in an extensive Washington Post report published Sunday evening, the paper said that Trump is largely guided by cable news throughout most of the day and that he maintains a relationship with Ailes.
The report said Trump is "still in touch" with Ailes after the longtime Fox News executive left the channel last summer amid an ongoing sexual harassment controversy.
Last year, Trump had defended accusations against Ailes as "unfounded."
The Post report added, however, that Trump believes Fox"s programing is "nicer" to him now that Ailes is no longer there.
Trump is an outspoken fan of Fox, its morning show "Fox & Friends" in particular.
On the other hand, he regularly attacks CNN and MSNBC for what he has called "unfair" coverage.
A Tectonic Shift in Conservative World: Trump Accepts Nomination as Roger Ailes Ousted from Fox News
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Fox chairman and CEO Roger Ailes announced today that he"d be stepping down from his roles at the company, effective immediately, following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. He had held his positions for two decades, building Fox into the conservative media behemoth it is today.
For a man who seemed "untouchable" at the top, his resignation comes about two weeks after former Fox News anchor and Fox & Friends cohost Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, her former boss. She alleged that "on multiple occasions Ailes directed her to turn around so he could leer at her posterior, made comments about her legs, and instructed her to wear more revealing outfits" and that "she experienced cuts in compensation, advertising support, and air time because of her refusal to give in to Ailes" advances." The lawsuit prompted Fox to begin an internal review of the charges.
Since then, more women have come forward with their own experiences with Ailes. The weekend following Carlson"s filing, New York magazine published six more accountspart of a group of more than a dozen women who contacted Carlson"s lawyer in the days after the news broke. The allegations date back to the 1960s.
Most recently, New York reported that the network"s star Megyn Kellywho at first had remained conspicuously silent on the matter, even as several of her male network colleagues rushed to Ailes" defensehad revealed to anonymous sources that she"d been on the end of unwanted sexual advances from Ailes when she was starting out as a correspondent in Fox"s Washington, D.C., bureau. It was speculated that, considering her growing presence and influence in the network, her testimony would be the "final element" needed to oust Ailes.
Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of News Corp (Fox"s parent company), will take over Ailes" duties, acting as chairman and interim CEO.
Still Report #1044 - Roger Ailes to be Fired from Fox News An attorney for Fox News chief Roger Ailes has filed a motion to move the sexual-harassment case leveled against him to New York City, in the latest twist in a growing court battle that could have far-reaching implications for the 21st Century Fox cable network.
In a filing made in federal court in the Southern District of New York City, the attorney, Susan Estrich, asked the case be moved for arbitration to New York City (see statement below). Attorneys for Ailes last week filed a motion in New Jersey, where the case originated to also have it moved to arbitration, citing Carlson"s employment agreement with Fox News.
Carlson leveled allegations last Wednesday in a suit filed in Superior Court of New Jersey charging Ailes had propositioned her sexually and that she had suffered unfair treatment from Steve Doocy, her co-host for several years on "Fox & Friends," the Fox News morning program. Carlson left the network in June. In a statement, Ailes has called her charges false and said they came in retaliation for her contact with Fox News not being renewed. Meanwhile, 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News, said it will conduct an "internal review" into the charges made against both Ailes and Doocy.
Attorneys for Carlson were not able to offer immediate comment.
In the filing, the attorney suggested the case shoukd be moved from New Jersey because neither Carlson nor Ailes resides there. Carlson"s lawyers have said Ailes has a residence in New Jersey.
The filing makes plain the difference in each side"s strategy. Carlson"s case is leveled against Ailes, not Fox News or its parent, while attorneys for Ailes have sought to make Carlson live by the rules of the employment contract she signed with the cable-news outlet.
The statement by Estrich, an attorney at the law firm of Quinn Emanuel, follows:
"Gretchen Carlson"s attorney has led a concerted smear campaign to prejudice the rights of Roger Ailes in this case. Her attempt to game the system so as to avoid the arbitration clause for her client"s baseless allegations is contrary to law and unsupported by the facts. Accordingly, we have taken the following action today: We have filed papers in the federal court in Manhattan to compel the arbitration of Carlson"s claims in New York City at the American Arbitration Association, as required by her Employment Agreement. At the same time, we have asked the federal district court in New Jersey to transfer the case to federal court in Manhattan, where it can be consolidated with the case we filed today. The court in Manhattan is the proper place to compel arbitration because (1) Carlson worked at Fox News in New York City, (2) her employment agreement requires arbitration in New York City, (3) she has based her claims solely on New York City law and (4) neither she nor Mr. Ailes resides in New Jersey."
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