According to a new report in Politico, Republican Senator Rand Paul recently sat down with Fox News chief Roger Ailes and News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch.

Politico explains that Paul, who is often listed as a likely contender in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, met separately with the two men as he “has been working to smooth concerns among Republicans and influencers about whether he shares his famous libertarian father's views on issues like national security.”

During the 2012 presidential cycle, Fox News essentially hosted the Republican primary, and Paul's jockeying for the support of Ailes and Murdoch is evidence that Fox's role as the gatekeeper of the Republican party hasn't changed.

The Politico report also points out that both Murdoch and Ailes have “historically had a good relationship with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie,” another likely player in the 2016 Republican primary. Indeed, in 2011, New York magazine reported that Ailes “fell hard” for Christie and strongly encouraged him to throw his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination in 2012. Ailes certainly wasn't alone at the network in swooning over Christie -- Fox personalities fawned over the New Jersey governor for much of 2010 and 2011.

But as Politico lays out, Christie's relationship with the network may have soured after he “embraced President Barack Obama immediately after Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey,” shortly before the 2012 election:

Murdoch tweeted at the time that “while thanking O, must re-declare for Romney or take blame for next four dire years.” Christie, according to The New York Times, called Murdoch just before the election and made his case for needing support after the hurricane, but the media titan told the governor that he needed to reiterate his support of Romney. Christie eventually did.

Fox hosts have also been notably less ebullient about Christie following the 2012 election. Sean Hannity announced on his radio show in January that, “to be blunt, yes, I am disappointed in Governor Christie.” The Five co-host Eric Bolling lectured Christie on Fox's airwaves, advising him to “act like a Republican” and stop praising Obama over Sandy.

As recently as this morning, Fox Nation was posting commentary from Fox News Radio host Todd Starnes deriding Christie as a “RINO” and mocking his “schoolgirl crush” on Obama. 

While people outside the Fox empire are seeking the support of Ailes and Murdoch, several of its employees are already stoking speculation about running in 2016, including Mike Huckabee, John Bolton, Allen West, Scott Brown, and Ben Carson.