Lachlan Murdoch is now the Chair of News Corporation (NWSA, NWS), replacing his father Rupert, who became Chairman Emeritus. On Friday, the same transition will occur at Fox Corporation (FOXA, FOX), the company that owns Fox News. Fox News became known for its support of Donald Trump, both during the 2016 election and throughout his time in the White House. Now, the former president is the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 election. So what sort of role will the Murdochs play in Trump's latest election bid? Not much, according to Brian Stelter, author of Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy. Stelter explains that both the Murdochs and Fox were ready to move on from Trump following his 2020 loss. Stelter explains that in this environment, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch seem "to be passengers, not leaders." Stelter goes on to say that based on Rupert Murdoch's emails, he gets the sense that "he's a 92-year-old grandpa who just likes hanging out and reading his newspapers, and enjoying his yachts. He doesn't seem to be as in command as he used to be. He doesn't seem like he wants to be picking and choosing candidates the way he used to."

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Video Transcript

SEANA SMITH: Brian, how responsible I think-- do you think Fox News is the fact that Trump once again is the front runner in 2024 just given the coverage that they have paid to the President over the last, obviously now for quite some time, but specifically over the last several years? I guess how much has that influenced the 2024 race already?

BRIAN STELTER: Well, Rupert Murdaugh, right after January 6, said in private emails that we're going to make Trump a non-person. He said we are pivoting away from Trump. He basically thought Trump was ruined and so did Fox's biggest stars, Tucker Carlson on the air said Trump is elderly and retiring. So there was this assumption that we were past the Trump age.

But then I think what happened is Trump was replatformed. Conspiracy theories about January 6 made it easier to bring Trump back into the fold. He's now back center stage, and that has a lot to do with Fox. And now this rematch, gosh, I don't know. Does anybody watching this right now really actually want a rematch between Trump and Biden?

I think the American people are yelling loud and clear that they want something else but because of the incentive structures of these two parties, that's the direction we are heading in. And if Rupert Murdaugh, if Lachlan Murdaugh could change it, maybe they would, but they always seem, in this environment, to be passengers, not leaders.

People think about Rupert Murdaugh as this swashbuckling media mogul who controls media companies and has influence all around the world. There is some truth to that but when you read his emails the way I did for this book, you get the sense that he's a 92-year-old grandpa who just likes hanging out and reading his newspapers and enjoying his yachts.

He doesn't seem to be as in command as he used to be. He doesn't seem like he wants to be picking and choosing candidates the way he used to for decades.