Fox News executives are standing firm against President Donald Trump’s escalating campaign to remove Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov from the air, even as the president launched his harshest attack yet on April 16, 2026, branding her “one of the least attractive and talented people” on television in a Truth Social post from Air Force One.
The broadside came just hours after Tarlov presented a slate of damaging poll numbers on “The Five,” including a 35 percent approval rating for Trump in most surveys, widespread discontent over tariffs, negative assessments of the war in Iran, and strong opposition to a proposed White House ballroom project. “No Americans wanted the tariffs, they didn’t want the war in Iran, and they don’t want the ballroom,” she told the panel.
Within hours, Trump accused Tarlov of fabricating polling data and insisted his own numbers were historically strong, claiming CNN had once measured his support at “100 percent” — a reference to a CNN segment highlighting an NBC poll showing 100 percent approval among self-identified MAGA voters, a sub-group representing roughly 30 percent of the electorate. He wrote that her “voice is so grating and terrible” and that she “makes up ‘Poll Numbers,’ and nobody challenges her, because she is so boring.” The post concluded with an all-caps demand: “GET HER OFF THE AIR, SHE IS BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY!”
A Feud That Keeps Escalating
The April 16 post marked at least the third major attack Trump had launched against Tarlov since late March. On March 26, 2026, the president phoned into “The Five” while Tarlov was off set and told her co-hosts he “wasn’t a fan,” adding, “I think your show would be better without her, but who am I to say that? I think it would be a lot better.” Tarlov, traveling that day, quipped on X that had she been on the panel she would have pointed out the president was “even inflating his numbers to 42%.”
Trump escalated dramatically on April 6. In a Truth Social post addressed to “Fox executives only,” he demanded the network fire Tarlov outright, calling her “a real loser” whose viewers “cannot stand watching her.” In the same string of posts, he turned on “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream, complaining she did not aggressively rebut Democratic guests such as Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and griping about her referring to the “Save Act” rather than what Trump called the “Save America Act.”
The Numbers Behind the Fight
Tarlov’s citations are backed by independent data. According to The Economist/YouGov tracker, Trump’s net approval then sat at -18, with 38 percent of Americans approving of his job performance, 56 percent disapproving and six percent unsure. YouGov tracking showed only 19 percent of voters believe the economy is improving, while 59 percent say it is getting worse — a sharp deterioration from the start of his second term. Net approval for his handling of inflation has tumbled to -35, down from -23 in February 2026, with declines across Democrats, independents and even Republicans.
Responding on X after the April 16 attack, Tarlov wrote: “Guess I’ll take this opportunity to mention that my numbers are far from fake—Trump really is that unpopular.” She continued sparring on air with co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters throughout April and May 2026, challenging Trump’s framing of an Iran ceasefire and refusing to soften her polling commentary.
Other Hosts in the Crosshairs
In the same April 16 post, Trump claimed Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens were “dying fast” in the ratings and had been exposed as “FAKE MAGA.” Kelly drew his attention after telling Piers Morgan that the Iran war was “folly,” a description that clearly stung the White House as casualty numbers and ceasefire disputes with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dominated coverage.
Trump’s pattern of singling out female journalists has drawn renewed scrutiny. In February 2026, he berated CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as “the worst reporter,” telling her she never smiles because “you know you’re not telling the truth.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson has defended the broadsides as having “nothing to do with gender” and “everything to do with the fact that the president’s and the public’s trust in the media is at all-time lows.”
Fox Holds the Line
Despite the relentless pressure, Fox News has made no move against Tarlov. Network executives have not publicly commented on the April 6 or April 16 posts, and Tarlov has remained a fixture on “The Five,” continuing to clash with her conservative co-hosts and promote her forthcoming book, “I Disagree.”
Social media defenders have rallied around the host, with many arguing the president’s obsession only strengthens her position. As one widely shared post put it, Tarlov “lives rent free in his head.”
For now, the standoff shows no signs of cooling. Trump keeps posting. Tarlov keeps citing the polls. And the network that built its brand on conservative loyalty appears, at least in this fight, unwilling to let the White House dictate its lineup.