Trump Accuses Fox News of Boosting 'Birdbrain' Nikki Haley Over Competitor Ron DeSantis

In a recent video rant on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump took aim at Fox News, accusing the network of promoting Nikki Haley as a presidential contender while sidelining Ron DeSantis. Trump voiced his skepticism about Haley's chances, dubbing her "Birdbrain" and criticizing Fox News for its apparent shift in support.

Trump's displeasure with Fox News is not a new development, as the former president has frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the network in the past. Despite Trump's claims, a transcript search by Mediaite revealed that recent coverage of Haley and DeSantis on Fox News is relatively balanced, with DeSantis slightly outpacing Haley in terms of mentions. Notably, Trump dominates the network's coverage, with references to him far surpassing those of both Haley and DeSantis.

This isn't the first time Trump has used the monikers "DeSanctimonious" for DeSantis and "Birdbrain" for Haley, as per News Week. As previously reported, Trump took to his social media platform following Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' endorsement of her Florida colleague, criticizing DeSantis and Haley. Trump argued that DeSantis, endorsed by Reynolds, was trailing significantly in the polls and labeled him a "wounded bird falling violently from the sky."

Real Clear Politics data indicates that Trump maintains a substantial lead among likely Republican voters, averaging around 58.5%, with DeSantis trailing at 14.4% and Haley at 9%, as per Newsweek. Other candidates in the race are polling at 2% or less. Looking ahead, Trump and President Joe Biden are positioned as clear favorites to secure their party's nomination, setting the stage for a potential rematch in the November 2024 general election.

Current polling from Real Clear Politics indicates a close race between Trump and Biden, with Trump holding a narrow average lead of 1.6%. A Yahoo News poll also suggested a slight edge for Trump in a hypothetical rematch, although 9% of respondents were undecided, and 5% indicated they were not planning to vote.

Trump's criticism of Fox News's alleged promotion of Haley over DeSantis echoes his ongoing feud with the network. Trump accused Fox News of abandoning DeSantis and pushing Haley, despite her previous statements praising Trump's presidency and expressing reluctance to run against him. The former president even took issue with a Fox & Friends segment that featured a Haley supporter gushing about her and saying, "Fox & Friends just put on a hand-picked Haley acolyte who absolutely gushed Birdbrain. It was really something to behold, so obvious and lame," as per The Hill.

Despite these tensions, Trump has continued to make regular appearances on Fox News in recent months, participating in town hall events and exclusive interviews. The animosity between Trump and the network highlights the complex dynamics within the Republican party as the 2024 presidential race begins to take shape.