New York | Nineteen … and counting. That’s the number of former Fox News hosts, commentators, on-air medical experts, producers and other personnel who are poised to occupy roles in the second administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Never before has a single media organisation exported so many alumni to a president’s day-one cabinet and staff. And while Mr Trump also recruited TV types for roles in his first term, he is now seeking to put pundits such as Pete Hegseth, his nominee for defence secretary, in charge of entire government agencies.