Former FOX News Anchor Warns James Murdoch Is "Avowed Leftist"

Newsmax host Ed Henry, a former Fox News anchor, claimed this week that James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch’s son and the probable successor to the Fox News empire, is “an avowed leftist.” 

Speaking to Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt, Henry revealed that the elder Murdoch recently lost a significant legal battle over his trust, resulting in three of his liberal-leaning children—led by James—gaining control over the network’s future.

James Murdoch

Henry explained to Schmitt that while Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan maintain conservative leanings, Newsmax has been gaining traction amid growing uncertainty about Fox News’ direction. “Over at Fox, there’s deep concern,” Henry remarked.

Even before the Murdoch family’s legal disputes became public, Fox News had faced backlash for shifting leftward on major issues. In recent years, the Murdoch media conglomerate, including Fox News, has increasingly supported climate change narratives, even launching Fox Weather, a sister channel aligned with the climate agenda.

Henry emphasized that these shifts at Fox are boosting Newsmax’s audience. “Newsmax is obviously on the rise, and we continue to grow, largely because of concerns about Fox’s direction under James, who, as you pointed out, is an avowed leftist,” he told Schmitt. Henry added, “He and his wife Catherine have donated millions to climate change causes, Biden, and more—you name it, it’s right down the list.”