Politics

Roger Ailes met with Bill Clinton about a FOX News show

Steven Nelson Associate Editor
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Former President Bill Clinton may be looking for a new resume line: his own talk show. Clinton’s mastery of long-winded oration led to consideration of a show on FOX News.

In an interview with Esquire magazine, FOX News president Roger Ailes said that he met with Clinton to discuss the proposal.

“If he would stick with current affairs and stick with the clock, he’d be one of the great talk-show people in the world” said Ailes.

“I went up to Harlem, I met with him for an hour, an hour and a half” said Ailes. Clinton was ultimately asked to do a FOX News special, not host own show. He has yet to decide whether to commit to a special.

“The problem with him in a talk-show mode is not that he’s not charming, good, smart and glib. He is,” said Ailes. “But he loves to talk about policy.”

“So if you really want 18 minutes on ethanol, he’ll give it to you. But it won’t get ratings. So you have to be able to produce him and say, ‘Most people are not that interested in ethanol, Mr. President.’”

Ailes also said in the interview that he has no objection to hiring left-leaning personalities for the channel. “Tell me who you want to see on the left and I’ll hire them” said Ailes, “Now that probably surprises you and won’t get into the story, but it’s true.”