CNN correspondent Brian Stelter says President Trump's "cozy" relationship with Fox News is "like nothing we've seen in American history."
In his new book, Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, Stelter describes the president as a "shadow producer" to Fox News host Sean Hannity — who, in turn, acts as a "shadow chief of staff" for Trump.
"This is a relationship that is extraordinary, because Trump shapes Hannity's show [and] Hannity advises the president on policy and personnel," Stelter says. "And then at 9 o'clock sharp, the president is watching Hannity deliver the talking points that they have already discussed."
But Stelter notes that Trump's close relationship with Fox News goes beyond Hannity
"Fox is Trump's safe space. It's where he's not going to be humiliated, where he's not going to hear uncomfortable truths," Stelter says. "There's just no example of this kind of alliance between a president and a media outlet ever before."
Stelter adds that Trump's reliance on Fox News has created a dangerous feedback loop — especially with regard to COVID-19.
