Roger Ailes’ Widow Thrashes Rupert Murdoch and His Family: Took ‘Only 6 Years’ for Them to ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Fox News

The widow of Roger Ailes memorialized her late husband by trashing Fox News for what the network became after its former chairman and CEO was pushed out of the job.

Elizabeth Ailes took to Twitter on Monday to wish her deceased husband a “happy heavenly birthday.” She did so by leaning into the spirit of Donald Trump in order to mock Rupert Murdoch and claim the Fox Corporation chairman drove Fox News to ruin in the last six years.

“It took you 20 years to build Fox News into the powerhouse that it was and only 6 years for the Murdochs to wreak havoc,” Ailes wrote (in a tweet flagged by Brian Stelter). “Rupert thought he could do your job. What a joke. He has the checkbook but could never come close to your genius. RIP.”

Throughout his time as the chief of Fox News, Ailes was seen as a powerful figure whose influence shaped the political landscape and the modern format of cable news television. He was ousted from Fox in 2016 as Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly and other women at the network came forth and accused him of sexual harassment. He passed away about a year later.

In the years since Ailes’ ouster, Rupert’s conservative son Lachlan Murdoch has helmed Fox Corporation as CEO, frequently speaking in favor of the right-wing opinions advanced by Fox News. Even so, conservatives have been blasting the Murdoch family over Fox’s refusal to indulge Trump’s 2020 election lies, especially after the network fired Tucker Carlson.