This story was updated at 3:26 PM on March 3.
Fox News’ top brass has given up hope on the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), according to a Wednesday New York Magazine report.
The report cites three anonymous Fox sources who said network chairman Roger Ailes told people he’s lost faith in Rubio’s ability to secure the Republican nomination after disappointing returns in early primaries and caucuses.
Rubio secured his first win in Minnesota on Super Tuesday, while top rivals Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Donald Trump so far have won four and 10 contests, respectively.
“We’re finished with Rubio,” Ailes allegedly told an unnamed Fox host, according to the report. “We can’t do the Rubio thing anymore.”
Some at the network have been slow to reckon with Rubio’s ailing campaign, holding the Florida senator up as the responsible conservative alternative to his outsider opponents and celebrating his second-place wins in the early voting states of South Carolina and Nevada.
Just last week, Rubio made the case on “Fox and Friends” that winning individual states isn’t the path to securing the nomination of the Republican Party.
“You don’t win the nomination by how many states you win,” Rubio insisted.
A spokesperson for Fox News sent over the following statement from the network’s Executive Vice President Michael Clemente on Thursday afternoon.
Consistent with the golden standard of Shermanonymous’ ‘reporting’ on FOX News and Roger Ailes, there is no credence to this narrative or the many other works of fiction he’s repeatedly been proven wrong on. Lacking any on-the-record sources, and desperate for attention, his stories are full of made-up quotes, but New York magazine doesn’t seem to care about his overwhelming lack of credibility, journalistic integrity and deeply partisan agenda.
Does Fox control the GOP or does the GOP control Fox?
Why is a conversation like this coming from the head of a ‘news’ organization. I know why: it’s a rhetorical question. Real news organizations should not be in the business of getting behind a particular candidate or party.
Shorter: “Rubio does not make me money. There are others who make make me boatloads.”
Yes.
Ut oh…the king maker has spoken. The wooden puppet’s time is over.