• The Associated Press said Baier and McCallum had the task of “not alienating” pro-Trump viewers: “They did it by not interrupting Trump with fact-checks.” [The Associated Press, 1/11/24]

Moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum had their own challenge: not to allow the town hall to go off the rails, as a similar town hall televised by CNN last May did, while also not alienating a network audience filled with Trump supporters.

They did it by not interrupting Trump with fact-checks. After Trump criticized how DeSantis responded to COVID as governor of Florida, MacCallum said, “DeSantis would argue with your characterization.” During an abortion discussion, when Trump suggested “radical” Democrats supported killing babies after they were born, it was not challenged.

• The New York Times highlighted Trump’s “charmed night” on Fox News, in contrast to the attacks between Haley and DeSantis at their separate debate. [The New York Times, 1/11/24]

Over on Fox News, Mr. Trump had a charmed night, uninterrupted by competitors and their opposition research and appearing relaxed as he batted back the few gently skeptical questions he received from the audience. One questioner even introduced herself as a “caucus captain” for him, and nothing forced him from his talking points.

• MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough called it “an advertisement for Donald Trump.” “I would call it softball, a softball event. I’ve never seen one as fawning,” the former GOP congressman turned Trump critic said. “I’m not even sure, why did they have two hosts there? They could’ve just had one to just sit there and smile and say, ‘You’re great,’ ask another softball question.” [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 1/11/24]
• Mediaite: “Fox News Finally Surrenders to Trump With Subservient Town Hall.” Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall wrote the event “was more like the anointment of a future leader and, even more shocking, a surrender by Fox News to their once and future King.” Colby noted, for instance, that while Baier brought up Trump’s recent statement that he hoped the economy would crash before the election, the anchor “did so in the most feckless way imaginable, prompting Trump: ‘You’re not saying you’re hoping for a crash? Just to be clear.’” [Mediaite, 1/11/24]
• Mediaite also noted that Baier and MacCallum failed to check an outrageous lie about abortion rights. Trump “repeatedly and falsely claimed that Democrats favor ‘killing babies after birth,’” Mediaite wrote. “During a lengthy answer on the issue of abortion, Trump repeated this lie several times — without correction from either host.” [Mediaite, 1/11/24]
• Donald Trump: “Thank you to Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum for doing a really professional job.” [Truth Social, 1/11/24]

Though some in the media have speculated that Fox News and the wider Murdoch empire might break with Trump after he refused to stop the January 6 insurrection, the fact remains that the network can still be counted on to boost Trump as long as he maintains his own hold over Fox’s conservative viewers. Indeed, documents revealed in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox shows that the network joined in spreading the defeated president’s lies about the 2020 election, and internally attacked its own reporters for telling the truth, precisely because it did not want to lose viewers to other right-wing news outlets.

The immediate reviews of Fox’s obsequious town hall with Trump may be a good start. But going forward, mainstream media outlets need to recognize that Fox is not a news organization at all, and they should instead treat it like the Republican Party propaganda outlet it really is.