Kristol’s term as a Fox contributor recently came to a close. The news was made public when he declared himself a “free agent.” Although he has appeared on the network several times since, he has also participated in panels on MSNBC and CNN.
According to Byers’ source, “In 2011, the Fox News chief asked Kristol to take a negative stance toward a certain individual, effectively helping Ailes in his effort to give that person a bad reputation.” He added: “Kristol refused to get involved in Ailes’ personal arguments and, as a result, there was a “coolness” between the two going forward. Though the relationship remained cordial, Ailes felt he could no longer trust Kristol to be a team player.”
Speaking with Mediaite, however, a Fox spokesperson denied the source’s claims, telling us:
“Roger doesn’t recall a specific or negative incident — he likes Bill and doesn’t have an issue with him. We made a lot of changes at the network and had been talking to George Will for some time. At this point, Bill’s contract ran out and we declined to renew it.”
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