Fox's Baier defends reference to 'Trump derangement syndrome'

Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Thursday defended his use of the phrase "Trump derangement syndrome" to describe how critics of President TrumpDonald Trump Las Vegas hotel that defied coronavirus restrictions loses legal battle Menendez, Rubio ask Yellen to probe meatpacker JBS Vietnam shadow hangs over Biden decision on Afghanistan MORE responded to his address to the nation following Iranian missile attacks.

In an interview with Mediaite, Baier doubled down on his assertion that some Democrats were unable to acknowledge Trump's softer tone on Iran due to a pathological need to oppose all of the president's statements and actions.

"Listen, I think that that if you actually watch the whole soundbite, it’s pretty self-explanatory. But if you read the headlines in the media who cover media, maybe it wasn’t," Baier said of Trump's remarks, adding that the president extended a clear "olive branch" to Tehran.

He went on to say that Democrats who "continue to criticize [Trump] on different fronts, then you have to wonder if Trump derangement syndrome doesn’t play into some of that."

"If you’re going to be fair, and you’re going to call balls and strikes, you also have to give a hat tip, and you have to say, 'Why isn’t one coming from the people who were calling for an off-ramp?'" Baier added.

Trump struck a more measured tone toward Iran on Wednesday when he said the U.S. "is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it."

The remarks came just hours after Iranian missiles struck two bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops, though no casualties were reported.

Trump's congressional allies, like Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin Graham A tale of two chambers: Trump's power holds in House, wanes in Senate Graham says his COVID-19 recovery would've been 'a lot worse' without vaccine The Memo: Biden beats Trump again — this time in the Senate MORE (R-S.C.), hailed the president's speech as a gesture of goodwill.