Giuliani Slams Fox News Over Charlie Kirk Ban

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered a blistering critique of Fox News during a Friday appearance on Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show," accusing the network of silencing key conservative voices — including himself and the late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.

Giuliani's remarks came amid renewed scrutiny over Fox's treatment of Kirk following his recent death, with critics charging Fox News with hypocrisy for praising Kirk while having effectively banned him from their airwaves for years.

"Well, I was completely banned from the network," Giuliani told host Chris Salcedo. "They don't even interview me on Sept. 11 anymore. For 10 or 12 straight years, I was interviewed live on 'Fox & Friends' to talk about Sept. 11 — which I imagine would be a time you'd want to talk to me, right? Since they banned me, several of their people have thought they could put me on and then had to call me and tell me, 'No, you're not allowed on.'"

Giuliani, once a fixture on Fox News, said the network cut ties with him after the 2020 election disputes after he strongly supported President Donald Trump.

He recounted how Fox insiders, including longtime friends, admitted they were prevented from booking him.

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"At least three or four occasions, very decent, wonderful people that were friends of mine wanted to put me on ... and then they'd have to call and tell either me, 'I'm sorry. They won't let you on,'" he said.

The former mayor emphasized his early role in helping Fox establish itself in New York City, recalling how he arranged deals that gave the fledgling channel a foothold in the market.

"I also helped to establish Fox News in New York. They wouldn't have been on in New York if it wasn't for my making a deal with them as mayor to give them the New York City station for a large amount of money," Giuliani said.

Giuliani's criticisms echoed broader frustration from America First conservatives who argue Fox has sidelined pro-Trump voices, notably Kirk.

Caroline Wren, a longtime Republican fundraiser, blasted the network on social media for its double standards regarding Kirk.

"I appreciate the coverage Fox News is giving Charlie Kirk tonight, but let's not forget that Fox banned Charlie from coming on the network from 2021-2024," Wren wrote, "and the same anchors crying on air tonight over losing 'an amazing champion for free speech' are the same anchors who didn't have the guts to challenge [Rupert] Murdoch, Paul Ryan, and Karl Rove when they banned Charlie from their network."

Fox News' treatment of Kirk has drawn particular ire following his assassination earlier this month.

Despite the network's on-air tributes, former Fox host Megyn Kelly accused the network of hypocrisy. [Megyn Kelly Slams Fox for Banning Charlie Kirk]

On her podcast, "The Megyn Kelly Show," she said: "It's really bothering me how Fox News is talking about Charlie, like he was theirs — he wasn't. It's a lie. Just stop. Fox News wouldn't put Charlie on. I know this from my own behind-the-scenes conversations. They were annoyed on Team Charlie because he was banned. He had been too supportive of Tucker [Carlson]."

Kelly noted that Kirk disappeared from Fox's programming after Carlson's ouster in 2023, surfacing only in rare appearances in late 2024.

"He was considered 'other.' They finally caught on to his magic, but prior to that, he was essentially gone," she said.

Kirk himself had openly acknowledged the freeze-out, pointing in late 2023 to Fox's absence from his Turning Point USA events.

"We don't have a single person from Fox here, and in years past, we have. They've been very good to me," Kirk said in a Breitbart interview. "But for whatever reason, it's gone off the reservation. Since Tucker's departure, I haven't been on. And so we had to do an event without Fox."

Giuliani argued the clampdown on conservative voices was fueled by fear after the Jan. 6 protests at the Capitol.

"Well, I think after Jan. 6 they panicked. Even some of their talent panicked. Some of the testimony they gave, I can tell you wasn't true. I think they went into a state of panic about Jan. 6," he told Salcedo.

He added that he was mystified by Murdoch's sudden turn against Trump, despite years of close ties.

The former mayor closed his remarks by emphasizing that Kirk was not alone in facing exclusion.

"I have to assure you, I'm not the only one banned from Fox. There's a rather large group of us," Giuliani said, noting they carry a similar trait of having strongly advocated for Trump.

Salcedo summed up the sentiment with frustration toward Fox's editorial direction: "The Karl Rove Never Trump network seems to be the repository for the surrender caucus-style type Republicans — [Mitch] McConnell, [John] Cornyn, [Paul] Ryan, Rove, etc."

For Giuliani, the answer was clear: The network abandoned its roots and alienated the very voices that once built its success.

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