Fox News host Bret Baier reflected on his experience interviewing President Trump, acknowledging that there is “a lot to fact-check” when speaking with him.
Baier participated in a newsroom forum on Wednesday, just hours after Trump delivered a joint address to Congress. During the discussion, he was asked about the challenges of interviewing Trump, having recently spoken with the president just before the Super Bowl.
He explained that fact-checking Trump in real time presents unique difficulties. “You have to decide which points are worth challenging and which moments are worth pushing back on,” Baier said. “Because there’s a lot to fact-check, as you know, throughout something he says.”
Despite this, he emphasized that his primary goal in interviews is to steer the conversation toward pressing issues and get substantive responses from Trump. “In an effort to get news, I think you try to direct him toward the questions that really get to the heart of the matter,” Baier added.
During his interview with Baier, Trump defended his decision to impose tariffs on Canada, arguing that the U.S. is at a trade disadvantage. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially, in subsidy to Canada?” Trump said.
However, some Trump supporters believe that fact-checking him, particularly by outlets like Fox News, is unnecessary and unfair. Many argue that Fox should focus on amplifying his message rather than scrutinizing his statements in the same way that mainstream media does. Critics of Fox’s approach say that instead of nitpicking Trump’s remarks, the network should highlight how his policies are aimed at strengthening the U.S. economy and trade relations. The pushback underscores a growing divide between those who believe in holding Trump accountable for his statements and those who see fact-checking as an attempt to undermine him.