The Trump-Fox feedback loop is powering an assault on democracy

President Donald Trump spent the weekend tweeting clips and quotes from Fox programs that were laced with misinformation and conspiracy theories about the election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden as part of his effort to delegitimize the results.

Biden won the election by a convincing electoral vote margin and enjoys a large and growing popular vote lead. Trump’s campaign is now trying to win in the courts what they lost at the ballot box by alleging widespread voter fraud, fueled by the same viral misinformation circulating on social media platforms. Their legal case is comically weak, has virtually no chance of reversing the election even if it succeeds, and appears to be in no small part an attempt to soothe the president's bruised ego -- but could nonetheless do real damage to the American public’s faith in elections. And the upper echelons of the Republican Party and the right-wing propaganda apparatus are continuing to support him as he takes a hammer to the U.S. democratic system.

The Trump-Fox feedback loop is empowering the president’s loyal supporters at the network as they use their programs to cast doubt on the election results. Their credulous coverage of his legal effort is hardening Trump’s intransigence, making him less likely to acknowledge defeat and allow his administration to begin the transition process. And he is amplifying their lies to his social media followers, helping to prevent his supporters from accepting his defeat as legitimate.