The set of “Fox & Friends” got heated after a new Wall Street Journal opinion piece that accused former President Donald Trump of being frightened to debate was mentioned.
It started when Steve Doocy mentioned the story and it rankled his cohost, Brian Kilmeade.
“It talks about how he’s got a big lead, but he’s acting as if it weren’t as if he won. The last line is Trump’s advisers may be telling him he should appear, lest he says something that hurts his legal defense. But that’s a sign of weakness, not strength,” the host said.
“And it’ll have to answer those questions eventually. What is the former president afraid of? Because everywhere I go when I talk to people about the debates, they say they really like to see what he has to say. You know, I think Donald Trump, Donald Trump being afraid don’t add up ever in anything, period, that that conversation started. And why doesn’t he? Because he’s up by 40 points, you’re saying, What’s the point? I think part of it has to do with he might say something that could imperil him,” he said.
Kilmneade quickly came to the defense of the former president.
“Donald Trump and ‘afraid’ don’t add up in anything, ever, period,” he said, which brought laughter from new co-host, Lawrence Jones.
“I think part of it has to do with he might say something that could imperil him,” Doocy said, which had Jones laugh again as he mockingly quipped, “Donald Trump says something that imperils him! I think his attorneys have advised him not to say anything. Don’t tweet, don’t go on Truth Social. And he continues to do it!”
“And it’s problematic when you are running for president,” Doocy said.
On Thursday, it was announced that Jones would be the new cohost of the network’s flagship morning show.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled today,” he said to his new colleagues Ainsley Earnhardt and Brian Kilmeade, as well as Pete Hegseth who was on as a fill-in host. “I started on Fox and Friends when I was 20 — it was my (first) national TV appearance. At 30, this is the opportunity of the (lifetime).”
“We’ve been so proud of you,” Earnhardt said. “We’ve watched all of this progress. You’re one of the nicest people. You love the Lord. You love the South, you love Texas, your family. You just fit right in.”
Fox News’ senior vice president of morning programming Gavin Hadden issued a press release that announced Jones’ new job and what would happen to his Saturday primetime show.
Beginning Monday, September 18th, Jones will join co-hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade from 6-9 AM/ET on weekday mornings and will also continue in his role as the franchise’s enterprise reporter. The announcement was made on this morning’s program with Doocy, Earhardt and Kilmeade as well as Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Pete Hegseth who co-host FOX & Friends Weekend (Saturdays & Sundays 6-10 AM/ET), senior meteorologist Janice Dean and Todd Piro & Carley Shimkus who helm FOX & Friends First (weekday mornings 5-6 AM/ET).
Jones’ weekend program Lawrence Jones Cross Country will be sunset, and One Nation with Brian Kilmeade will now air at 9 PM/ET on Saturday evenings.
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In commenting on the announcement, FNC’s senior vice president of morning programming Gavin Hadden said, “Lawrence has his finger on the pulse of what matters to communities across America and his insight has proved invaluable to the FOX & Friends audience. We look forward to welcoming him to our family as he wakes up America alongside our star co-hosts each morning.”
Jones added, “I am honored to become a part of the cable news legacy FOX News has created with FOX & Friends, the very show where I made my first ever national television appearance. It is truly a privilege to inform our audience every day and I can’t wait to do so each morning.”
At 30 years old, Jones is the youngest Black co-host in cable news. He joined FNC in 2018 and quickly made his mark with his in-depth reporting on the impact of national issues on local communities. In 2021, he was named FOX & Friends’ enterprise reporter where he showcases a multitude of local and national stories, spotlighting issues that resonate with everyday Americans and interviewing newsmakers across the political and cultural spectrum.
