Samantha Bee’s takedown of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes is so brilliant, so comprehensive and yes, so funny, you must watch it. But it also contains a serious warning about his influence on Donald Trump and the upcoming presidential debates that must also be heeded.

In her monologues, Bee does a terrific job of explaining how Ailes helped create Trump’s Franken-candidacy:  

BEE: [Ailes] doesn’t need to make Trump sound smart because he’s spent the last 20 years making voters dislike smart people. In a way, the Donald Trump campaign is the dark harbor Roger Ailes has been sailing toward his entire career. Trump’s murky blend of politics and entertainment, plus a healthy dash of racist fearmongering, are nothing but the cask-aged distillation of a poison Roger Ailes started brewing years ago. As soon as Barack Obama began emerging as a viable candidate for president, Ailes’ network began the important work of delegitimizing him, which often meant up-drafting fringe conspiracy theories into the mainstream.

Bee hilariously nails Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, Alisyn Camerota, Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling for their roles in promoting Ailes’ agenda.

But in Part One, Bee suggests that, unleashed from Fox News and now advising Trump, Ailes may be more dangerous than ever: “Now that Fox News’ chief executive in charge of whipping it out is no longer ruining your dad for a living, he can devote all his time to prepping Trump for the debate. And if that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, it should,” she said.

“Roger Ailes has been polishing turds into presidents since this was a cool thing to say,” Bee added. She played a clip of Richard Nixon saying, “Sock it to me.”

After noting how Ronald Reagan used a now-famous Ailes quip about not exploiting his opponent’s youth to turn around his flailing campaign, Bee warned: “So at next Monday’s debate, do pay attention to the manatee behind the curtain. I promise: he’s already written the killer line that will take Hillary Clinton down if Trump remembers to say it.”

Bee’s absolutely right about that. And let’s hope that her memorable humor sticks in the minds of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the debate moderators.

Meanwhile, have a good laugh, via the September 19, 2016 Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

(H/T Headly Westerfield)