That excellent investigative reporter Jane Mayer of the New Yorker has taken a deep dive into the cozy and symbiotic relationship between Donald Trump and Fox News. That the two are joined at the hip should come as no surprise since it has long been obvious that Fox News serves as the propaganda arm for Trump. As one media analyst said of Fox, “It’s the closest we’ve come to having state TV.” Another said, “[Trump] has something no other President in American history has ever had at his disposal—a servile propaganda operation.” The role of Fox is not just to provide Trump with an adoring platform but to also fire up the base on the issues he cares about.

Mayer provides revealing examples of just how close the relationships are between Trump, Jared Kushner, and Rupert Murdoch and how many of the hacks at Fox like Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs serve as de facto advisors to Trump almost on a day-to-day basis. Trump returns the favor by asking the justice department to intervene in cases that might help Fox and harm its rivals like CNN. Meanwhile Trump recruits Fox people to serve in important positions and Fox provides jobs for departing White House employees.

Mayer was interviewed today by Terry Gross of Fresh Air about her article.

Samantha Bee also looked at the Fox-Trump relationship.