WASHINGTON – A forthcoming book claims that someone within Fox News provided Donald Trump’s campaign with advance knowledge of the questions he would face during a town hall event organized by the network in January 2024. This assertion is detailed in “Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power,” authored by Politico journalist Alex Isenstadt, which is scheduled for publication in March.
According to excerpts shared by CNN, around half an hour before the Iowa town hall was set to begin, a senior aide for Trump reportedly began receiving text messages containing images of the questions that would be posed to the former president, including specific follow-ups and their exact wording.
A spokesperson for Fox News acknowledged the serious nature of these claims, stating, “While we do not have any evidence of this occurring, and Alex Isenstadt has conveniently refused to release the images for fact-checking, we take these matters very seriously and plan to investigate should there prove to be a breach within the network.”
The Trump campaign faced internal disagreements regarding whether he should participate in the town hall, hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum of Fox News. Reports indicated that Trump was not fully committed to preparing for the event and was mainly relying on his instinctive responses.
The book suggests that the advance list of questions included inquiries about whether Trump would separate himself from his business ventures upon winning, and if his multiple indictments made him a risky candidate for the Republican nomination. There were also questions probing whether he would publicly denounce political violence and the potential focus of his administration on retribution.
Although Trump was reportedly dissatisfied with the questions he received in advance, this opportunity allowed his team to strategize their responses beforehand. Granting a presidential candidate prior access to questions could signify a breach of journalistic integrity, as media outlets usually work diligently to safeguard their planned questions from leaks and unauthorized disclosures.
Steven Cheung, the communications director for Trump’s campaign, did not address the specific allegations regarding the advance access to questions. Instead, he stated, “President Trump was the most accessible and transparent candidate in American history, and it’s a big reason why he won in historic fashion.”
