Although it was widely reported that Roger Ailes was advising Donald Trump after his resignation as CEO of Fox News amid mounting allegations of sexual harassment, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday she has no idea whether Ailes actually is helping Trump.
During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Conway if it’s “appropriate” for Ailes to advise Trump after Fox News’ parent company settled fired anchor Gretchen Carlson’s harassment suit against Ailes for $20 million.
“So I’m at Trump Tower every day, I’m the campaign manager, I’ve never seen Mr. Ailes there,” Conway replied. “I saw him one time for lunch recently, he was at lunch.”
“He is giving Mr. Trump advice, isn’t he?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Well, Mr. Trump – I don’t know, because Mr. Trump speaks to many people on the phone during the day when I’m not there,” she said. “They’ve known each other probably for 30 years, pre-Fox News and pre-presidential politics, no doubt.”
According to an August New York Times report, Ailes had met with Trump at his golf property in New Jersey, where they spoke about campaign advertisements and the race at large. Ailes, a former top adviser to Richard Nixon, reportedly was helping Trump prep for the first presidential debate in September, although Trump insisted Ailes had no formal role in his campaign.
Watch a clip of the exchange via Good Morning America:
WATCH: “I don’t know, [he] speaks to many people on phone when I’m not there.” – Conway on if Ailes is helping Trump https://t.co/Z9fLHotTwm
— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 7, 2016
