Moms and Dads everywhere can tell you they can always tell when their child isn’t quite telling the truth. It may be the octave in their voice, playing with their hair or when they blink. In the battle of wills between Fox News and Donald Trump, there could be sign of who will come out the winner. Fox News has blinked.
Fox conceded the battle and has arranged a sit-down with the Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump. Roger Ailes, Fox News chairman, made the call to Trump after a boycott was called for by Trump against all of Fox News. Trump made the following announcement, “Fox News, has been treating me very unfairly & I have therefore decided that I won’t be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future.” Ailes had a serious problem. With Trump leading the way, Fox risked seeing ratings fall. Ailes foresaw the backlash and knew something had to done. The call was made.
The call was a first step but the boycott is ongoing. Ailes, in other spats with Trump, tried to appear that Fox was on a higher ground. That they were acting as fair journalists who took on and questioned all candidates. That changed Wednesday night when on the Kelly File, National Review editor and Fox News contributor Rich Lowry, commenting on the Republican debate that “”Let’s be honest: Carly cut his balls off with the precision of a surgeon, and he knows it.” One thing that those who support Trump and Trump himself hasn’t mentioned, host Kelly, told Lowry, “”You can’t say that.” She repeated herself but the damage was done. Trump called on the FCC to fine Lowry but that is quite doubtful. That blow up by Lowry took away any chance Ailes had of saying that Fox took the higher ground. Nope, Lawry brought the fight down into the gutter and made Trump look like he was right all along.
If you are keeping score of this on again off again relationship, this is the third breakup for Fox and Trump. The first came after the first Republican Presidential Debate when Kelly had the nerve or courage to ask Trump about past remarks attributed to him about women.” You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees, Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?” Trump felt that even though he had said those things it was out of bounds. Ailes smoothed down the feathers of our prim Trump and it was on to the next break up. This time is was over repeated tweets by Trump calling Kelly things like Bimbo, “a total hatchet job” and “astonishingly biased.” This time it was Fox who said Trump was wrong to take personal attacks on Kelly. Wait, What? Fox said it was okay for Kelly to ask Trump personal questions but it wasn’t okay for Trump to do it? This one was a draw with both sides letting it go.
We will have to see what develops with the newest feud. Fox is going to try and offer an olive branch as they know what Trump does for ratings. The first debate on Fox was a ratings blockbuster. Trump appears on Jimmy Fallon best ratings over a year. The meeting between Trump and Ailes will take place this week. Trump could very well end this boycott, but it remains to be seen if the true followers of Trump go back to watching Fox. Pucker up Roger, you have some kissing to do.
