Donald Trump has a reputation in the media for being open and accessible to interview requests. He is known for a willingness to spout off to whoever sticks a microphone in front of his face, and it has helped him get this far as a political candidate.

But lately, as Trump has hired new handlers and other assorted campaign personnel, he has also been in something of a retreat. That is, Trump is only talking to Fox News right now.

Trump is saying “yes” to Fox News almost every day but saying “no” to most other major networks and news organizations — a highly unusual strategy for a presidential nominee. He called into “Fox & Friends” on Monday morning, he is booked on “The O’Reilly Factor” Monday night, and he has another town hall with Sean Hannity coming up on Wednesday. Rousing the base instead of reaching out to undecided voters may ultimately pay off for Trump. If nothing else, it limits the candidate’s exposure to hard-hitting questions — while fueling frustration among journalists.

At Fox News, Trump can avoid pesky follow-up questions about his support for the racist birther conspiracy, long after he claims to have dropped it. Fox News hosts won’t ask him why he reacts to possible terrorism by screaming about how he was right, rather than express condolences for the victims and support for law enforcement. At Fox News, Trump isn’t challenged – and that’s the way he wants it.

The problem is, wrapping up in the Fox News cocoon may feel good for the time being, but the way to win an election is to appeal to audiences outside of your base of comfort. Trump isn’t reaching out.

It is a strategy that shows up elsewhere in his campaign, where instead of following the model of successful politicians like George W. Bush and President Obama by holding campaign rallies in “swing” districts hoping to persuade voters, Trump has rallies with the converted.

On election day in 2012, Fox News viewers were shocked to find the Romney “landslide” the network had kept promoting was a harsh reality. They may be setting themselves up for a major failure.

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