1/ Caution: There is this emerging narrative that Fox News has somehow turned on Donald Trump. The media is seriously misreading this and also blowing a few things wildly out of proportion. Let me explain...

2/ Yes, it's true that Fox News is not as reflexively, loudly amplifying and boosting Trump the way they did when he was president. So people are right that ... yea .... things are a little different. But no, Fox News hasn't turned on Trump.

3/ First, let me just point out that there is *never* anything negative said about Trump on Fox News. During the 2015/2016 primaries, there was actually negative things said about Trump on Fox News. That is definitely not happening now. At worst, you'd get neutral commentary now.

4/ Second, some people point to Fox News no longer carrying Trump's rallies live. Buzzzzz. This was something that Fox News stopped doing years ago. It's nothing new. But, beyond that, they still do carry them live on Fox Nation. https://t.co/GWXFDVCQiy

5/ Trump literally has his own section on Fox News' streaming service. Regardless of what you think of Fox Nation, no other potential 2024 candidate has their own section on Fox Nation, but Trump does. But somehow, Fox News has turned on Trump? What?

6/ Third, yes, some hosts are more pro-Trump and others squishier. Ingraham (especially) and Hannity go out of their way to boost Trump while diminishing other potential rivals, other shows are softer and maybe even boost some potential rivals (but still never denigrate Trump).

7/ Yes, Tucker Carlson interviewed Ron Desantis. You're right. And then, the next show, he did an infomercial for Trump's golf course on his show that was more than twice as long as DeSantis' interview. How is this evidence of Fox turning on Trump?

8/ The short of it is, too many in the media want this to be true. They want the schadenfreude of Fox News turning on Trump to be true and so they're taking small little things and blowing them wildly out of proportion.

9/ That said, yea, sure. Things are a little different. A lot has changed. Trump doesn't have Twitter, so he can't leap frog the rest of media way he used to and function as easily as the assignment editor at Fox. His power is reduced and so, there's a bit more latitude w/in Fox.

10/ Additionally, a bunch of Fox News hosts and Fox News executives are all in the midst of getting ready to sit down for depositions in the $1 billion Dominion lawsuit directly tied to their efforts to carry water and lie for Trump.

11/ Given that there's a lot of heat on Fox News and its biggest rump boosters right now now, it shouldn't be surprising they've cooled down their advocacy for Trump a bit. To me, what is shocking isn't that they have cooled, it's that despite this all, they aren't attacking him.

12/ Beyond that, the whole J6 Committee also threw in some speed bumps. It was a lot harder for Fox to be as vocal in their support for Trump with all that was going on because it would just draw more attention to them, their hypocrisy and their helping fuel insurrection.

13/ It's true. People are right. Something is up...something is a little different between Fox News and Trump. But, it's very very wrong to characterize what is going on as Fox News turning on Trump. We all know what it looks like when Fox News turns on someone. This ain't it.

14/ Lastly, without Limbaugh, there remains a big hole in the right-wing media. Tucker Carlson is the one actively working to fill that hole and he's doing it with the blessing and support of Lachlan Murdoch/Fox News.

15/ Accordingly, another thing going on here is simple building of power. Don't give something away for free if you don't have to. Part of the softening a bit, in addition to the aforementioned factors, is that it strengthens Tucker and his future role in rwm.

16/ Instead of just handing the keys to his show like Hannity would did/would do. Tucker is building on the power he already has, enhancing his own prodigious voice in the right-wing media. This way, Trump will have to come to him a bit.

17/ Trump often adopts and champions the ideas/claims of right-wing media figures. What's happening right now is Tucker is making it clear if Trump wants support (or at minimum not to be attacked), he'll need to align with Tucker's worldview. This will become clearer over time.

18/ All that's to say, things are different. But no, Fox News has not turned on Trump. There is no evidence to back that up. In fact, they are pretty clearly still giving him special favor favoring him above all others. And it's amazing they haven't actually turned on him yet.