Trump lashes out at Fox News in extraordinary rant over critical coverage of him, calling for 'new outlet'

Donald Trump has lashed out at Fox News in a rant on Twitter, attacking the conservative news network for hiring a Democrat as a commentator, and urging his followers to find a "new News Outlet".

In a thread, Mr Trump claimed that Fox News was promoting Democrats, and said that Donna Brazile — a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman who is now a Fox contributor — had on Wednesday been "spewing out whatever she wanted with zero pushback by anchor" Sandra Smith.

Mr Trump then attacked other prominent figures at the channel, which is known for its conservative slant and has been heavily favoured by Mr Trump in the past, including Juan Williams, and Shep Smith.

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"The new @FoxNews is letting millions of GREAT people down! We have to start looking for a new News Outlet," Mr Trump wrote. "Fox isn't working for us anymore!"

The president's suggestion that a news outlet should only air news that is favourable to him was quickly renounced online, including by employees of Fox News.

Shape Created with Sketch. Trump protests: President visits Texas and Ohio after mass shootings Show all 31 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Trump protests: President visits Texas and Ohio after mass shootings 1/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators chant as they protest the arrival of President Donald Trump outside Miami Valley Hospital after a mass shooting that occurred in the Oregon District AP 2/31 El Paso Trump headed to El Paso, after visiting Dayton, Ohio to offer a message of healing and unity, but he was met by hostility in both places by people who fault his own incendiary words as a contributing cause to the mass shootings AP 3/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre US President Donald Trump greets first responders as he visits El Paso Regional Communications Centre AFP/Getty 4/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump protestor holds a sign as police are lined up outside University Medical Centre Getty 5/31 El Paso AP 6/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 7/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 8/31 El Paso Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke hugs a woman at a makeshift memorial outside Walmart honoring victims of the mass shooting there which left 22 people dead. Getty 9/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 10/31 El Paso AP 11/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters 12/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet PFC Glendon Oakley (second right), who saved several lives during the mass shooting in Texas AFP/Getty 13/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 14/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters/Amanda Voisard 15/31 El Paso Beto ORourke consoles a man at the makeshift memorial outside Walmart Getty 16/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump demonstrator yells near police outside the University Medical Centre Reuters 17/31 El Paso AFP/Getty Images 18/31 Dayton President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AP 19/31 El Paso Makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting that left a total of 22 people dead at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart AFP/Getty Images 20/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 21/31 President Trump greets Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley as he arrives at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AFP/Getty 22/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 23/31 Dayton Damon Smith presents a message to President Donald Trump beside a makeshift memorial in Dayton AP 24/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators gather in front of an inflatable "Baby Trump" to protest the presidents arrival AP 25/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 26/31 El Paso A photo of victim Javier Amir Rodriguez, a 15-year-old sophomore Getty 27/31 Dayton AFP/Getty 28/31 El Paso A message is left for Donald Trump AFP/Getty 29/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 30/31 El Paso People hug at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 31/31 El Paso People pray at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 1/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators chant as they protest the arrival of President Donald Trump outside Miami Valley Hospital after a mass shooting that occurred in the Oregon District AP 2/31 El Paso Trump headed to El Paso, after visiting Dayton, Ohio to offer a message of healing and unity, but he was met by hostility in both places by people who fault his own incendiary words as a contributing cause to the mass shootings AP 3/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre US President Donald Trump greets first responders as he visits El Paso Regional Communications Centre AFP/Getty 4/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump protestor holds a sign as police are lined up outside University Medical Centre Getty 5/31 El Paso AP 6/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 7/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 8/31 El Paso Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke hugs a woman at a makeshift memorial outside Walmart honoring victims of the mass shooting there which left 22 people dead. Getty 9/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 10/31 El Paso AP 11/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters 12/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet PFC Glendon Oakley (second right), who saved several lives during the mass shooting in Texas AFP/Getty 13/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 14/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters/Amanda Voisard 15/31 El Paso Beto ORourke consoles a man at the makeshift memorial outside Walmart Getty 16/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump demonstrator yells near police outside the University Medical Centre Reuters 17/31 El Paso AFP/Getty Images 18/31 Dayton President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AP 19/31 El Paso Makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting that left a total of 22 people dead at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart AFP/Getty Images 20/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 21/31 President Trump greets Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley as he arrives at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AFP/Getty 22/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 23/31 Dayton Damon Smith presents a message to President Donald Trump beside a makeshift memorial in Dayton AP 24/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators gather in front of an inflatable "Baby Trump" to protest the presidents arrival AP 25/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 26/31 El Paso A photo of victim Javier Amir Rodriguez, a 15-year-old sophomore Getty 27/31 Dayton AFP/Getty 28/31 El Paso A message is left for Donald Trump AFP/Getty 29/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 30/31 El Paso People hug at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 31/31 El Paso People pray at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty

"Fox News isn’t supposed to work for you," Brit Hume, a senior Fox political analyst, wrote on Twitter, retweeting the president's attack.

"We don’t work for you," said Guy Benson, a contributor to the channel and political editor of the conservative news website Town Hall.

The tweet storm comes as Mr Trump has built up tension in recent weeks with the network, which airs the morning show Fox & Friends that the president is known to watch in the mornings and tweet about throughout the day. Mr Trump appears to be concerned in large part by the hiring of Ms Brazile, who he has repeatedly claimed gave debate questions to his former political rival Hillary Clinton before they sparred during the 2016 election.