Fox News and Donald Trump are about to make up for a second time in two months as he and network chairman Roger Ailes spoke on Thursday about the new conflict between the two sides.
In a statement, Fox News said the two men will meet to iron out their differences regarding the network’s coverage of the GOP frontrunner.
“Fox News Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes and Donald Trump spoke this morning and plan to have a meeting next week to discuss their differences of opinion regarding Fox’s coverage of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Ailes will be joined by senior Fox editorial executives. Mr. Trump believes he has been treated unfairly in certain instances…”
The statement continued to say that Trump has been treated the same as every other presidential candidate: “Fox News has held every candidate in this race to the highest journalistic standards throughout our coverage. We believe a candid meeting about our differences is required and that any misunderstandings can be handled without compromising those standards.”
Fox vs. Trump 3.0 (or 4.0, who knows at this point?) ignited this week after Trump directed a series of negative tweets at star anchor Megyn Kelly on Monday.
“I am having a really hard time watching @FoxNews,” he tweeted, followed by, “Do you ever notice that lightweight @megynkelly constantly goes after me but when I hit back it is totally sexist. She is highly overrated!”
Trump, of course, caused a political media avalanche in August after remarks he made were widely interpreted as suggesting Kelly was menstruating during the GOP debate.
Fox News apparently didn’t like the Donald’s new round of nasty tweets, canceling his appearance scheduled for “The O’Reilly Factor” on Tuesday. This set the real estate mogul off, ending in his declaration of a Fox News boycott.
“.@FoxNews has been treating me very unfairly & I have therefore decided that I won’t be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
Fox News fired back, calling Trump’s act “stale and tiresome.” After ripping Fox News contributor Rich Lowry, who shockingly claimed Carly Fiorina “cut off his nuts” during the CNN Republican debate, Trump and Ailes spoke Thursday via phone to set up an in-person ceasefire.
Ailes is not known for kowtowing to political or media figures, but Fox brass clearly see it in the network’s best interest to be on good terms with the Republican frontrunner — and ratings magnet.
If only one could be a fly on that wall as the two Republican powerhouses meet.