Handling of Trump Puts Fox on the Spot

Donald Trump has single-handedly beaten back the August news doldrums, and no one is benefiting more from his unhinged outbursts and behavior than Fox News.

The network’s telecast of the Republican debate, with Trump occupying center stage, was the highest-rated presidential primary debate ever. On Aug 11, Trump phoned in to “Fox and Friends” and sat for a one-on-one interview with Sean Hannity. Yet as tantalizing as Trump’s continuing relevance may be for Fox, his improbable candidacy is also more than a little perilous. To demonstrate its seriousness about vetting the Republican candidates, the network has to subject Trump to rigorous questioning, as Kelly did. At the same time, Fox cannot afford to alienate Trump — or, more important, the network’s core audience.