President Donald Trump’s months-long campaign to force Fox News to dump liberal co-host Jessica Tarlov erupted again on April 17, 2026, when the president took to Truth Social from Air Force One and branded the longtime Democratic strategist “one of the least attractive and talented people” on television. The post marked at least the third major broadside Trump has aimed at Tarlov since late March, and Fox News executives, despite the relentless pressure, have so far refused to budge.
The April 17 outburst came hours after Tarlov used her seat on “The Five” to walk viewers through a brutal slate of polling numbers: a 35 percent approval rating in most surveys, deep unhappiness with tariffs, sour reviews of the U.S. war in Iran, and widespread opposition to the proposed White House ballroom project. “No Americans wanted the tariffs, they didn’t want the war in Iran, and they don’t want the ballroom,” she told the panel.
Trump fired back within hours, accusing her of inventing data and demanding her removal. He claimed his own polling was historically strong and insisted CNN had once measured his support at “100 percent.” He closed the post with a directive aimed squarely at the network’s leadership: “GET HER OFF THE AIR, SHE IS BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY!”
In the scathing post, Trump also attacked Tarlov’s appearance, voice and credibility beyond his previous demands for her firing. “Her voice is so grating and terrible, I had to ‘turn her off!'” he wrote, alleging she “makes up ‘Poll Numbers,’ and nobody challenges her, because she is so boring.”
The Numbers Behind the Fight
Tarlov’s polling citations are not, as the president insists, fabricated. According to The Economist, Trump’s net approval sits at -18, with 38 percent of Americans approving of his job performance, 56 percent disapproving and six percent unsure. YouGov tracking shows only 19 percent of voters believe the economy is improving, while 59 percent say it is getting worse — a sharp deterioration from the start of his second term. Net approval for his handling of inflation has tumbled to -35, down from -23 in February 2026, with declines across Democrats, independents and even Republicans.
A Feud That Keeps Escalating
The president’s fixation on Tarlov did not start in April. On March 27, 2026, Trump phoned into “The Five” while Tarlov was off set and told her co-hosts he “wasn’t a fan,” adding, “I think your show would be better without her, but who am I to say that? I think it would be a lot better.” Tarlov, traveling that day, quipped on X that had she been on the panel she would have pointed out the president was “even inflating his numbers to 42%.”
Ten days later, on April 6, Trump escalated dramatically. In a Truth Social post addressed to “Fox executives only,” he demanded the network fire Tarlov outright, calling her “a real loser” whose viewers “cannot stand watching her.” In the same string of posts, he turned on “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream, complaining she did not aggressively rebut Democratic guests such as Representative Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and griping about her referring to the “Save Act” rather than what Trump called the “Save America Act.”
Tarlov has not retreated. Responding on X after the April 17 post, she wrote: “Guess I’ll take this opportunity to mention that my numbers are far from fake—Trump really is that unpopular.” She has continued sparring on air with co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters throughout April and May 2026, challenging Trump’s framing of an Iran ceasefire and refusing to soften her polling commentary.
Other Hosts in the Crosshairs
Tarlov is hardly the only on-air figure drawing presidential ire. In the same April 17 post, Trump claimed Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens were “dying fast” in the ratings and had been exposed as “FAKE MAGA.” Kelly drew his attention after telling Piers Morgan that the Iran war was “folly,” a description that clearly stung the White House as casualty numbers and ceasefire disputes with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dominated coverage.
Trump’s pattern of singling out female journalists has drawn renewed scrutiny. In February 2026, he berated CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as “the worst reporter,” telling her she never smiles because “you know you’re not telling the truth.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson has defended the broadsides as having “nothing to do with gender” and “everything to do with the fact that the President’s and the public’s trust in the media is at all-time lows.”
Fox Holds the Line
Despite the cascade of presidential demands, Fox News has made no move against Tarlov. Network executives have not publicly commented on the April 6 or April 17 posts, and Tarlov has remained a fixture on “The Five,” continuing to clash with her conservative co-hosts and promote her forthcoming book, “I Disagree.”
Social media defenders, meanwhile, have rallied around the host, with many arguing the president’s obsession only strengthens her position. As one widely shared post put it, Tarlov “lives rent free in his head.”
For now, the standoff shows no signs of cooling. Trump keeps posting. Tarlov keeps citing the polls. And the network that built its brand on conservative loyalty appears, at least in this fight, unwilling to let the White House dictate its lineup.
