Sam WoodwardUSA TODAY
Show Caption
Pete Hegseth. Sean Duffy. Mike Huckabee. Once names you’d hear on TV giving you the news are now the ones making it. The Fox News to government official pipeline is growing, and it’s all due to President-elect Donald Trump.
In the weeks since securing a second term in the White House, the 78-year-old has made several unorthodox Cabinet picks, including casting on-air stars to serve for high-level positions.
Earlier this month, Trump tapped “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host, Fox News commentator, and Army veteran Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. Last week, Trump announced he’s nominating Fox Business host and former congressman Sean Duffy as secretary of the Department of Transportation. Trump also named Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, who had his own show on the network.
More: Alcohol, antipathy cloud Pete Hegseth sex assault allegations with conflicting accounts
Other picks with camera experience include TV’s Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee Medicare and Medicaid and Fox contributors Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as the next surgeon general, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, as the director of national intelligence, Sebastian Gorka as counter-terrorism chief, Tom Homan as "border czar" and former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Linda McMahon to head the education department.
With media mistrust on the rise, Fox News is often seen as a safe haven for conservatives, promising a facts first approach, delivered by oftentimes snarky commentators. In turn, the network has earned a loyal fanbase unwilling to switch channels for other networks.
These commentators are more than just talking heads to Fox News' millions of viewers. They're familiar faces that often spend hours in fans' homes, accompanying viewers as they eat meals or settle into bed at night. To the network's most loyal viewers, the Cabinet picks feel personal. Like someone they know is rising in the ranks.
'When you find something that you believe that is real, you stick with it'
More: Who has Trump picked for his Cabinet? Brooke Rollins rounds out nominees
Fox brings in massive swaths of viewers and profits, making it one of the most dominant news channels. Though the stability of the cable news industry has faltered in the internet age, the network is more dominant than ever compared to more left cable network rivals like CNN and MSNBC, according to Nov. 19 Nielsen data.
As the only major right-leaning network in a country that elected a Republican by 1.6%, Fox's dominance is expected.
“At the end of the day, the truth is what matters,” said 64-year-old Hubert Stone who watches 4-5 hours of the network every night. “It seems to me that my best source so far has been Fox.”
Many former politicians and staffers have crossed over into TV land after leaving DC. But not many are hired with the experience already on their resume. Stone said this is a plus.
Stone, a retired mechanic and Pittsboro, North Carolina native said getting news from the same faces every night makes him “comfortable” with what they’re saying, and getting to see them side-by-side with the man he voted for is "exciting."
A long-time fan, Stone said watching anchors like show host Sean Hannity every night and their tendency to "say it like it is" is at the core of his love for the network, and similarly, why he loves Trump.
Trump's connections to Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and more
Enjoying the ease of an echo chamber in a politically volatile environment is "a very comforting experience" and can be what keeps viewers watching, said Stephen Farnsworth, author of "Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump."
More: Donald Trump Jr is helping his father pick the most controversial cabinet of modern times
“What Fox News really offers is product differentiation. The conservative media environment argues that they’re different from most media outlets, so conservative viewers think of Fox as a place to go to confirm their beliefs," he said.
Other right-leaning networks have emerged in recent years tapping into this need for outspoken, conservative spaces to meet viewer needs like Newsmax and Breitbart, but have failed at reaching the same levels of viewership and loyalty as Fox.
The dominant, conservative news giant’s presence in Trump’s DC is not entirely a new phenomenon. Fox’s owner media titan Rupert Murdoch were allies during Trump’s first term, though their relationship has grown tumultuous. Trump and Hannity have remained close, sitting down for interviews with the Fox star numerous times. Same goes for former host Tucker Carlson who has been an ever-present figure in Trump’s world over the years.
“It’s clear that Trump recognized Fox News was a very effective way of reaching conservatives and getting them energized to support his agenda,” Farnsworth said. “Trump found Fox a comfortable place to go when he had something to say."
More: Karoline Leavitt says she's 'excited' to bring Donald Trump's message to world as his press secretary
In his first term, Trump — a former reality star — was known to watch the network almost religiously, appearing frequently on shows and having close relationships with executives and on-air talent, at the same time, experiencing a high turnover rate of conventional, non-show biz staff.
Now, instead of phoning in to give his two cents, he's plucking celebrities off the screen to work under him, further blurring the lines between the news tellers and news makers.
“Fox News has been in the business of promoting Trump, and Fox News personalities who start working directly for Trump will be expected by the president-elect to continue to be in the business of promoting Trump.”
This story has been updated to correct a typo.
— Sam Woodward is an elections reporting fellow for USA TODAY. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com, on Bluesky @woodyreports.bsky.social, X @woodyreports, and on Threads @samjowoody.
