Roger Ailes Advising Donald Trump Ahead Of Long Island Debate: Report

Roger Ailes, the disgraced former chairman of Fox News who resigned last month amid sexual harassment allegations from several of the station's female employees, is reportedly advising Donald Trump ahead of the first general election debate, scheduled to take place next month on Long Island.

Trump campaign spokesman Hope Hicks denied the report.

Ailes could continue advising Trump beyond the Sept. 26 debate at Hofstra University, according to The New York Times, which cited "three people briefed on the move, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter."

The report, authored by Maggie Haberman and Ashley Parker, said it is unclear exactly when Ailes began advising Trump. Ailes formally resigned his post as Fox News chairman on July 21.

"This is not accurate," Hicks said in a statement. "He is not advising Mr. Trump or helping with debate prep. They are longtime friends, but he has no formal or informal role in the campaign."

Read the full New York Times story here.

The general election debates against Hillary Clinton may be the last chance Trump has to salvage his campaign after plummeting in many national and swing state polls.

Trump has, over the last several weeks, feuded with the Muslim family of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, suggested guns rights owners prevent Clinton from nominating Supreme Court justices, called President Obama the founder of ISIS and made many other incendiary remarks that have apparently turned off many voters.

According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of major national polls Tuesday afternoon, Clinton holds a 6.7-percent lead over Trump.

An election map published Monday by NBC News showed Clinton with a comfortable lead in enough states to earn 288 electoral votes without factoring in swing states such as Ohio, Florida or Iowa. Analysis from FiveThirtyEight has Clinton with a nine-point lead in states collectively worth 273 electoral votes.

A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency.

The Sept. 26 debate was originally scheduled to take place at Wright State University in Ohio. The school pulled out of hosting, citing costs of campus security.

Images: Roger Ailes via Sgt. Christopher Tobey, public domain; Donald Trump via Rick Uldricks, Patch