Donald Trump has stated he will not appear at Thursday’s Fox News GOP debate due to perceived slights by Megyn Kelly.
This stems from the first Republican debate on August 6th of last year, co-moderated by Megyn Kelly.
She asked Trump at that time, “One of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downside, in particular when it comes to women. You have called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.’ Your Twitter account. . .”
Trump: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
Kelly: “No it wasn’t. Your Twitter account. . .for the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell.
Trump: “Yes, I’m sure it was.”
Kelly: “Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president? And how will you answer the charge with Hillary Clinton who is likely to be the Democratic nominee that you are part of the war on women?”
Mr Trump believes that question evidenced bias on the part of Megyn Kelly. He said that Roger Ailes (Chairman and CEO of Fox News) should have Megyn Kelly banned from Thursday’s debate staff.
In my opinion, Trump has made a serious mistake by showing his skirt, so to speak. If Megyn Kelly offended him then and offends him during the debate, then he needs to stand there and defend himself, and to dish back as he sees fit.
It’s what he does and what people expect to see.
The retort “if he can’t handle Kelly then how would he handle Putin” is trite but has a semblance of accuracy. For history, at one point early in her McCain/VP campaign I was in support of Sarah Palin. However, once she resigned as Alaska governor in 2009, I knew she couldn’t take the heat. At least she did the right thing and got out of the kitchen. Since then I’ve known that Palin is a poseur. And no, she never said she could see Russia from her house.
With that in mind, Trump takes the easy or cowardly way out. Yes, you can readily reply that Trump is a bit in Hillary’s position where any further exposure can be deleterious to his campaign. But that would be wrong, because Trump absolutely thrives in a clashing and adversarial environment. He enjoys it. What he doesn’t enjoy is being faced with his own statements.
If Trump made various statements he should either own them or refute them.
But stepping away from a debate because he doesn’t like someone who asked him a tough question smacks of “taking his toys and going home.”
The Iowa caucus is next Monday, February 1st. (Go here to see how the Iowa caucuses work.)
Because of that I’ll be watching the debates anyway, as I want to see how Cruz, Rubio and Christie conduct themselves tonight, and how the interplay goes between them.
Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and Megyn Kelly will moderate the Thursday debate, whose big table cast will include Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Rand Paul.
The small table debate, held first, will be moderated by Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum and will consist of Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Jim Gilmore. I’ll believe that Jim Gilmore thingie when I see it.
I’ll be watching the debates and then posting about them later tonight.
BZ
Maybe we can get Fox to host the National Elections and Trump will sit them out.
I think Trump is making a mistake. I think he’s been handed a golden opportunity to refute Kelly the only way he can. He’d either be the hero or the lout. It would be up to him.
BZ
I’m going to be working, so will check to see what you have to say after I get home.
Thanks sir.
BZ
I will watch, analyze what I think is pertinent to me.
This is Trump’s election to lose, if he gets his gut full and loses interest.
But, he likes a good fight and calling them out.
If he decides to not attend,, then that’s ok in my book.
That’s what’s confusing. He likes a fight. He should get in there and trade blows. It makes for great fun.
BZ
I think I can see Trump’s view on this. This whole Megan Kelly thing is a time bomb for him. I really really like Kelly, and up until this attack from her on Trump, I thought her to be a great conservative reporter.
Here is what I think may be going thru the mind of Trump. If he shows up and attacks him again, he can either hit back, or take it. If he takes the insults and does not hit back, he looks weak and like a schlub who takes a beating without doing a thing.
Or, Trump can hit back. Now, what I really really like about Donald, is when he faces an enemy, he goes for the jugular. I think it high time we get a man like that again. Reagan had the same demeanor, which is why our hostages in Iran got returned minutes after he won the election. Anyway, Trump would destroy her there and then. Then what? He won, but then he lost. He looks like the big 5th grade school yard bully that just pummeled the cute ballerina second grader on the playground. Yes, she attacked him, like the small girl running up and kicking the big kid in the shin. So, what does he do?
As a cop, I remember the best advice I would give someone during a domestic. When a burly husband and wife were fighting, and the husband would tell me how his wife would start hitting him and asked me what he should do. Yes, he needs to defend himself, but if his wife has any marks on her when the cops show up, it don’t look good. He is the instant bad guy, and will get arrested.
So, I would tell these guys, when it happens again, simply walk away. I am sure many cops have said the same exact thing. It’s in our culture to NOT strike women. Even if they are the aggressors. We don’t hurt our women.
That was what Trump faced, and he did what society expects of its men when attacked by a women. He walked away.
And I will say, it took guts for him to do that. I mean, I bet he wanted to hand her her own ass right there on national TV….and he damn well could have. But then he is the bully. And the whole “war on women” thing becomes a fresh new claim against him. There would be poor poor Megan with her “black eye” pointing at the big mean Donald for hitting her. All she did was ask him a simple question, and he went after her. Donald would have Won and Lost all in a single instant.
Plus, by walking away, there is the added bonus of Fox losing ratings, and thus MONEY, which we all know, makes the world go round, and keeps the kids in touch, and the root of all evil and so on. Follow the money.
Donald did not walk away. He hit Fox hard. He hit them in the wallet. And I know they felt it. Harder than any comment or retort he could make if he showed up. And he sent a clear message to them. Like a horse head in their beds. Don’t mess with me. Back off your attack girl, and treat me fairly, or you will lose something you value more than integrity…..your money.
Trump is not stupid. There is never a win when all the world sees a cute beloved little girl hurt. It’s in our DNA to protect them and again, MEN DON”T HIT WOMEN. Trump was the bigger man here…by far as far as I see it. He took the high road…and for once…showed us that he can keep his mouth shut when the time calls for it. Silence can say so much at times. Maybe Trump made a mistake. His choices both held consequences. He took the one where the girl doesn’t get hurt. He sticks up for himself, but he’s no bully.
Of course, that is only my humble opinion. I may be wrong.