Why Is Murdoch-Owned Media Attacking President Trump Now?

The relationship between President Donald Trump and the 21st Century Fox executive chairman Rupert Murdoch has alternated between tumultuous and friendly over the last few decades. But three unflattering stories that appeared in Murdoch-owned papers during the course of a week have raised new questions about whether the media mogul is distancing himself from an increasingly unpopular political figure — and why.

One theory: "There is the beginnings of a fall-out" between Trump and Murdoch, spurred by Sinclair Broadcast Group's May 8 deal to snap up Tribune Media for $3.9 billion, a Washington, D.C.-based individual active in Republican circles and familiar with the president's and key adviser's thinking said. President Trump, this individual argued, has essentially greenlit the deal, which Murdoch disproves of for competitive reasons. The merger, if approved, would put a large swath of the local television market under Sinclair's control. "He was surprised that Trump is letting it go through," the individual said of Murdoch, who this person said is no longer speaking to Trump as frequently as he once was. "I hear he's pretty upset with the president."