Ailes' comments appeared in a conversation with Russell Simmons that was published on Simmons' website, Global Grind. He said that any attempts to connect Fox News or the Tea Party to the shooting were "bullshit," and that "both sides" were responsible for extreme rhetoric.
"I told all of our guys, shut up, tone it down, make your argument intellectually," Ailes said. You don't have to do it with bombast. I hope the other side does that."