On Tuesday, Fox News Chief Roger Ailes said in a statement Donald Trump should apologize for a tirade of tweets aimed at Fox News host Megyn Kelly.It just seems way too coordinated:
"Donald Trump's surprise and unprovoked attack on Megyn Kelly during her show last night is as unacceptable as it is disturbing. Megyn Kelly represents the very best of American journalism and all of us at Fox News Channel reject the crude and irresponsible attempts to suggest otherwise," Ailes statement reads....
Late Monday night Trump tweeted several times about Kelly, who had just returned to hosting after a vacation, writing that he "liked The Kelly File much better without @megynkelly. Perhaps she could take another eleven day unscheduled vacation!”
Trump also tweeted that Kelly was "really off her game" and retweeted a tweet that called Kelly a "bimbo."
Fellow Fox News hosts soon came to Kelly's defense.There have also been tweets critical of Trump -- some of them less bridge-burning than others -- from Kirsten Powers, Bill Hemmer, Geraldo Rivera, Dana Perino, Fox contributor Michelle Fields, and even Fox meteorologist Janice Dean.
"Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade said Tuesday morning that Trump is "totally out of control" and that his attacks on Kelly are "totally unwarranted."
Host Bret Baier, who moderated the GOP debate with Kelly and Chris Wallace, tweeted "It's been 19 days since the debate - @realDonaldTrump has made his feelings clear. But THIS needs to stop," adding the hashtag "#letitgo."
Sean Hannity, who has one of the first interviews with Trump on Fox after the debate and initial Kelly flare-up, also tweeted his support of Kelly, though he called Trump a "friend."
"My friend @realDonaldTrump has captured the imagination of many. Focus on Hillary, Putin, border, jobs, Iran China & leave @megynkelly alone," he wrote.
Here's the thing: Rupert Murdoch is clearly freaking out. He tweeted this on Sunday night:
With Trump becoming very serious candidate, it's time for next billionaire candidate, Mike Bloomberg to step into ring. Greatest mayor.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) August 24, 2015Agree much about Bloomberg, nannystate, etc, but still a great philanthropic executive who, with Guiliani, made NY the greatest.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) August 24, 2015I assume he's been thinking that Bloomberg might take voters away from the Democrats the way Trump would likely take them away from Republicans.
But wait, there's more -- look at what Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman spotted:
Wow did anyone see how Murdoch retweeted a guy with the hashtag #FireAilesNow pic.twitter.com/XWA0BFpq7h
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) August 25, 2015When questions arose about whether Murdoch would renew Ailes's contract, which was set to expire in 2016, Ailes reportedly said, "Rupert is going to need me to elect the next president." Ailes got that contract renewal -- but clearly his job is to get a Republican elected. And not that kind of Republican -- Ailes is supposed to get someone elected who'll pursue an agenda somewhere between Establishmentarian and Kochian. Trump threatens that. So Ailes, on Murdoch's behalf, is clearly expected to rein him in now.
Ailes thinks of himself as a tough guy, but we'll see if he can really handle Trump. Maybe it's going to be total war -- but I think Ailes is going to see a serious hit to his ratings if he succeeds in bringing Trump down. But Murdoch my be giving him no choice.
5 comments:
Nobody knows what agenda a president Trump would follow. All his proposals have been utter bullcrap. He will run the assholery department himself. No doubt about that.
Fuck the popcorn!
Grab the booze and beer, order pizza, and enjoy this internecine battle between greedy and power-mad sociopaths/psychopaths!!!
Murdoch and Ailes probably think that Ailes is a Pied Piper - he plays the tune and the right-wing nutters dance the dance.
Except that isn't how it actually works. Fox News only gets the ratings that they get because they're telling those viewers what they want to hear. If Ailes thinks he can turn his powerhouse of a network into something that can bring down Donald Trump among his viewing demographic, he's going to find out that his precious ratings aren't worth spit. They'll turn against Fox news in a heartbeat and rally round Trump.
When I am ancient, losing my brains,
Many years from now,
Will you pols still do what I tell you to
Else I sic Roger Ailes on you?
If I've stepped out with Rudy & Mike,
Would you lock the door?
Will you still feed me, will you still heed me,
When I'm eighty-four?
You'll be older too;
And if you say the word
Fox could endorse you.
I could be handy, promoting a meme
When you're down in the polls.
You can grant my company a license or 3
For Sunday mornings, prodding the trolls,
Tweeting out stupid, not exactly for free.
Who could ask for more?
Will you still feed me, will you still heed me,
When I'm eighty-four?
Every summer we can rent a island off of Greece
To keep out the paparazzi.
We'll find some sucker to fleece
Grandchildren on your knee
Rupert III, Mikey III, and me.
I'll send you an email, drop you a text,
Stating what's got me vexed,
Indicating briefly what I want you to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form:
Mine for evermore!
Will you still feed me, will you still heed me
When I'm eighty-four?
Heck between this and his tossing the Univision reporter out of his press conference he'll get at least a 10 point bounce. His supporters like it when he's mean to people and even though she works for Fox Ms. Kelly is an example of the modern professional woman who is not a wife and homemaker and they hate her for that. They seem to despise anything that is not them, and I'm not to sure they don't in the end despise themselves as well.
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