'A bit more complicated': Fox News and GOP voters seek 'off-ramps away from Trump'

MSNBC host Ari Melber during Friday's episode of The Beat with Ari Melber spoke with former CNN chief media correspondent and author Brian Stelter about Fox News' attempt to steer away from supporting ex-President Donald Trump despite ex-hosts still seeking out interviews with the former president.

After Melber mentioned that despite ex-Fox host Tucker Carlson's firing from the right-wing network following its April $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over its hosts spreading 2020 election lies, he still managed to interview the former president on his own platform the same night of the first GOP debate last month — which was Fox hosted.

Then he asked Stelter "to use your reporting, your skills here tonight, to tell us what has become of Fox where, recently we've seen Donald Trump do more interviews with [ex-Fox host] Megyn Kelly. So more ex-Fox officials than current ones sometimes it seems [giving Trump a platform]. What does that do to the company here as it has paid these prices but sees its ex-hosts sort of stake out their own ground?"

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

Stelter replied, "Right, it's incredibly intense and complicated, because it was Maria Bartiromo who first used the word "Dominion" on Fox's airwaves. It was Lou Dobbs who pushed the Smartmatic lie. And you know that opened the company up to tremendous legal liability and damage. In some ways, those cases, that form of accountability, financial accountability, it's happening more quickly than the accountability for Trump in the four indictments. So, Fox feeling the brunt more than Trump — at least more quickly than Trump. With regard to these hosts, many of them are pro-Trump, even though Rupert Murdoch very much wants the country to be rid of Donald Trump. And my understanding from sources, Rupert shrugs and says there's nothing he can do anymore. Clearly the base is siding with Trump. But it's a little more complicated that that, Ari. I was in Iowa yesterday talking to reporters and voters and some voters who support Trump, they also have a backup choice in case he's not available, so to speak. Or they're looking for off-ramps, you know, away from Trump. So, Fox is doing the same thing. They are staying with him in some capacity, but also looking for alternatives."

Watch the video below or at this link.