Former President Donald Trump returned to Fox News on Monday night for the first time in months and responded to questions about allegations that he might be charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
Last week, Trump received criticism after he posted to Truth Social that “death and destruction” may occur if he’s indicted in connection to the case. Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity in a wide-ranging interview, the former president denied that he did not call for destruction but was merely issuing a warning of what might happen in the future.
Trump, a 2024 presidential candidate, noted that he “didn’t say [to] do something bad … I said I’m afraid people will do something.” The former president also disputed claims he wanted to incite violence after posting to Truth Social a National File article that featured an image of Trump jokingly holding a baseball bat that was juxtaposed next to Bragg’s head.
“We didn’t see pictures. We put up a story that was very exculpatory, very good story from the standpoint of what we’re talking about,” he said of the National File article.
Also in the interview, Trump spoke about other investigations, including the Department of Justice’s probe into whether he mishandled allegedly classified materials. In another high-profile incident, FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last August, drawing condemnation from the former president.
“Remember this: This is the Presidential Records Act. I have the right to take stuff,” Trump told Fox News, adding: “I have the right to take stuff. I have the right to look at stuff. But they have the right to talk, and we have the right to talk.”
Fox News Relationship
In recent months, Trump’s relationship with Fox News appears to be frosty. The former president has for weeks criticized the Rupert Murdoch-owned network for what he called glowing coverage of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who some say may enter the 2024 race to challenge him. Other than Fox News, Murdoch’s media empire also includes the New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and Sky News.
