President Donald Trump expressed appreciation for outgoing “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy, underscoring a relationship marked by both friendliness and strain over time. In a recorded message for Doocy’s announcement, Trump described him as a “fantastic guy” who has “always treated me fairly.”
The commendation followed Doocy, 68, announcing his transition to a new “coast-to-coast” hosting role after nearly 30 years with the morning show. Doocy will now be on the program three days a week from Florida, permitting him to report from various sites across the United States.
In his message, Trump congratulated Doocy, stating, “I just want to congratulate you on your new and probably enhanced role.” He noted, “You’ve always treated me fairly — sometimes more fairly than other times, but that’s okay,” reflecting the mix of admiration and occasional tension between the two figures.
Trump and Doocy have a long-standing history, with Trump frequently appearing on “Fox & Friends” before his 2015 presidential campaign. Trump once rated Doocy “12 out of 10” for loyalty, according to a 2019 New Yorker report.
However, their relationship has seen challenges in recent years. In September 2023, Trump criticized Doocy in an interview, acknowledging Doocy’s earlier kindness but claiming he had changed. “I would say over the last year, I don’t know, he just seems to be not nice like he should be,” Trump remarked, calling Doocy “terrible” and suggesting he was “hurting the show.”
The discord appeared to arise from Doocy’s deviations from the typical Fox News narrative. Recently, Doocy has been willing to question Republican points, including skepticism about the Hunter Biden investigations and noting Trump’s legal issues.
In January 2024, Trump asked on Truth Social, “Whatever happened to that guy???” and later called Doocy an “unwatchable RINO” (Republican in name only), attributing show ratings concerns to him.
Despite past disagreements, Trump’s message for Doocy’s new role was cordial. The president shared that it had been an honor to spend significant time with the group and to watch them with the entire team in the mornings.
Doocy revealed that Trump had called him on the morning of his announcement. Doocy noted that he had recently contacted Trump for a comment on his first 100 days and tariff information. According to Doocy, Trump returned the call just 20 seconds before he was to go on air.
In his new role, Doocy will report from different locations nationwide, including Florida, where Trump has his Mar-a-Lago residence. “I’ll be going from the Carolinas to the Keys. From Middle America to Mar-a-Lago,” Doocy stated during his announcement, calling himself “the coast-to-coast host.”
Doocy’s role change occurs amid political tensions. Recently, Doocy expressed concern over President Trump’s trade policies, telling viewers that significant Republican donors were “terrified” about tariffs impacting the stock market.
Doocy has been with Fox News since its start in 1996 and began co-hosting “Fox & Friends” when it launched in 1998. He is the second-longest-running network morning television co-host, following Al Roker of the “Today” show.
Leaving the “curvy couch,” Doocy mentioned wanting a more manageable schedule after decades of 3:30 a.m. wake-ups. “When my kids were growing up, I never had breakfast with them. I was always here, Kathy did everything. But starting tomorrow, I’m going to have breakfast with my grandkids and my children whenever I can,” he said.
Doocy plans to return to Fox & Friends in his new role in ten days. Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt, and Lawrence Jones will continue hosting from the New York City studios.
