Trump cites mainstream outlets, despite fights
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Nearly half (49%) of the media companies cited by President Trump in his Truth Social posts since his inauguration are Murdoch-owned, according to an Axios analysis. Around 17% are mainstream outlets, including ones he's suing or has banned.
Why it matters: While Trump relies heavily on MAGA-affiliated influencers and media to reach his base, his Truth Social activity shows how much he still cites mainstream outlets for credibility and reach.
Case in point: Less than two weeks after AP sued three Trump administration officials for stripping its access to presidential events, Trump cited an AP story about comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a press conference.
- He cited a positive CBS News/YouGov poll about his address to a joint session of Congress last week, despite doubling the damages in his lawsuit against the network.
- Trump has cited USA Today three times since January, despite filing a lawsuit against its parent company Gannett and Des Moines Register.
Between the lines: Trump's social media strategy relies heavily on the visual authority of TV network content, most notably from Fox News.
- Trump has cited Fox News 62 times, more than every other non-Murdoch owned conservative-leaning outlet combined.
- About one-third of those posts include embedded videos, often clips from Mark Levin's show "Life, Liberty and Levin."
- Trump's other posts include his commentary, reposts of content featuring him on Truth Social and official White House content.
The other side: He has never cited NBC News or MSNBC during the period analyzed by Axios. He has bashed MSNBC, its parent Comcast and its CEO Brian Roberts several times, although he's cited CNBC stories twice about tariffs.
The intrigue: Despite Trump's close relationship with Elon Musk, he doesn't link out to posts on X. Instead, he shares screenshots of X posts, without a link to the original.
- Trump is generally obligated to shareholders of his public company, Trump Media & Technology Group, and to post on Truth Social before other social media sites.
- He will, however, link out to Rumble, the video platform that hosts Truth Social and serves its advertising.
Go deeper: Inside MAGA Media
