Fox Business host Stuart Varney seemed to send a message from superiors when he criticized Donald Trump’s debate performance, declared Biden the winner and suggested that Trump should change tactics for the next debate.

As Raw Story noted, Varney delivered the bad news even as McEnany insisted Trump was the victor against Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Given Varney’s history of Trump sycophancy, my guess is that the Murdochs were deliberately speaking to Trump through the TV.

MCENANY: Yes, he does [think he won the debate]. He was in very good spirits. He brought the fight that I think the American people wanted to see. The American people wanted to see the president question Joe Biden in the way the media never does. …

And President Trump took on the role of both the media, what they should be doing, and a candidate sharing his record with the American people.

VARNEY: However, his style, the frequent interruptions - I mean, the insults came from Biden but the frequent interruptions and the talking over everybody, that was a lot from President Trump. And I think that’s what the audience didn’t like and will turn off. Would he change his style for October 15th, the next debate?

McEnany said that the next debate will be a town hall so the tactic will be different. But she claimed that Trump’s “offense style” got Biden “on the record, with no answer to” whether any police organization has endorsed him, whether he’d condemn antifa, whether he’ll pack the Supreme Court.” She added, “Because the president was on offense, the American voter left that debate with a distinct answer and look at this presidential candidate that they had not had previously.”

FACT CHECK: Polls by CNN, CBS News and a survey of social media all found Biden won.

Trump TV was about to say the same thing. But first, Varney made a point of letting McEnany and the viewers know he’s still on Team Trump by opening the door for her to attack The New York Times over its bombshell reporting on Trump’s taxes. “Make your criminal case,” Varney instructed.

Despite the fact that Varney’s show appears on the Fox Business Network, he asked no questions about the very damning revelations in those tax returns, nor the national security implications.

McEnany went on the predictable attack, without challenge from Varney.

When she was finally through, Varney got back to his message.

VARNEY: Let me go back to Joe Biden, What’s your response to this? Biden won simply because he got through the whole 90 minutes, no gaffe, no senior moments, no lack of focus and reasonable amount of energy all the way through. Therefore, he survived, he won. What do you say?

MCENANY: I think “no gaffes,” that’s a really subjective interpretation. I would consider it a pretty big gaffe when asked about antifa, an organization that has killed Americans and targeted police officers, and there’s no condemnation of that group. I consider that a pretty big gaffe along with many others.

Look, the media was dying to write the headline this morning, “Joe Biden prevails, Joe Biden exceeds expectations.” Notably, you don’t see those headlines out there. Instead you’re seeing the question, should there even be two other debates. That’s a question a loser asks, not someone who thinks they won the debate.

And now Fox Business was telling her Biden prevailed and he exceeded expectations.

You can watch what was probably intended as some friendly advice below, from Fox Business’ September 30, 2020 Varney & Co., via Raw Story.

(H/T reader Eric Jefferson)