Former Trump official caught up in war between Fox News and Newsmax

The far-right Newsmax cable network has emerged as one of the most direct competitors to Fox News, and the two have developed an increasingly bitter rivalry, sniping at each other on a regular basis and at times even blaming each other for various political failures of the Republican Party

On Tuesday, The Daily Beast profiled how Mercedes Schlapp — a former communications official in Donald Trump's White House and wife of American Conservative Union leader Matt Schlapp — has been jumping back and forth between these networks in a way that forces her to play on both sides of the war.

"Since last year’s departure of Newsmax host and ex-Trump adviser Steve Cortes, Schlapp — a Conservative Political Action Committee senior fellow — has regularly filled in as a guest co-host on Prime News, the primetime program Cortes used to headline alongside former One America News anchor Jenn Pellegrino. In fact, Schlapp has sat in the anchor chair on Prime News at least 29 times since June, according to a transcript search via media monitoring service TVEyes," reported Justin Baragona and Diana Falzone. "During an interview with her former Trump administration colleague Peter Navarro in September, Navarro told Schlapp that he wanted 'to thank Newsmax and [Newsmax CEO] Chris Ruddy, personally, for helping me raise the money I’m needing for my legal defense fund,' referencing his arrest earlier this year."

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"Additionally, amid Newsmax’s penchant for throwing bombs at Fox News in an effort to appeal to hardcore MAGA viewers who feel the channel has abandoned Donald Trump, Schlapp has found herself on anti-Fox segments," said the report. "During a Nov. 11 appearance on The Chris Salcedo Show, the eponymous host declared that the 'Murdoch empire' was part of the 'Democrat-controlled press' that was blaming Trump for killing the expected 'red wave' for Republicans." Schlapp did not push back on this idea — and the very next week, she co-hosted Fox News' "Outnumbered."

According to the report, Schlapp doesn't officially have a contract at Newsmax, which is a common arrangement for fill-in hosts like herself.

Both Newsmax and Fox News are being sued by Dominion Voting Systems, a company that manufactures election equipment, and which both networks have falsely promoted conspiracy theories about in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.