Donald Trump's advisor exposes behind the scenes tension with Fox News' Sean Hannity

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It's no secret that Donald Trump has a complicated relationship with Fox News. But over the past week or so, that tension has played out in some surprisingly public and occasionally bizarre ways. From a stilted goodbye moment with Sean Hannity to a heated back-and-forth with Bret Baier over gas prices, Trump's interactions with the conservative network's anchors have been anything but smooth.

The Hannity Interview That Ended Without a Goodbye

The May 14 interview started simply enough. Trump was supposed to discuss his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping a genuinely significant diplomatic event. But Hannity had a specific line of questioning he kept returning to: what exactly did Xi say about Iran?

"Do you think President Xi and China have the ability to influence the Iranians, considering they are one of their biggest customers?" Hannity asked directly.

Trump's response danced around a clear answer. He acknowledged that China buys roughly 40 percent of its oil from Iran and suggested that a potential deal involving U.S. oil exports to China was on the table. "They've agreed they want to buy oil from the United States," Trump said which, while notable on its own, wasn't what Hannity was asking.

When pressed specifically about whether Xi had weighed in on Iran's nuclear program, Trump was candid about the limits of the conversation. He said he told Xi that Iran was "stone-cold crazy" and shouldn't have nuclear weapons, but Xi's response was characteristically reserved. "He's not going to say, 'Oh, that's a good point,'" Trump noted. Still, Trump seemed to read between the lines: "I don't think he wants them to have no, he would like to see it end."

It was a telling exchange. Hannity visibly wanted a definitive statement. Trump either couldn't or wouldn't give one.

By the time the interview wrapped, the atmosphere was frosty. Hannity ended the segment and walked away without acknowledging Trump no handshake, no sign-off, nothing. Trump reportedly filled the silence himself, asking if Hannity wanted to say goodbye. The moment was captured by Margo Martin, whom Trump has called "the most beautiful woman in the world," and she posted it to her Instagram Story two days later with a bit of a teasing caption.

A New Name for the Opposition

In the middle of all this political sparring, Trump also debuted what he called a brand-new nickname for the Democratic Party: "Dumocrats."

"I came up with a new name. I don't know if I should," he told Hannity before going ahead and saying it anyway.

The logic, as Trump explained it, was simple swap out one letter. "E goes, and the U comes," he said. The inspiration, he claimed, came from a conversation with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom he described as a "very low IQ individual." Whether the nickname sticks remains to be seen, but Trump seemed genuinely pleased with himself for coming up with it.

Round Two: Baier and the Gas Price Showdown

Trump's uncomfortable week with Fox News didn't end with Hannity. On May 15, he sat down with anchor Bret Baier on Special Report and that interview quickly turned combative too.

Baier opened by pointing out that gas prices were still painfully high for American consumers. Trump cut him off almost immediately, insisting they were about to "drop like a rock." Baier pushed back, noting that prices could creep even higher in the short term. Trump countered that they were still lower than they'd been under Biden. Baier acknowledged that, but held his ground pointing out that the numbers were trending upward under Trump's watch.

The two talked over each other repeatedly. Baier eventually just ended the segment. It was tense, and it was not the kind of exchange a sitting president typically wants clipped and circulated on social media.

Trump's Broader Frustration With Fox

All of this comes against the backdrop of Trump's increasingly complicated feelings toward the network that once served as his most reliable media ally.

Just days before the Hannity interview, on May 10, Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social going after Fox anchor Jacqui Heinrich. His frustration? That she hadn't challenged Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna hard enough during a recent interview. Trump accused Khanna of lying repeatedly without any meaningful pushback, and he suggested that moments like that essentially erase whatever credible journalism Fox does throughout the day.

He went further, arguing that this is precisely why MAGA supporters who he claimed make up "close to 100 percent" of the Republican Party have grown to resent Fox despite its roster of personalities they otherwise like. It was a striking admission: even Trump seems aware that his base has soured on the network, and he's not entirely opposed to stoking that sentiment.

For a channel that built much of its recent identity around Trump-era politics, that's a complicated place to be. And based on the past week alone, the relationship between the president and Fox News is clearly still a work in progress full of awkward endings, unanswered questions, and a whole lot of talking over each other.

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