Trump again targets Fox: ‘They totally forgot who got them where they are’

President Trump offered a familiar rebuke of Fox News on Wednesday, calling the network “not even watchable” and asserting it “totally forgot who got them where they are.”

The president tweeted that he watched the network aboard Air Force One while traveling to Texas on Wednesday afternoon.

“It is AMAZING in watching @FoxNews how different they are from four years ago,” he wrote. “Not even watchable. They totally forgot who got them where they are!”

I was on Air Force One flying to the Great State of Texas, where I just landed. It is AMAZING in watching @FoxNews how different they are from four years ago. Not even watchable. They totally forgot who got them where they are!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020

Trump has offered alternating praise and criticism for the network and its hosts in recent months, depending on how he perceives its coverage of him and his administration.

Earlier this summer, the president tweeted that the network “is doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected on Nov. 3.”

Many will disagree, but @FoxNews is doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected on November 3rd. Sure, there are some truly GREAT people on Fox, but you also have some real “garbage” littered all over the network, people like Dummy Juan Williams, Schumerite Chris…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020

On another occasion in June, he said his “base hates what Fox News is doing” before later adding that the network “wants to be politically correct all of a sudden.”

Trump has also praised the 24-year-old network for its ratings and on-air talent, including earlier Wednesday in touting Greg Gutfeld’s new book that landed near the top of Amazon’s bestseller list upon its release Tuesday.

“‘The Plus, Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help’, by the very smart and witty @greggutfeld , is on sale now. It is great, Canceling Cancel Culture. Make his book as successful as his T.V. Show. Buy it now!” the president tweeted about the “The Greg Gutfeld Show” show host.

“The Plus, Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help”, by the very smart and witty @greggutfeld, is on sale now. It is great, Canceling Cancel Culture. Make his book as successful as his T.V. Show. Buy it now!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020

In May, Trump tweeted that “@foxandfriends trounces Morning Psycho (MSDNC) in the Ratings!” in a reference to ratings for the network’s morning program, “Fox & Friends,” compared to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” which is often critical of the president.

.@foxandfriends trounces Morning Psycho (MSDNC) in the Ratings!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020

Fox News has seen considerable ratings increases in recent years since former chairman Roger Ailes’s ouster from the network.

The network finished June and July as the most-watched channel on cable or broadcast television, averaging 3.43 million viewers in prime-time to top CBS, NBC and ABC. In 2016, the network averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime.

Fox anchors Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson finished July with the top-rated shows in cable news in averaging more than 4 million viewers a night, with Laura Ingraham currently the most-watched female host in cable news with 3.42 million viewers per night.