# Newsmax A Florida-based conservative news network founded in 1998 by [[Christopher Ruddy]], a longtime Trump friend and [[Mar-a-Lago]] member. Newsmax surged in viewership following the 2020 election when Trump supporters who felt [[Fox News]] had "betrayed" Trump (by calling Arizona for Biden on election night) migrated to further-right alternatives. Newsmax became the primary beneficiary of this audience migration and briefly rivaled Fox News in ratings among the most ardent MAGA demographics. ## Christopher Ruddy and the Trump Connection Ruddy's personal friendship with Trump predates Trump's political career. He has been a Mar-a-Lago member for decades and has consistent access to Trump. This relationship is Newsmax's primary competitive advantage — the perception (often accurate) that Newsmax will not criticize Trump and will maintain loyalty when Fox News coverage becomes inconvenient. Ruddy is a former investigative journalist who gained notoriety for pushing the Vince Foster conspiracy theory in the 1990s — the debunked claim that the Clinton aide's suicide was actually a murder. This conspiratorial DNA runs through Newsmax's coverage. ## Post-2020 Election Surge When Fox News called Arizona for Biden on election night 2020, Trump publicly attacked the network and encouraged his supporters to migrate. Newsmax immediately positioned itself as the alternative, hosting Trump allies, promoting election fraud claims, and serving as a platform for the stolen election narrative. Viewership surged dramatically, with Newsmax briefly achieving ratings competitive with Fox News in key demographics. The surge proved partly temporary — many viewers returned to Fox — but Newsmax permanently expanded its audience and cable distribution. ## The Dominion Lawsuit Like Fox News, Newsmax was sued by [[Dominion Voting Systems]] for defamation related to its 2020 election coverage. Newsmax settled with Dominion in 2023 for an undisclosed amount (believed to be significantly less than Fox's $787.5M settlement), and unlike Fox, Newsmax broadcast an on-air statement acknowledging that Dominion's voting machines had not been compromised. ## IPO Newsmax went public in March 2025 via IPO, achieving a dramatically overvalued initial valuation that quickly corrected. The IPO highlighted both the genuine business value of conservative media and the speculative enthusiasm of the MAGA investor base. ## Key On-Air Talent - **[[Greg Kelly]]** — Primetime anchor, former Marine Corps pilot, aggressive Trump loyalist whose program *Greg Kelly Reports* is Newsmax's flagship evening show ## Position in the Ecosystem Newsmax occupies the mainstream-MAGA lane — more credible-seeming than [[InfoWars]], to the right of Fox News in Trump loyalty, and lacking the intellectual pretension of Breitbart or [[The Daily Wire]]. Its primary value proposition is unconditional Trump support.