Fox’s Rupert Murdoch pushing a new candidate to beat Trump

18 August 2023

In his determination to choose a 2024 GOP nominee other than ex-President Donald Trump, right-wing media magnate Rupert Murdoch is interested in selecting Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin,The Washington Post reports.

According to a November 2022 report from The Guardian, "Rupert Murdoch has reportedly warned Donald Trump his media empire will not back any attempt to return to the White House, as former supporters turn to the youthful Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. After the Republican Party's disappointing performance in the U.S. midterm elections, in particular the poor showing by candidates backed by Trump, Murdoch's right-wing media empire appears to be seeking a clean break from the former president's damaged reputation and perceived waning political power."

However, last month the right-wing media mogul, according to five anonymous sources interviewed byRolling Stone, expressed "doubts and frustrations," regarding the DeSantis' 2024 campaign, "in private discussions and calls, at times wondering if a 'comeback'" from the governor "is possible at this point."

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According to The Post, The New York Times reports "in a story on how Fox's coverage of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis turned tougher as his presidential campaign began struggling — that Murdoch had privately told people that he would like Youngkin to enter the race."

Furthermore, the newspaper notes, "It was not known until now that" Murdoch "had personally encouraged Youngkin to jump in — although the Virginia governor is thought to be waiting for whether his party prevails in the state's November elections before making a decision on whether to run" for president.

"If no alternative to Mr. Trump breaks through, nervous Republican donors and voters will start looking for a lifeboat, and Glenn Youngkin just may prove seaworthy," Wall Street Journal editorial board member Kate Bachelder Odell wrote earlier this month, according to The Post.

However, The Post reports "some donors who've soured on DeSantis are not ready to turn to Youngkin, including top Republican donor Andrew Sabin," who "backed Trump in 2016 and 2020, planned to support DeSantis this time, soured on him in the spring and next turned next to Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina."

Sabin said, "I like him a lot, but I really would like to see him finish out his term in Virginia. Show the people of the country he's a great governor and he deserves to be president in '28."

The Postnotes:

Murdoch's support could be a great asset to any White House hopeful given his media empire's reach with conservative audiences, but it is no golden ticket. In addition, Murdoch is ultimately a pragmatist and the people familiar with the Youngkin discussions said that Murdoch could once again throw his support behind Trump. But given Fox's settlement with Dominion, the media mogul is more tentative than ever about the former president, these people said.

Still, according tot he report, despite Youngkin's "ties to the donor class and a personal fortune that Forbes put at $470 million at the time of his election, appeal to evangelicals as someone who started a church in his basement, and ability to wage MAGA culture wars in the style of the friendly dad next door," he still faces "tremendous logistical hurdles if he sticks with his plan to stay out of the race until after Virginia’s Nov. 7 General Assembly races."

Per The Post, "Filing deadlines to get on the presidential ballot will have passed in some key states by that date or soon after."

The Washington Post's full report is available at this link (subscription required).

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