Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade used an appearance on a podcast episode published Friday to laud the leadership of Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch, comparing him favorably to the late Fox News boss Roger Ailes.
“Lachlan is a fantastic guy,” Kilmeade said. “I’ve had more interaction with him than I had with Roger Ailes in 20 years. And, I’ve never seen a guy who cares more about just how you’re doing at the highest level than Lachlan.”
Of James Murdoch, the former 21st Century Fox CEO, Kilmeade said: “James is a great guy, but James is no longer involved.” Lachlan Murdoch, James’ brother, was tapped to run the company that emerged from 21st Century Fox’s sale to Disney, in May 2018.
Kilmeade lauded Lachlan Murdoch for installing a gym at the company’s headquarters in the late 1990s or early 2000’s. “And then he came back, and he really understands what’s going on,” Kilmeade said of Lachlan Murdoch.
Kilmeade also praised the leadership of Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and president Jay Wallace. “I will say: We know we’re under additional scrutiny, more than ever before,” Kilmeade told Whiskey Politics host Dave Sussman. “So, we’re going to say something extreme, either way, we’ve got to be ready to back it up.”
Mentioning the network’s top opinion and news anchors, Kilmeade said, “They will tell you: They’re calling their own shots. And if there’s an issue, they let us know, but I’ve never felt more autonomy than I do right now.”
Kilmeade denied the host’s contention that the network has moved left since Lachlan Murdoch took over.
“I wouldn’t say that’s the case at all,” he said. “I will say that there is such hatred for Trump, the praise that Fox gets any time they take him on, makes everybody say, ‘Wow, they’re moving to the left.’ No, we’re calling balls and strikes. … If anyone on our channel takes on Trump, they go, ‘Well, Fox is changing.’ I think it makes us a place where you can get multiple opinions. You don’t want to put on a channel that’s only going to echo what you think. We’ve got to test people. We’ve got to test issues.”
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