Fox News anchor Chris Wallace admitted during an interview on “The View” Tuesday that President Trump had — to put it lightly — a “very bad week” last week.
Wallace made the admission after he was repeatedly pressed to weigh-in on Trump’s handling of protests that have broken out across the country against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Wallace was grilled by “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, who asked if he believed Trump had taken the “right tone” to evoke ongoing confidence from his base.
“Trump is positioning himself as a law and order candidate, but these movements that we are seeing in the streets are protesting law enforcement as we know it,” Hostin said.
Instead of reacting to the “right” and “wrong” of the situation, Wallace evaluated the current challenges of this political moment — a time many pundits have described as a turning point for voter sentiment about the President, as well as broader issues related to racial justice.
“I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the President in terms of politics, in terms of his potential reelection prospects,” the “Fox News Sunday” anchor said. “I mean when you’re getting called out by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington, when you’re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you, that’s not a good week.”
#FoxNewsSunday anchor Chris Wallace on why he says Democratic politicians should do more to reach out to the Fox News viewers: “Anybody is going to need the Fox vote, whether you’re Republican or a Democrat, to win the election.” https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/aKh1s7Zqd0
— The View (@TheView) June 9, 2020
Wallace’s critique of the President’s performance followed widespread uproar last week over federal officers’ use of force against peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square on Monday to clear the area for a now-infamous Trump photo-op. In recent days, the President has also faced significant pushback from top military leaders, ex- Bush administration officials and even members of his own Cabinet on his handling of the protests in general.
Recent poll numbers from CNN and NBC/WSJ that show public opinion tilting in the direction of contending Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, didn’t help much either, Wallace said.
