Former Newsmax Producer Blasts Network After It Told Hosts Not To Criticize Trump Nominee: ‘An Infomercial Posing as a News Organization’

 
Newsmax CEO Spoke to Trump After Assassination Attempt

Aaron M. Sprecher via AP

A former Newsmax producer laid into the network for threatening hosts with termination if they criticize Pete Hegseth, calling it “an infomercial posting as a news organization.”

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hegseth as Secretary of Defense last month. Since then, Hegseth had been dogged by several accusations. Most serious among them is that a woman told police Hegseth raped her. No charges were filed, and he denies the allegation. Hegseth ultimately paid the woman an undisclosed sum. He also reportedly told his first wife he had five affairs while they were married. Additionally, several of Hegseth’s former Fox News colleagues alleged he had a drinking problem, which Hegseth also denies.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mediaite’s Diana Falzone reported that sources said Trump called Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy to complain about on-air remarks from host and longtime Trump booster Greg Kelly, who ripped Hegseth’s nomination last week. Kelly said Hegseth has “serious baggage” and “is blackmailable.”

The report went on to state that Newsmax Chief Operating Officer Elliot Jacobson convened a meeting and told staff to “focus on the positive” aspects of Hegseth’s nomination.

“Any issues following this will result in termination,” he warned.

On Tuesday night, a former Newsmax producer blasted the directive, telling Mediaite, “This shouldn’t be ‘news’ to anyone who has followed Newsmax’s history of using the airways to stuff Ruddy’s pockets.”

The source, who was granted anonymity, said they feel “sorry for the investors,” who bought shares in the network’s parent company. In July, Newsmax Media announced it would begin offering 30,000 shares at $5,000 each to accredited investors ahead of an anticipated initial public offering. The person added that investors had thrown “money into a burning dumpster” and called the network “an infomercial posing as a news organization.”

Newsmax did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As sources told Mediaite in July, the IPO was to prevent financial catastrophe amid defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, which sued Newsmax after some hosts and guests suggested or outright stated the companies helped rig the contest against Trump.

Newsmax Media settled the Smartmatic suit in September.

The company says it has so far raised more than $100 million and plans to go public “as soon as early 2025.”

Tags:

Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime. Follow him on Bluesky.