Trump Team Was Reportedly Not Happy With This Fox Call

Network made an early projection of Arizona for Biden
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 4, 2020 8:38 AM CST
Team Trump: Fox News Jumped Gun on Ariz. Call
Voters drop off ballots as volunteers look on at the Maricopa County Recorder's Office Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, in Phoenix.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Fox News was among the first media outlets to call Arizona for Joe Biden on Election Night—and President Trump's team was reportedly quite peeved at that decision. Fox had pledged to follow the projections of its nonpartisan, non-ideological “decision desk," reports NPR, which notes that the network issued its projection nearly four hours before the AP ultimately called the race for Biden. "The Trump campaign is—how shall I put this—livid about the fact that Arizona was called,” Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts said on the air. Decision Desk Chief Arnon Mishkin doubled down on the projection when asked on air whether he was certain. "We're not wrong," he said, per Politico.

"I’m sorry, the president is not going to be able to take over and win enough votes to eliminate that seven-point lead," he said. Republicans including Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller called for Fox to retract the projection: "There are still 1M+ Election Day votes out there waiting to be counted - we pushed our people to vote on Election Day, but now Fox News is trying to invalidate their votes!" he tweeted. It wasn't just the Trump camp expressing ire; the New York Times' Nate Cohn tweeted, "I certainly agree that Biden's favored in Arizona, but look the Fox call there is too fast for me." (More Election 2020 stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X