Fox News anchor Bret Baier revealed he confronted President Donald Trump directly over his repeated use of the phrase “enemy of the people” to describe journalists — a label Trump has increasingly used throughout his second term, especially following recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran.
Speaking on The New Yorker Radio Hour, Baier reflected on his complicated relationship with Trump. Though the president once labeled him “nasty” after a 2023 interview, Baier has remained one of the few mainstream journalists granted repeated access to Trump.
“I wish he wouldn’t use it,” Baier said of Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric toward the press. He confirmed he had personally asked Trump to stop referring to journalists that way, though the former president has not changed course.
Despite his concerns, Baier acknowledged Trump’s unusual willingness to speak with reporters — even those he regularly criticizes. “For all the things he says about the media, he still does interviews with the very people he calls nasty,” Baier said.
He added that Trump’s combative style is deeply rooted in his years as a New York real estate mogul. “It’s just part of who he is. He goes on offense — he characterizes his opposition before they can define him. It’s a cat-and-mouse game.”
Tensions between the administration and the media have escalated in recent weeks, particularly after the U.S. conducted bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear facilities. During a press briefing Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lashed out at Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin after she asked a pointed question about the strike’s effectiveness.
“Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow Mountain?” Griffin asked. “Are you certain none of it was moved?”
“Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst,” Hegseth snapped in response, sharply dismissing the inquiry.
Baier’s comments come amid growing concern from press freedom advocates over the administration’s increasingly hostile tone toward journalists — even those from friendly outlets like Fox News.
