Trump lashes out at Fox News, Harris ahead of dueling appearances on network

• The Republican presidential candidate's reaction underscores just how close the presidential race is, as does the appearance of leading Democrats on the conservative-leaning network as they court conservative and rural voters who may be skeptical of another Trump presidency.

Driving the news: Trump in a Truth Social post Monday accused Fox News' chief political anchor Bret Baier of being "often very soft to those on the 'cocktail circuit' Left" after the network announced he would interview Harris.

• "I would have preferred seeing a more hard hitting journalist, but Fox has grown so weak and soft on the Democrats, constantly polluting the airwaves with unopposed Kamala Representatives, that it all doesn't matter anymore," he added.
• In another post, Trump complained about how much time Harris campaign spokesperson Ian Sams spends on Fox News after seeing the network's Neil Cavuto interview him. Trump claimed Sams "virtually owns the Network" and attacked the anchor and other personalities.
• Trump complained that Sams' appearance, coupled with all the other "Democrat mouthpieces that Fox puts on," has a "very negative effect on the Election."
• He added: "It's not worthwhile doing Interviews on Fox, because it all just averages out into NOTHING. FoxNews has totally lost its way!"

The other side: Sams said on Cavuto's show Monday that it's "been about a month" since Trump "did a mainstream media interview" and "we have got to wonder why."

• He noted the Democrats had called for the 78-year-old to release his medical records.
• "Donald Trump's team, I heard him on your air last hour insisting that everything is OK and that nothing — there's nothing to see here," Sams said. "And your anchor rightly asked, well, if that's true, why not just put them out?"

What we're watching: Fox News is filming a town hall with Trump and an audience composed entirely of women on Tuesday. It will air as part of Harris Faulkner's 11am show a day later.

• Baier will interview Harris in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, which will air during the network's "Special Report" at 6pm ET.
• Representatives for Fox News did not immediately return Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Harris campaign turns Trump's favorite weapon against him