Decoding Fox News

Much like the seams in any suit jacket worn by the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Fox News is barely keeping it together. The network still can’t get its message straight regarding Trump’s disastrous war in Iran.Fox is following the lead of its glorious leader, a man who appeared to act impulsively, when he decided to attack a country of 92 million people with one of the largest militaries in the Middle East.Trump is highly skilled at selling himself, at least to his cultish base of followers, as a powerful leader who can change the world through his force of will. He is a bumbling fool when it comes to getting Americans excited about his flights of fancy - conquering Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, managing Venezuela, crushing Cuba and destroying the government of Iran.Trump has also failed to excited the masses about some of his economic policies such as broad sweeping tariffs on imports or the acquisition of Venezuelan oil which the president called ‘garbage tar’ when he was on the campaign trail.Trump makes no real attempt to sell the need for military conflict to the American public. The average American couldn’t identify Nicolás Maduro, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and Ali Khamenei the deceased Iranian supreme leader or his son Mojtaba Khamenei in a line up.In comparison former president George W. Bush and his administration pitched the Iraq War for nearly a year and a half before the first shots were fired.Saddam Hussein and his sons Uday and Qusay became household names. Their excessive lifestyle and corruption along with their many crimes against humanity and the people of Iran were drilled into the minds of farmers, teachers and factory workers across the country.Bush was also exploiting a grief-stricken country as he falsely connected the horrific terrorist attack on 9/11 to Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.Trump isn’t helping solidify support for his poorly planned war against Iran as he plays golf on the weekends, holds press conferences with his fawning cabinet members, and accepts meaningless awards meant to stroke his ego.Many Americans view Trump as a puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has longed to attack Iran for decades. The war is already unpopular and will only get more despised if Trump doesn’t change the perception that he is fighting on behalf of a foreign government’s interest.Fox News doesn’t know which way is up. Grainy aerial shots of trucks and buildings being obliterated aren’t exactly heroic. There are no clear goals or milestones and seemingly no exit strategy to Trump’s latest wild endeavor. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

Fox News twisted itself into knots to convince its audience that a misguided and poorly planned war in the Middle East was a brilliant idea after its glorious leader promised - no new wars.To accomplish the impossible the network’s hosts weaved intricate tapestries of lies filled with invented histories of domestic oil production, gas prices, Trump’s previous attacks on Iran, fairy tales of enriched uranium and a revolution that could start at any moment.Less than a year ago Fox News celebrated the success of Operation Midnight Hammer a military strike that was supposed to obliterate Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon.Then with very little warning Trump started a war with Iran under the guise that the regime was about to attack the United States or Israel with the same nuclear weapons he claimed to have wiped off the face of the planet.The zombie nuclear program seems to exist only in Trump’s mind and Fox News is happy to dutifully go along with his delusion. It’s getting more difficult with each passing day for the network to pull this off.Instead of the usual segments meant to keep Fox viewers terrified of undocumented immigrants, woke blue-haired liberals, transgender folks and urban crime the network has gone headfirst into a fabricated reality based on hunches, feelings and the dreams of a deranged narcissist with imperialist fantasies in the throes of dementia. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

A rundown of Fox News' chaotic, contradictory coverage of the Iran conflict. Clips and critiques of pundit claims about Russia, oil waivers, and intelligence sharing. Analysis of how Trump’s business style shows up in foreign policy and the media’s promotion of misleading narratives. Notable segments on media omissions, legal revelations, and the week’s coverage metrics.

Thank you Caroline Henry, Harshi Peiris, Ph.D., Kiwi Rebel, CO, eric, and many others for tuning into my live video with Charlie Sykes and Jim Acosta! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

Last week Fox News tried to do three things - venerate the president, trash Democrats and convince its viewers that the Epstein files were somehow all about the network’s favorite arch nemesis Hillary Clinton. By the end of the week Fox got slammed by a news story it couldn’t ignore - the U.S. military attack on Iran.Before Donald J. Trump made the wildly risky move to attack Iran he had hit a bit of a rough patch. An investigation by NPR and other outlets found evidence that the DOJ had withheld interviews by a woman who accused President Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor.Fox News completely ignored this bombshell and tried to hype up Bill and Hillary Clinton’s testimony about their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.Hillary and Bill Clinton’s testimony about the Epstein files proved to be another nothing burger for the propaganda network. The Clintons did not revealed any new information that could link them to a crime or any wrongdoing.Trump’s incredibly long State of the Union address was so dull and lackluster his personal propaganda network (Fox News) spent most of its airtime after the speech attacking Democrats rather than praising Trump.Recent polls have shown any gains Trump made with Hispanic and Black voters have completely evaporated while independent, young and some lower income voters have also soured on the president.Democrats continue to outperform in local and state races while grocery prices remain stubbornly high. Since Friday the network has enthusiastically beaten the drums of war in a conflict few Americans wanted. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Julie Duffy Dillon, It’s Time, Jackie Taylor Miller, Nick G, A Dude On The Couch, Oddwood, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Sampson! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

Fox News hosts generally seemed a bit panicked about how Trump would handle the speech. After Trump was finished Laura Ingraham praised him at length while Sean Hannity focused on trashing Democrats. The tone on the network was less than confident. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

They dissect Fox News' frantic coverage strategy, including an obsession with Obama mentions to distract from Trump setbacks. They highlight recent legal and economic blows to Trump like the tariff ruling and weak GDP. They examine how Fox frames trade and immigration, spot gaps in reporting on Epstein and policy rollbacks, and call out spectacle politics and dehumanizing rhetoric.

An overview of how Fox News covered the SCOTUS ruling for Trump’s tariff policies from Friday February 20, 2026 from The Will Cain Show at 4PM to Hannity at 10PM. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe

A sharp look at how a major cable network prioritized a sensational kidnapping over other news. A critique of mocking treatment of sexual abuse revelations and callous on-air jokes. A breakdown of repetitive ratings-driven segments and selective outrage across personalities. A comparison of what that network covered versus broader public-interest stories.