CNN’s Oliver Darcy made some astute comments about the ascending Newsmax that hint at why the network represents serious competition to Fox News:

Darcy wrote in last night’s Reliable Sources Newsletter:

"I spent several hours watching Newsmax over the weekend, and I feel comfortable saying that right now the network is producing more compelling programming than Fox. If you're looking for pro-Trump talk shows, Newsmax is the place to be. Much of the content is conspiratorial and fact-free, but the bookers are great at appealing to Trump supporters, with guests like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood and Alan Dershowitz and Rod Blagojevich and Tom Fitton filling the airwaves Saturday and Sunday. Most importantly, unlike Fox, Newsmax feels edgy and raw. You get the feeling that you don't know what will happen next. There's no whiff of journalistic rigor. Fox feels formulaic (how many times do you need to see Jeanine Pirro deliver a pro-Trump rant?) whereas Newsmax is the new kid on the block that you're just learning about for the first time. And that is hard to compete with..."

I don’t get Newsmax with my satellite subscription but I have watched it online and, from what I've seen, Darcy is spot on.

That said, it seems that Newsmax is siding with Tucker Carlson, now that Dear Leader Donald Trump has cut Sidney Powell from his legal team. Rep. Jody Hice, (R-GA) appeared on the network today and said despite “very serious problems” in Georgia’s election, Sidney Powell has not provided evidence for her claims (video below).

These are the latest tweets from Newsmax on the subject of the presidential election and Trump’s refusal to accept defeat:

.@CongressmanHice says "Sidney Powell is a fine attorney, we all know that, but she has been making some pretty outlandish allegations." [via @JohnFBachman on Newsmax TV: https://t.co/VlT7z8v2lm] pic.twitter.com/L7F9U9Ol83

— Newsmax (@newsmax) November 23, 2020

Constitutional scholar @AlanDersh explains the chances of the Supreme Court taking Trump’s campaign lawsuits.

“If there are 20 or 30 challenged ballots but if the margin of victory is at 80,000 votes, the Supreme Court won’t take that case.” https://t.co/6psrdu4pta pic.twitter.com/vSadRsHPHt

— Newsmax (@newsmax) November 23, 2020

.@GovChristie calls Trump's legal team a "national embarrassment" https://t.co/JH5I5AN7WQ pic.twitter.com/IhDAMr5ddv

— Newsmax (@newsmax) November 23, 2020

.@WinterbleShow tells @EmmaRechenberg "Chris Christie is probably very jealous of @RudyGiuliani, he is a very establishment guy who likes to sell himself as a renegade or a maverick." https://t.co/VlT7z8v2lm pic.twitter.com/VsPPnPK2GT

— Newsmax (@newsmax) November 23, 2020

Newsmax host John Bachman, whose show Hice appeared on, also tweeted this today:

.@GOP MI @RepFredUpton - "The voters spoke... It's over." https://t.co/0nfiV3m0h5

— John Bachman (@JohnFBachman) November 23, 2020

And these are the top headlines on the site, as I write this post:

My personal prediction is that Trump will get some kind of deal with Fox, assuming that network will offer him the most money and most exposure. But will his star power endure? Or will he fade out, like Sarah Palin did?

Stay tuned! But in the meanwhile, let Fox and Newsmax go after each other all they like!