What are Donald Trump, Roger Ailes, and Steve Bannon really up to?

Two of them said Mr. Ailes’s role could extend beyond the debates, which Mr. Trump’s advisers see as crucial to vaulting him back into strong contention for the presidency after self-inflicted wounds that have eroded his standing in public opinion polls.

For Mr. Ailes, being connected with Mr. Trump’s campaign could be a form of redemption after he was pushed out of the powerful network that he helped build. And for Mr. Trump, having Mr. Ailes taking a hand in his preparations for the debates adds immeasurably to the messaging and media expertise in his corner — and could raise alarms within Mrs. Clinton’s camp about just how aggressive Mr. Trump plans to be in those encounters.

Mr. Ailes’s intimate knowledge of how Fox News approaches debates could also give Mr. Trump an important edge should one of the network’s journalists be chosen to moderate one of the three events.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/us/politics/donald-trump-roger-ailes.html

Mr. Ailes is aiding Mr. Trump’s team as it turns its attention to the first debate with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, on Sept. 26 at Hofstra University on Long Island, according to four people briefed on the move, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. Two of them said that Mr. Ailes’s role could extend beyond the debates, which Mr. Trump’s advisers see as crucial to vaulting him back into strong contention for the presidency after a series of self-inflicted wounds that have eroded his standing in public opinion polls.

Will Ailes pick the debate questions before the debates and feed them to Donald Trump?

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/roger-ailes-and-donald-trump-a-natural-match/496157/


Ailes is of a piece with other members of Trump’s circle in another uncomfortable way, too. Notable Trump pals, surrogates, and endorsers have included Bobby Knight, the legendarily chair-throwing retired basketball coach; Don King, the boxing promoter who once stomped a man to death, and whom Republican leaders reportedly had to strong-arm Trump into dropping from a convention speaking slot; and convicted rapist Mike Tyson.

Trump’s tolerance for violence and misogyny among his associates is striking; it goes back decades, to his close relationships with mob figures. By now, adding an adviser who was recently fired over accusations of serial sexual harassment would be as unsurprising as hiring a TV wizard for debate prep.