox's call of Arizona in 2020, breakdown with Trump, ratings and credibility crisis
• 11:14 – 12:27: Dominion lawsuit, settlement, fallout, Trump and Fox News after 2020
• 16:40 – 19:44: Family succession drama, James vs. Lachlan, trust and control
• 22:04 – 22:48: The $3.3 billion trust buyout, Lachlan’s ascendancy
• 24:28 – 25:12: The tragedy of the Murdoch legacy, family division
• 25:12 – 26:15: The broader societal impact, legacy of division and disinformation

Tone & Style

• The episode’s tone is incisive, sharp, at times sardonic, echoing both the high stakes and dark humor of Succession. Commentary is direct, critical, with a focus on cause-and-effect and the personal costs of Murdoch’s vast influence.

For Listeners

This episode is indispensable for anyone wanting to understand not just the Murdoch family’s infighting, but also the way media power, politics, and personal legacy collide and shape our information landscape. Even those unfamiliar with Succession will find the real-world implications here resonate—this is modern history as viewed through the lives and rivalries of one powerful, polarizing family.