Fox News hangs onto election director whose Arizona call infuriated Trump, report says
‘It wasn’t until the next day that we really started to get this amazing heartburn coming in, a lot of it generated by the White House,’ says Fox News president
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Your support makes all the difference.The Fox News election director whose controversial decision to call Arizona for Joe Biden on election night 2020 set off a firestorm at the network will be back for the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott told The Hollywood Reporter that Arnon Mishkin will remain in place at the network’s decision desk for next year’s midterms and the 2024 presidential race.
Mr Mishkin projected Mr Biden would win the key swing state of Arizona ahead of other decision desks at the Associated Press and NBC News, incurring the wrath of former president Donald Trump and his allies.
Mr Trump turned on the network that had loyally supported his presidency, and reportedly engaged his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to phone Fox News parent company executive Rupert Murdoch directly to complain.
Mr Mishkin’s decision was ultimately vindicated when Arizona was called for Mr Biden a few days later.
Fox News president Jay Wallace told The Hollywood Reporter that he and Ms Scott were not involved in the Arizona decision, but felt the heat from the Trump administration in the following days.
“At the time, it was just another state. It wasn’t until the next day that we really started to get this amazing heartburn coming in, a lot of it generated by the White House,” said Mr Wallace.
“That was the start of a long week. But I have to say, Suzanne could not have been more supportive of the (Arizona) call. And we stuck with it.”
The Independent has approached Fox News for comment.
A prolonged GOP recount of the Arizona election results found that Mr Biden won by an even greater margin than election night results showed.
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