Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth Social
Trump announced he was switching away from Fox News and said he would watch the midterm results with allies in the White House East Room.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth Social
Photograph: The Independent (US) (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Trump posted on Truth Social calling Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock.”
- He said he would switch off Fox News while the pre‑election results aired.
- Sources told CNN he will watch the midterm results with allies in the East Room.
- Right‑leaning digest reports the insult as “dumb as a cork,” not “rock.”
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 22 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 7 of the 29 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
78/100
Craft
67/100
Hype
28/100
29 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 3 of the 22 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
On election night, President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform to complain about Fox News commentator Jessica Tarlov. He wrote that he could not stand her voice and described it as “dumb as a rock.” The post also said he would change the channel from Fox News. Sources reported to CNN that Trump plans to watch the midterm results later that night in the White House East Room with close allies.
The Independent published the full text of Trump’s post, quoting his exact wording and noting the East Room detail. Other outlets reproduced the gist of the story in short digests, confirming the insult, the channel switch, and the timing of the post.
Disagreement on the wording of Trump’s insult
The Independent, Mediaite, Raw Story and the Daily Beast all report that Trump called Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock.” In contrast, news‑pravda’s digest records the phrase as “dumb as a cork.” Both versions are attributed to Trump’s Truth Social post.
““Watching the Pre‑Election Results on Fox News, but I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov’s voice, DUMB AS A ROCK, but it’s the voice that gets me,””
What the coverage left out
None of the centre or right digests mention that Trump will watch the midterm results with allies in the East Room, a detail reported only by the Independent’s full article.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 4 Nov 2026, 01:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
13 rated outlets
- The Independent’s full report led on Trump’s personal attack, quoting his “dumb as a rock” remark and his intention to switch channels. It also highlighted his plan to watch the results with allies in the East Room, citing sources told CNN. The digests from Mediaite, Raw Story and the Daily Beast echoed the insult, the channel change and the timing of the post, reinforcing the narrative of a frustrated president targeting a liberal commentator.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- The Hill’s digest focused on the fact that Trump turned off Fox News after criticizing Tarlov’s voice, summarising the incident as a switch away from the network during election‑night updates.
Right
3 rated outlets
- news‑pravda’s digest reported that Trump was annoyed by the election‑night television commentary and quoted his insult as “dumb as a cork,” noting his decision to change the channel.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth…?
- Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 59% are rated left, 27% are rated centre, 14% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 29. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 59% are rated left, 27% are rated centre, 14% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth… biased?
- Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth Social is one event reported by 29 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Donald Trump calls Jessica Tarlov’s voice “dumb as a rock” on Truth…?
- 29 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Trump say about Jessica Tarlov’s voice?
- Trump posted that he could not stand Jessica Tarlov’s voice, calling it “dumb as a rock.” The Independent quoted the exact wording, while a right‑leaning digest recorded the phrase as “dumb as a cork.”
- Which channel did Trump say he would switch away from?
- Trump announced on Truth Social that he would change the channel from Fox News while the pre‑election results were being broadcast. The Independent and left‑leaning digests all note this channel switch.
- Where will Trump watch the midterm results?
- Sources told CNN that Trump plans to watch the midterm results later on election night in the White House East Room, accompanied by close allies. This detail appears only in the Independent’s full report.
- Did any outlets report a different wording for the insult?
- Yes. The Independent, Mediaite, Raw Story and the Daily Beast report the insult as “dumb as a rock.” news‑pravda’s digest records it as “dumb as a cork,” showing a disagreement on the exact phrase.
Read it at the source
30 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
14- Trump Is Melting Down In Real Time And Frantically Calling Reporters (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
HuffPost — is HuffPost biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Criticizes Fox News, Once the Favorite Television Station (opens News.ro in a new tab)
- Trump complains about Fox co-anchor (opens Sydney Morning Herald in a new tab)
Sydney Morning Herald — is Sydney Morning Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump complains about Fox co-anchor (opens The Age in a new tab)
- Trump complains about Fox co-anchor (opens Brisbane Times in a new tab)
Brisbane Times — is Brisbane Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Crashes Out Over Fox News' Pre-Election Results Coverage, Singles Out 'Dumb' Jessica Tarlov (opens The Wrap in a new tab)
- Trump's Nerves: He Changed the Channel because of the "Stupid" Presenter (opens in.gr in a new tab)
- Trump: I’m Turning Off Fox, “Host Is Dumb As A Rock” (opens Joe.My.God. in a new tab)
Joe.My.God. — is Joe.My.God. biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 6 more
- Fox News Star Triggers Trump Into Changing the Channel (opens The Daily Beast in a new tab)
The Daily Beast — is The Daily Beast biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump hurls personal insult at Fox News analyst in election night post (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump hurls personal insult at Fox News analyst in election night post (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Says He’s Turning off Fox News Because Host Is ‘DUMB AS A ROCK’ (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- Trump rages at Fox News over ‘dumb as a rock’ commentator: 'It's the voice that gets me' (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Fox Hosts Struggle to Get Ranting Trump, 80, Off the Phone (opens The Daily Beast in a new tab)
The Daily Beast
Centre
6- Trump complains about Fox co-anchor (opens WA today in a new tab)
- Trump Doesn’t Like What’s Unfolding (opens Political Wire in a new tab)
Political Wire — is Political Wire biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Blasts Fox News in Profanity-Laced Text Message Tirade (opens Internewscast in a new tab)
Internewscast — is Internewscast biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Lashes Out at a Fox News Commentator in the Middle of 'Midterms': "I Can't Stand His Voice. It's Dumber than a rock." (opens 20minutos in a new tab)
- Donald Trump texts into Fox News, rips "loser" host as he switches channel (opens Newsweek in a new tab)
- Trump turns off Fox News over Tarlov’s ‘dumb voice’ (opens The Hill in a new tab)
Right
3- Trump unloads on Fox in profanity-laced tirade as he texts network (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Midterm Elections: "Trump Insults a Presenter of Fox News – She's Stupid as a Stone – Video (opens Welt in a new tab)
- Trump is annoyed by the comments on the election on television: (opens news-pravda.com in a new tab)
news-pravda.com — is news-pravda.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
7- Trump’s Fury Marks Opening of Election Night - The Pavlovic Today (opens Journalism Can Never Be Silenced The Pavlovic Today in a new tab)
- Trump Follows Election Results on Fox: I Can't Stand the Reporter's Voice, She Drives Me Crazy, She's as Stupid as a Pillar (opens Avaz.ba in a new tab)
Avaz.ba — is Avaz.ba biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Goes Bananas Against Fox News (opens Nettavisen in a new tab)
Nettavisen — is Nettavisen biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump: He Watches the Election Results on Fox News - He Got Angry with the Presenter and Changed the Channel (opens parapolitika.gr in a new tab)
parapolitika.gr — is parapolitika.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "She's Dumb as a Rock" Trump Followed the Results During the Mid-Term Elections, Then Changed the Channel because of the Fox News Commentator: "I Can't Stand Her Voice, It Drives Me Crazy" (opens Naslovi.net in a new tab)
Naslovi.net — is Naslovi.net biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Texts in to Fox News, Says He Wont Watch Until ‘Loser’ Is Off Air (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- US Elections: Trump Watches Election Coverage and Attacks Fox News Anchor (opens ERT NEWS in a new tab)
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