The former Fox News chief started advising Trump at a private lunch just days before the launch of his campaign, and regularly offered him advice over the course of the primaries, sources familiar with the discussions said.
Trump and Ailes met in person several times between June 2015 and June 2016 — almost always at Fox News headquarters — and spoke frequently on the phone, the sources said. Even when Ailes and Trump appeared to be at war over Trump’s treatment of Megyn Kelly, the two men kept the conversation going.
But since late July, when Ailes left Fox News amid a torrent of sexual harassment allegations, he has taken on a much more active role in Trump’s campaign — specifically in terms of debate preparation.
In recent weeks, Ailes has become one of the most influential voices in the room as Trump prepares for his first head-to-head matchup with Hillary Clinton, on September 26. Ailes has attended at least two of Trump’s Sunday debate prep sessions in person, sources said, and talks with Trump by phone multiple times a week.
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