This Fox Show is Coming Out on Top Thanks to Trump

As the political commentariat debates the successes and failures of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, there has been at least one clear winner in the start of his presidency.

“Fox & Friends,” the show adored by the president more than any other, has seen itself elevated in the public discourse by Trump, going from mere morning gabfest to perhaps the most influential program on cable news. And it has enjoyed a ratings surge to boot.

The relationship between Trump and “Fox & Friends” has been a symbiotic one, with the three co-hosts — Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt — among Trump’s most steadfast defenders in the media. It’s also created a feedback loop between the Oval Office and the show.

When Trump was under fire last month for accusing President Obama — without evidence — of wiretapping him, it was on “Fox and Friends” that Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano tried to substantiate the claim with his own on-air reporting, effectively handing the White House a talking point.