Fox News labelled 'state media' after hosts Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro speak at Donald Trump mid-term rally
Fox News has been described as "state media" after two of its hosts spoke on stage alongside Donald Trump at his final US mid-term election rally on Monday.
Sean Hannity, who had earlier tweeted to say he would not be appearing on stage, came on to a warm embrace from the president before the presenter derided attending members of the media as "fake news".
Hannity also repeated Mr Trump's campaign slogan while on stage: "Promises made, promises kept."
Fellow Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who Mr Trump described as "my friend", also spoke on stage at the rally.
Fox and Hannity had earlier said he would not be appearing on stage. The network has not commented since the event.
Hannity regularly uses his popular show on Fox to praise the work of Mr Trump's administration and previously got in trouble with Fox for appearing in a 2016 Trump campaign video.
Pointing to the media as he spoke on stage, he said: "All those people in the back are fake news."
He added: "The one thing that has made and defined your Presidency more than anything else: promises made, promises kept.
"Four and a half million new American jobs, 4.3 million Americans off food stamps, four million Americans out of poverty. And we're not dropping cashloads of cargo planes of cash to Iranian mullahs that chant 'death to America.' Mr. President, thank you."
The appearances by the two Fox presenters drew widespread shock and derision on social media.
The war of words between Mr Trump and the US media has been raging since his 2016 campaign, with the president regularly calling many sections of the press "fake news".
Mr Trump believes he has been unfairly treated by the media and described them as "the enemy of the people".
There were calls for language used by the president and the media to be toned down after a series of pipe bombs were sent to prominent Democrats and the broadcaster CNN, who Mr Trump regularly attacks.
The president said he bears no blame for the suspect's actions.