Live Updates: Real-time Coverage from AP’s Presidential Election Reporting

In the 2020 election, Fox News stirred internal turmoil after bravely forecasting a victory for Joe Biden in Arizona, dealing a critical blow to Donald Trump. Fast forward to this cycle — and what a difference four years can make.

On election night this year, Fox News was not the first to declare Trump the winner over Kamala Harris — that honor went to emerging competitors like NewsNation, conservative-aligned Newsmax, and Scripps Networks. However, Fox’s official announcement still arrived nearly four hours ahead of major networks like ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and the Associated Press.

The reaction to Fox’s declaration was starkly different this year compared to 2020. When news of Trump’s win was projected on the screens of his supporters gathered in West Palm Beach, cheers erupted, clearly a more favorable reception than the fallout of their prior Arizona call.

“If people aren’t happy with the outcome, they’ll always blame the recipe,” said Chris Stirewalt, now politics editor for NewsNation. “But if they like the results, they’ll rave about it.”

A Night of Redemption for Trump and Fox News

Commentator Bret Baier hailed Trump’s election win as “the most incredible political comeback in history,” while Fox News could claim its own return to form post-2020.

That controversial Arizona prediction left Trump outraged and caused a rift with some Fox viewers. Even though the projection was accurate, it triggered intense internal debates that eventually led certain Fox personalities down the rabbit hole of election conspiracy theories. All this culminated in the network paying a $787 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems in a defamation lawsuit, stemming from those false claims.

NewsNation's early call, relying on data from Decision Desk HQ, came in at 1:22 a.m. on Wednesday, closely followed by calls from Scripps and Newsmax at nearly the same moment.

Bret Baier acknowledged at around that time that while “we’re not there yet,” there was little hope for Harris to find a last-minute surge. Fox officially called the race at around 1:47 a.m.

It took a few more hours for outlets like the AP, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC to make their own announcements. The Associated Press finally declared Trump the victor at 5:34 a.m., making note of his insurmountable lead in Wisconsin as key uncounted votes around Milwaukee would not be enough to close the gap for Harris.

For Chris Stirewalt, Fox’s former politics editor — whose NewsNation made the call earlier in the night — the moment was rich in irony. He lost his job at Fox after the uproar over the 2020 Arizona call, despite that projection being entirely accurate.

“I don’t want to overstate this, and I'd tread carefully,” Stirewalt remarked. “But this feels like a small victory for how things used to be done — and a personal triumph.”

Let the Data Speak for Itself

Stirewalt emphasized that both NewsNation and Decision Desk HQ let hard data dictate their calls this election cycle. He refrained from criticizing other networks for taking longer to announce, noting that a measure of caution after 2020’s tumultuous results was fully understandable.

The approval of some Fox viewers was evident across social media, reflecting gratitude for their early call. Fox itself consistently denies that its projections are swayed by politics, with their experienced decision desk — helmed by Arnon Mishkin — remaining highly respected. Stirewalt even praised Mishkin, acknowledging, “It speaks well of Fox to retain him, even though they didn’t keep Bill Sammon and me.”

In recent years, Fox has faced increasing competition from emergent conservative media outlets, but the network continues to dominate the airwaves. This was made evident once again on election night when Nielsen’s preliminary ratings showed Fox drawing 9.7 million viewers during prime time, far ahead of ABC’s 5.7 million. Newsmax trailed with 947,000, while NewsNation pulled in 237,000 viewers.

Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott proudly commented on the triumph, noting her team’s “relentless dedication to providing top-tier analysis and reporting to the widest, most politically diverse audience in the news industry,” as reflected in its viewership numbers.

Trump’s often-uneasy dynamic with Fox News speaks volumes about both their enduring reach and his reliance on the platform. Throughout the campaign, Trump appeared countless times on Fox programming, particularly on the popular “Fox & Friends.” Yet he hasn’t shied away from blasting the network when its coverage failed to align with his views, often voicing complaints about segments he dislikes.

___

David Bauder is a media reporter for the Associated Press. Follow his work at http://x.com/dbauder.