This will just add more fuel to the fire over the rumors that Trump, Roger Ailes and Steve Bannon are really just laying the groundwork for a new conservative media empire.
August 21, 2016

This will just add more fuel to the fire over the rumors that Trump, Roger Ailes and Steve Bannon are really just laying the groundwork for a new conservative media empire. CNN's Dana Bash asked Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway about the recent report in The New York Times that Roger Ailes is advising Trump, now that he's gotten the boot from Fox over the charges of sexual harrassment.

Conway did not admit to witnessing the meeting, but didn't deny it either:

BASH: I want to ask about The New York Times reporting that Donald Trump convened a meeting about his campaign last week that included you, Steve Bannon and Roger Ailes who of course is the former chairman of Fox News. Can you confirm that Roger Ailes was in the meeting?

CONWAY: He was not in a meeting where I was present but I know that Roger Ailes and Donald Trump are old friends and that their friendship preceded Fox News and preceded a presidential run by Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump has been a very successful businessman here in New York. He knows many people and talks to many people frequently, and I think, Dana, as even CNN's own Erin Burnett and Brian Stelter said on her show earlier in the week, they said who wouldn't want Roger Ailes giving them advice and that Brian was remarking how kind and helpful Mr. Ailes was to Brian when he made the transition to CNN.

BASH: Just to be clear, is Roger Ailes actively advising Donald Trump at this point?

CONWAY: He has no formal or informal role with the campaign, but Mr. Trump speaks to many people. Roger Ailes is a genius when it comes to television and when it comes to communicating with people, so is Donald Trump. I think what you saw this week is Donald Trump, the communicator, the connective tissue between him and people taking his case right to the people, and it working.

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