“Ailes’s camp said Ailes learned that Trump couldn’t focus—surprise, surprise—and that advising him was a waste of time,” Sherman said. “These debate prep sessions weren’t going anywhere.”

On the Trump side, Ellison said the story is different: “Even for the second debate, Ailes kept going off on tangents and talking about his war stories while he was supposed to be prepping Trump.”

News that Ailes was advising Trump was met with outrage over the summer, as Ailes himself was mired in his own sexual harassment scandal. He resigned in July over allegations that he harassed more than two dozen women. Ailes categorically denied the accusations, though Fox News settled with at least three of his alleged victims, including a $20 million agreement with Gretchen Carlson. The Ailes/Trump falling out comes as Trump faces allegations of his own (which the billionaire has also denied).