Podcast #229 - Fox News is Still Trying to Tell Trump ‘It’s the Economy Stupid’
Sep 9, 2026 · 53m
Summary
Juliet Jetzky analyzes Fox News’s attempts to signal economic concerns to Trump amid his 30-stop midterm tour, noting the network’s use of low-profile hosts to report on record-high gas prices. The episode critiques Fox’s heavy coverage of the Lindsey Clancy trial and anti-transgender segments as distraction tactics from the failing Iran war and poor polling. Jetzky also highlights a viral moment where Laura Ingrahm misread a poll, discusses the dangers of arming Iranian rebels, and compares ignored stories on PBS to Fox’s selective news agenda.
Topics discussed
Intro: Fox News pushing economy narrative despite Trump's silence
GOP midterm strategy and PBS NewsHour's contrasting focus
Immigration as the primary political talking point
Newsletter format update: embedding videos in Substack
Challenges with auto-generated transcripts in Premiere Pro
Fox hosts signaling economic concerns to Trump
Fox vs PBS coverage contrast and skipping the Clancy trial
Reasons for avoiding the Lindsey Clancy trial coverage
Clip: Host realizing script was not good for Republicans
Polling data: Democrats leading in generic congressional vote
Critique of generic polling vs district-specific candidates
Fox graphic highlighting 47% cost of living concern
Inflation rates and the 'tight line' Trump must walk
Fact check: Inflation has not actually decreased under Trump
Record-breaking gas and diesel prices since term start
Using lower-profile hosts to deliver bad news to Trump
Labor Day travel stats and rising gas prices
Fox Friends repeating segments to ensure Trump sees them
Alarming diesel price records and Trump's previous schemes
Jesse Watters segment: Transgender women as political target
Clip: 'The party that cannot define what a woman is'
Campaign ads using 'them not you' rhetoric
Transgender athletes as a boogeyman and scapegoat
Call for financial support and upcoming convention coverage
Alternative ways to support the podcast
Fox coverage of Chinese bots and data center hate
Clip: Gutfeld on using freedom of speech as a weapon
Critique of Gutfeld's stance on data centers
Valid reasons for residents to oppose data centers
Clip: Brian Kilmeade on data center jobs and noise
Fox News promoting arming Iranian rebels
Clip: Suggesting the US give guns to Iranian protesters
Historical parallels: Arming rebels in Afghanistan and Nicaragua
Unintended consequences of proxy wars and foreign policy
Social media reaction to the Iran war proposal
History of US intervention in Iran and the Shah
Fox's failed attempt to demonize Zohran Mamdani
Clip: Mamdani's 'Renew Crew' fixing a park bench
Mamdani's response to a child's request for a playground fix
Fox criticism of Mamdani's absence from a look-alike contest
Rise of the DSA and internal Democratic party conflicts
Explanation of the 'Third Way' PAC and its funding
Trump's approval ratings and the need for his money
Republicans moving away from 'America First' language
Critique of Republican subservience to Trump
Fox using the Clancy trial to avoid economic news
Coverage of the Tyler Robinson trial and Charlie Kirk
Fox's obsession with Abdul Ali Sayed and other candidates
Clip: George Santos banned from prediction markets
Headlines: TPS expiration, Pentagon tensions, and school safety
Headlines: Trump commemorative coins and Epstein subpoenas
Headlines: Leon Black lawsuit and Ukrainian drone strikes
Trump downplaying the severity of the Iran war
PBS coverage of the Iran conflict vs Fox's dismissal
Critique of Trump's 'small potatoes' comment on deaths
By the Numbers: Top 5 topics on Fox News
By the Numbers: Top 5 topics on PBS NewsHour
Word frequency analysis: 'Democrat' leads on Fox
Closing remarks and call for Patreon support
Sign-off and preview of bonus podcast
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