Hanging out with ‘Friends’
“Fox& Friends” has long been the mostwatched cable news program in the morning slot, but it’s one particular set of eyeballs that has brought the program to new relevance in the current news cycle.
President Donald Trump, who used to have a recurring segment on the program, is nowan avid viewer, and what hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade say each morning has the potential to start a WhiteHouse tweetstorm. In the case of certain Kilmeade remarks, the president’s reaction isn’t always a happy one.
But the hosts can’t just focus on one audience member. They have to also play to the broader viewership. The trio discusses howthe FoxNews Channel mainstay has evolved over time, and considers the comfort provided by the show’s signature piece of furniture.
Q: Morning shows used to be valued for their ability to ease viewers into the day. If you look across the board, there’s no more easing, just due to the news cycle. “Fox& Friends” had long been knownfor having a relaxed, folksier demeanor. Howhas the tone of the showchanged to accommodate such an influx of big news stories each morning?
Steve Doocy: I think it depends on the day. The showin the beginningwas — remember the news wheel, “Give us 15 minutes, we’ll give you theworld?” The show, which ran from 7 to 9, was a news wheel. Every 15 minutes, you’d repeat. They figured no one waswatching, so you have to do everything you can to get people towatch. This was in ’96, in the beginning. Itwas like that for about a year, year and a half. Then they decided to make it more personality-based and lighter. We did that with some success— until Sept. 11. And that just changed everything. We didn’t run a commercial for a couple ofweeks. Itwas just nonstop really serious news, and so many people will come up to me, and I’m sure Ainsley gets the same thing: “I startedwatching your channel on Sept. 11, and I never stopped.”
Ainsley Earhardt: I will say the news has gotten more serious after 9/11. We are covering terrorism, and we are coveringwars, and Washington right nowis a lot more serious. We don’t have those opportunities as much aswe used to to maybe throwin some fun segments, but you go with the flow, you go with the news cycle. That’s why we were hired. We are hired to cover what’s news and what’s right now.
Brian Kilmeade: In the Trump era, there are three major stories every day. It used to be one big story every three days.
Q: There can be times when guests get very worked up over politics. I’ve seenNewt Gingrich callNancy Pelosi “stupid” andDan Bongino go off on TheWashington Post over a headline about the former ISIS leader. Do you think the viewer wants a civil showor is looking for more rock’emsock-’emconversation?
Doocy: I always thought that itwas a tender time of the day. You’re justwaking up. Youwant it nice and easy. But whatwe have noticed is that whenever we do segments that are louder, at a hotter temperature— you knowwhat? It kind ofworks. I think ifwe did three, four hours of that, itwouldwear people out. Sowe have a little of this and a little of that. It’s like a variety show.
Q: Didn’t you correct
KidRock a fewmonths ago on air?
Doocy: Yes, I did. In Nashville. Hewent over the line andwe just, you know …
Q: Do you have a barometer in your head saying, “That’s as far as this can go”?
Earhardt: We are the last line of defense.
Doocy: If something is inappropriate, we have to fix it as quickly aswe can.
Earhardt: It’s our show. It’s our job to do that. We are human beings— you don’t have to say something about someone that’s crossing the line.
Kilmeade: Yeah, I feel if some people are making inappropriate remarks, that’s one thing, but it rarely happens. If you’re passionate about something, you don’t need me to tell you not to be passionate or to check your passion. We bookNewt Gingrich or Dan Bongino becausewe want to knowwhat they are thinking. They are passionate. We do have debates, but I think most people are civil.
Q: Everyone knows PresidentTrump watches the show. Does it add any pressure to your job knowing that he’s watching and might comment or cheer or call you out?
Earhardt: It doesn’t for me. Whenever I have to speak in front of an audience, I look out and see the crowd, and it can be daunting. It can be overwhelming, a little nerve-wracking. But when I’m in front of those cameras, all I see are those cameras and I’m having a conversation with my close friends. We have done stories where Brian will say, “I disagree.” I might say I see both sides. Stevemight say I agree or vice versa. We try to cover all sides. We just try to be ourselves. We are honest with our feelings.
Kilmeade: It really doesn’t. I feel zero pressure. It doesn’t shape how we feel or what I say. If you’ve noticed or you’ve Googled me, there are a couple of things I’ve said that kind of tick him off, but I have to be honest. If I feel positively about every policy of his, what credibility do I have? If I feel positively about every policy he has, that means none of it matters. I think I amdoing my job.
Q: Is the curvy couch actually comfortable?
Doocy: My problem is I don’t knowhowto putmy feet. I can’t put them flat, so I will put one foot on top of the other.
Earhardt: Sincemy legs are not as long, itworks for me.
Kilmeade: Iwill pay to get better foam inmy section of the couch. I believe PeteHegseth sits there on weekends. He has me beat by about 30 pounds. By the time he’s done, there’s a crater.