An article in Business Insider by Mia Jankowicz called “Fox News anchor Bret Baier slams Trump, saying January 6 hearings made him look ‘horrific'” adds to the editorials criticizing the former president from conservative publications such as The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, also owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Here are a few paragraphs, with a link to the article below.
“Baier said that the hearings highlighting criticism by former Trump supporters and members of his administration — such as former Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger and former Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews — was especially persuasive.
‘All of these people who have been testifying at one point or another wanted Trump to win,’ Baier said. ‘They served under his leadership. They wanted him to be a success.’
Whether it changes the view of Republican voters is another matter, Baier said.
‘The charges are that it’s just not balanced,’ he said, in reference to the ongoing criticism that the hearings are one-sided. (A congressional committee hearing is supposed to publicize already-established findings, and Republican leaders boycotted involvement in the committee.)*
Baier also called for more information on exactly what Trump said about mobilizing the National Guard in advance of the riot. If Trump had taken such action, Baier said, ‘it kind squelches or downplays the thought that he wanted this insurrection.'”
Unlike the opinion entertainment hosts, such as Hannity, Ingraham, Carlson, et al, that still echo support of the former president, Baier is part of Fox News’ news organization. It should be noted that even Fox News management threw Carlson under the bus in a defamation trial noting what he says should not be considered as news.
People have asked if these criticisms are making a difference? From what I read they are, but those questioning are correct that it is likely not reaching the hardcore MAGA fans. One thing Trump is good at is marketing and people close to him have noted he realizes he is screwed. He should be as the only person who is largely responsible for all of this is the guy looking back at the former president when he shaves.
*Note: Republicans who offer this criticism should note that at least two of the representatives offered up by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy were people of interest in the investigation. They were denied by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rightfully so. McCarthy then pulled the rest of the nominees. Yet, Pelosi did appoint two Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have performed well on the committee.
musingsofanoldfart 
Note to Readers: From a weekly UK magazine:
“A Reuters/Ipsos survey showed that 40% of self-identified Republicans now believe Trump was at least partly to blame for the Capitol Hill violence, “up from 33% before the hearings began”, wrote Cassidy. And the proportion of Republicans who said they thought Trump shouldn’t run again has also risen, from a quarter to a third.
The poll results show that Republican views on Trump have “darkened somewhat over six weeks of televised congressional hearings”, said Reuters.
A New York Times/Siena College poll earlier this month also made for depressing reading for Trump. Nearly half of the Republicans quizzed said they would vote for someone other than him in a primary. Among respondents under 35, the proportion rose to nearly two-thirds.”
Your last paragraph speaks volumes (I mean the one before the “note”), Keith.
Thanks Erika. People need to know when so-called news sources are not such. Keith
Absolutely, Keith. People need to be more sceptic about what they are told anyway. A little common sense would already help.
True. Healthy skepticism is needed. Some sources need larger doses, having only themselves to blame. A certain former president said yesterday he is the most persecuted person in America. That may be true, but there is a high correlation between his lying and his persecution. Maybe if he did not lie so much, he would not be persecuted so much.
Hello Keith. I am glad the people on the committee are serious about the task at hand and not using their time to obfuscate, bombastically hurl insults, and state as facts outright lies. You know if Jordan and his ilk were on the committee, they would have tried to turn it into a 3 ring circus. This is too serious an event to let them act like howler monkeys throwing feces. Plus, they would have been a direct pipeline to trump of all the evidence so he could interfere with even more witnesses. Hugs
Agreed on all counts.
I understand he (Trump) threw a temper tantrum earlier today when one of the Fox folk, Steve Doocy, noted that Trump wasn’t polling nearly as well as he claimed. Hmmmm … perhaps the magic in the ‘special relationship’ between Trump & Fox is wearing thin? Given the things I am hearing that he and his cohorts are planning for his ‘next term’, I think it’s more imperative than ever that we make sure there can be no next term.
Jill, as attorney for Donald Trump for years, Thomas Welch once wrote, “if you are on Donald Trump’s good side, don’t get uses to it, as you won’t be there for long.” Meaning at some point you won’t genuflect low enough, you won’t suck up loudly enough, he may read of a less than flattering comment….
I read recently that Trump said he was the most persecuted person in America. He may be, but it is highly correlated with his routine lying. As his staff know all too well, dealing with Donald Trump is long walking on eggshells. Keith
That, in and of itself, is reason enough that he does not belong in a position of power. Thin skin and retributive behaviour are NOT what is needed! Every politician is going to come under criticism. I once had a boss … a great guy named Ken Schehl … who told me that he appreciated me telling him what he needed to know rather than what he wanted to hear, for it gave him better insight into what he needed to do going forward. Doesn’t that make a lot more sense than the crybaby who says, “Off with their head!!!” when someone doesn’t agree 100% with him?
If, in fact, Trump is the most persecuted person in this country, he brought that ceiling down on himself. I only wish it had made him want to give up a life in the public eye, retire to his estate, and read Playboy magazine or something!
Jill, and this is the person calling others names like “wimp” and “loser” when he is the one who has a hard time with any criticism and who won’t admit he lost. Keith
Now Murdoch has turned against him. I hope the tide is turning. Our politics have become so polarized— it is a sad state of affairs.
Birdie, the tide has turned. When previous sycophants are questioning him that is a tell-tale sign and he knows it. Keith
🙏🏻🤞
Note to Readers: Yet one more “tourist” on January 6, per the messaging of the former president, has pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Here is an excerpt from a Politico article today:
“One of two men charged with a role in the chemical spraying of a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegally entering the restricted area of Capitol grounds.
George Tanios pleaded guilty to two counts: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. As part of Tanios’ deal with the government, prosecutors dropped a handful of other charges against him, including assaulting officers with a deadly weapon.”
Call me crazy Mr. Trump but most tourists do not chemically spray law enforcement officers nor plead guilty when they do. It is yet one more of many examples of untruthful statements uttered by the former president before, during and after the January 6 insurrection.