President’s priority: Trump picks up Fox News call during New York Times interview

President Donald Trump briefly paused an interview with The New York Times to answer a phone call from Fox News, according to the Times’ account of the Oval Office meeting.

The call came from Bret Baier, Fox News’s chief political anchor and the host of Special Report. Trump answered during the interview, told Baier that he was speaking with the Times and said he would call back later. The exchange was brief and took place in front of the reporters.




The Fox News call was one of several interruptions during the nearly two-hour sit-down. Trump also took a separate phone call from Gustavo Petro, which temporarily halted the interview while he spoke privately with the Colombian leader.

Trump has maintained a long and well-documented relationship with Fox News, appearing on the channel frequently over the years and regularly granting interviews to its hosts. He has often praised the network and individual anchors, and has used Fox News as a key platform to communicate with supporters.

By contrast, Trump has frequently criticised The New York Times in the past, accusing the newspaper of unfair and hostile coverage. The interview marked one of his rare extended engagements with the outlet since returning to office for a second term.

The Oval Office conversation ranged widely, touching on foreign policy, immigration, artificial intelligence and Trump’s health. Throughout the interview, reporters noted that Trump continued to field phone calls and issue directions to aides while the discussion was under way.

During the call with Baier, Trump remarked that he had agreed to an interview with the Times, adding, “Can you believe it?”, before ending the conversation. The moment was included by the Times as part of its detailed description of the scene inside the Oval Office.