Report: Trump has a loyalty scale for Fox News hosts

By Erik Wemple
Media critic
March 4 at 12:31 PM

Steve Doocy has earned his mark of distinction from President Trump.

The longtime co-host of the rotten morning program “Fox & Friends” is among the network anchors who have been graded by Trump on loyalty. The news comes from a fresh story by the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer:

Trump has told confidants that he has ranked the loyalty of many reporters, on a scale of 1 to 10. Bret Baier, Fox News’ chief political anchor, is a 6; Hannity a solid 10. Steve Doocy, the co-host of “Fox & Friends,” is so adoring that Trump gives him a 12.

How does a “Fox & Friends” star secure such extra credit? Well, by surrendering all independent thinking for years and years and years. To take an example that we’ve discussed previously in this space: Back in October 2010, “Fox & Friends” was talking with Donald Trump about international affairs. Trump trotted out a tired talking point: "We don’t have our talented people. ... I do a lot of business with China. ... You try doing business in China — it’s impossible. Yet they come here and make everything. Problem is, we don’t make anything anymore. We make it in China and other countries,” said the real estate mogul. Two months later, Trump sat on the “Fox & Friends” couch and again railed against China: “When I look at the jobs numbers and I see what’s going on in China, where it’s booming — you know why it’s booming? Because they’re making all our products.”

Doocy had a thought: “We don’t make anything anymore.” Trump agreed with Doocy’s repetition of his own talking point: “We don’t make anything," said the future president.

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