Posted on 01/27/2016 12:19:54 PM PST by HarleyLady27
As the war between Fox News and Donald Trump ratchets up, Roger Ailes is fighting off criticism from his senior executives over his handling of the crisis. According to one highly placed source, last night, Ailes sent out the now-famous statement mocking Trump as being scared to meet with the "Ayatollah" and "Putin" if he became president. "That was Roger 100 percent," the source explained. "A lot of people on the second floor" -- where top Fox executives work -- "didn't think it was a good idea."
(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...
Fox spokesperson Irena Briganti did not return a call. When asked about his role advising Ailes, Johnson responded to me with an ad hominem statement. "If you were ever actually fair, any semblance of integrity was swamped by your reaction to the failure of your critically panned hit job on Fox and Ailes," he said. "Just like your latest tweets and articles, your questions today are based on your own malicious fabrication."
New signs emerged today at just how frantic Ailes has become to get Trump back to the table. The two men have not spoken since yesterday, sources told me. This morning, Joe Scarborough reported that Ailes called Trump's daughter Ivanka and wife, Melania, to get through to the GOP front-runner. But Trump is saying he'll only talk to Rupert Murdoch directly. In a further challenge to Ailes's power, Bill O'Reilly is scheduled to host Trump. Last night, Ailes directed Sean Hannity to cancel Trump's interview. O'Reilly's refusal to abide by a ban adds a new dynamic to the clash of egos. For O'Reilly, this is an opportunity to take back star power from Kelly. Sources say O'Reilly feels he made Kelly's career by promoting her on his show, and he's been furious that Kelly surpassed him in the ratings.
Meanwhile, Fox producers are scrambling with the practical matter of how to program the debate without Trump. "Right now, it is about how the moderators handle Trump," one producer said. "They do not want to be seen either directly criticizing him since he's not there, and they don't want to seem like they are drumming up criticism by letting the candidates attack Trump rather than stake out their own positions and debate one another. For all the talk of the optics right now, the bigger issue is how to program a debate without the front-runner. Remember, Fox may be a political machine, but it is still a damn good television programmer."
For Ailes, the internal dissent over his handling of the crisis would seem to only weaken his grasp on the helm of Fox News. Rupert Murdoch has become more hands-on at Fox since questions about Ailes's faltering health have been raised. Now Murdoch has to wonder why Ailes, who runs the most valuable asset at parent company 21st Century Fox, is getting PR advice from a lawyer Ailes personally pays.
A spokesperson for Murdoch did not return a call.
PING!!!
Ailes is a big boy...can he fit under the bus?
I read this as Fox News was the last line of defense to get a “Rove Supported” candidate to the General.
Rove has probably spent the last 10 years making connections at Fox.
On the articles headline page here I scroll out 250 article titles.
I copied it and pasted it into word.
I did two searches.
The word Trump appeared 110 times.
the word Cruz appeared 31 times.
So boiling all of this down, what’s happened is that “the excrement has hit the rotary actuator at Fox News.’ Or Trump pulled the pin on another grenade! Old Rupert has only two concerns: the safety of his balls and his money, so look for Ailes and Kelly to be looking for new employment in the not too distant future.
Really? GO.TRUMP.GO!!!
Oh my he has them in quite the tizzy doesn't he? Imagine a President Trump versus the Democrat party...or versus the GOPe. Wow...visions of sugar plums.
Thanks for the ping. An interesting article. FOX seems bent on committing suicide. Their behavior has been stupid and outrageous from the beginning. A personal vendetta on their part has been obvious since last year.
Roger is cooked goose
If I turn on the TV to catch some news and I see Rove, I switch to H2 or animal planet, etc-the sight of that weasel makes me wish someone would smack him on the head with his stupid white board...
I don’t buy it. I don’t believe for one minute that Roger Ailes would have sent that news release out. Ailes is a smart guy...he’s been very sick lately and hasn’t been as hands on as he used to be. Until I see it proven otherwise I believe that Chris Stirewalt is the culprit.
BOOM!
GO TRUMP!
:0)
A snarky comment to an equally or even more snarky Donald Trump is a fair treatment of the whining crybaby.
MK is not interesting to watch-just another one like Couric, etc-totally self important, look at me, me, me and never mind who she is interviewing...
So boiling all of this down, what’s happened is that “the excrement has hit the rotary actuator at Fox News.’
Or as another wag put it, “Trump just shot Fox News on Fifth Avenue.”
If Trump is elected president, what are you going to do with all your hatred of him?
Oh! That’s good! I’m stealing that!! lmao!!
kick some Fox a$$ and save those foxy tails for a lovely fur for your loved one. Your reward for a job well done, Sir.
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