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- Jared Kushner contacted Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch directly over his network calling the state of Arizona, The New York Times reported.
- Kushner lobbied Murdoch to order the retraction of the call, which had incensed the Trump campaign.
- But, per the Times, Murdoch held firm. Fox was first to project that Biden would win the state, and justified its decision on air.
- Insider and Decision Desk HQ have not yet projected a winner in Arizona, where votes were still being counted early on Thursday.
- Follow Insider’s live election results coverage here.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s aide and son-in-law, contacted Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch in a desperate bid to overturn the network calling the state of Arizona for Joe Biden, according to The New York Times.
Fox was the first to call Arizona on election night. It dented the momentum of the Trump campaign, which had been declared winner in Florida and Texas, Republican-leaning states which polls suggested Trump risked losing.
The Fox call infuriated members of Trump’s election team. Jason Miller, Trump’s campaign manager, disputed it on Twitter. He also called network executives in a bid to get it to retract the projection, reported the Times.
Vanity Fair was the first outlet to report efforts to lobby Murdoch in person, though it said Trump himself made the call.
In any event, the network stood firm, and put the head of its decision desk, Arnon Mishkin, on air to defend the call.
Fox News' has long been the media network most supportive of Trump and his administration.
But in a sign of Murdoch's waning faith in Trump, outlets including the Daily Beast and New York Times recently reported that Murdoch had been sharply critical of the president to members of his inner circle.
The outlets said Murdoch argued that Trump's botched response to the coronavirus pandemic would cost him the White House.
The Associated Press followed Fox News in projecting a Biden win in Arizona Wednesday night, but other outlets, including Insider and its data partner Decision Desk HQ, have not projected a winner in the state, with a number of votes yet to be counted.
The Trump campaign on Wednesday claimed that its own polling placed Trump on course to win the state by 30,000 votes, as votes continue to be counted in the state early Thursday.
Holding Arizona is crucial to Trump's narrowing chances of victory in the election, with both Michigan and Wisconsin called for Biden Wednesday night by Decision Desk HQ.
Trump's lead in the crucial swing of Pennsylvania dwindled on Thursday as mail-in ballots continue were counted.
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