"THEY WON'T STAY BOUGHT!" (profanity alert):

At first glance Donald Trump should be relieved that a Fox News host will moderate the first presidential debate on September 29. Many observers consider the network to be the de facto propaganda arm of the White House, and its hosts are among Trump's most loyal surrogates. Chris Wallace, who will be behind the moderator's desk later this month, is the rare exception: a Fox anchor who is unafraid to confront Trump. "Any Republican who thinks Wallace will go easy on Trump is badly mistaken. He's no joke," a former West Wing official said. 

The Trump campaign had hoped that the Commission on Presidential Debates would choose Bret Baier or Martha MacCallum, Fox anchors who are seen as less aggressive than Wallace. Sources close to Trump are worried that Trump is unprepared to handle what Wallace could throw at him. The two have history. In July, Wallace's contentious interview with Trump featured the president boasting that he passed a cognitive test. "Well, it's not the hardest test," Wallace responded. "It shows a picture and it says, 'What's that?' And it's an elephant." [...]

Perhaps anticipating a grilling by Wallace, Trump has been ratcheting up his anger at Fox. Last week Trump called on Fox to fire national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin after she appeared on air and confirmed parts of Jeffrey Goldberg's explosive Atlantic story detailing Trump allegedly making disparaging comments about America's war dead. Trump has also taken to promoting fringe Fox competitor One America News, which has provided glowing coverage of the president and amplified pro-Trump conspiracy theories. 

In private Trump blames Fox Corp. cochairman Rupert Murdoch for allowing segments like Griffin's on the air. Sources who've spoken with Trump told me Trump thinks Murdoch wants him to lose. "Trump definitely thinks Rupert is not in his corner," a Republican close to the White House said. Trump is not entirely wrong. Sources close to Murdoch said Murdoch has told people he thinks Trump will lose in November. Murdoch is thinking about how to steer his media empire into a post-Trump environment. "This is about business for Rupert," one source said. 

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