Radio icon Howard Stern had some blunt advice for President Donald Trump over his reported plans to get into media after leaving the White House: Don’t do it.
“[If] he thinks running the country is hard, wait ’til he has to run a news network,” Stern said on Monday on his SiriusXM radio show, according to the New York Daily News.
The self-anointed “King of All Media” also made a not-so-veiled reference to Trump’s shortcomings in the world of business, warning that any “Trump TV” effort would meet the same fate.
“That’ll fail inside of a year, like all the other businesses,” Stern said. “This is just insanity what’s going on.”
The radio host also told Trump he needs to concede and help President-elect Joe Biden with the transition.
“For once do something good for the country, calm down your fucking loony hillbilly friends, and tell them you lost the election and you’re going to help the transition,” he said, according to the Daily News. “These loonies who follow you are all worked up; they think something was taken from them.”
Stern was once friendly with Trump, prior to his presidential bid, and had him on as a guest frequently. Stern has since become a Trump critic, endorsing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden this year.
Trump has not conceded despite losing the election, but several reports have indicated he is preparing to get involved in media ― perhaps with a “Trump TV” project ― after he leaves the White House.
However, it’s not clear what form that supposed enterprise would take.
The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that investors with ties to Trump had looked into acquiring conservative outlet Newsmax.
CEO Christopher Ruddy told Variety that would “never” happen but offered Trump a job as host of a weekly show.
Axios reported last week that Trump was considering an online-only media company with a subscription fee, which would be a direct rival to Fox News’ streaming service, Fox Nation.