Posted on 08/25/2015 12:02:07 PM PDT by maggief
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump fired back at Fox News on Tuesday after the network's head and several of its star personalities criticized him in an ongoing feud over anchor Megyn Kelly.
The celebrity real estate tycoon said he "totally" disagreed with a statement from Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes that defended Kelly's "tough but fair" questioning of Trump at the GOP debate Aug. 6.
"I do not think Megyn Kelly is a quality journalist. I think her questioning of me, despite all of the polls saying I won the debate, was very unfair," Trump said in his statement, reiterating past criticisms of the host.
"Hopefully in the future I will be proven wrong and she will be able to elevate her standards to a level of professionalism that a network such as FOX deserves," Trump added in the statement.
A slew of Fox News hosts and personalities slammed Trump after he reignited a feud with the network and its star anchor Monday night, when Kelly returned to the airwaves following a 10-day vacation.
Trump shared several tweets critical of the female host, including one referring to her as a "bimbo."
That set off a series of social media responses from several of her colleagues, including Bret Baier, who told Trump to move on, and Sean Hannity, who told the businessman to "leave @megynkelly alone."
Ailes also issued a lengthy statement Tuesday defending Kelly from Trump's criticism:
“Donald Trump's surprise and unprovoked attack on Megyn Kelly during her show last night is as unacceptable as it is disturbing. Megyn Kelly represents the very best of American journalism and all of us at FOX News Channel reject the crude and irresponsible attempts to suggest otherwise.
"I could not be more proud of Megyn for her professionalism and class in the face of all of Mr. Trump’s verbal assaults. Her questioning of Mr. Trump at the debate was tough but fair, and I fully support her as she continues to ask the probing and challenging questions that all presidential candidates may find difficult to answer.
"Donald Trump rarely apologizes, although in this case, he should. We have never been deterred by politicians or anyone else attacking us for doing our job, much less allowed ourselves to be bullied by anyone and we’re certainly not going to start now. All of our journalists will continue to report in the fair and balanced way that has made FOX News Channel the number one news network in the industry.”
Despite doubling down again on his criticism of Kelly, Trump also suggested that he may be ready to move on from the public dispute, saying "more importantly" he was pleased to see several new polls showing him in the lead.
"I will be in Iowa tonight with my speech being broadcast live on CNN and other networks," Trump concluded. "My sole focus in running for the Presidency is to Make America Great Again!"
He wants only softball questions.
Trump is only doing this for the entertainment value.
Going head-to-head with Fox pleases the “independents” *AND* the many conservatives who’ve been disappointed by Fox’s leftward drift.
Say what you will about him, he almost never backs down.
Wrong, Donald. Kelly isn’t a journalist. She’s a dress for hire infotainment babe.
How about relevant questions?
She’s a dope. Last night she was interviewing that freak Cornel West. He smoothly slid into the conversation that Martin Luther King, Jr., was a “Democrat Socialist”. If Megyn knew her history she’d have corrected him and reminded him that MLK was a Republican. She said nothing. (Neither did the Republican black guy she interviewed.)
Didn’t Kelly continue to push the “Trump raped his wife” story even after she refuted it?
Her questions were not appropriate for a debate. They might fit a talk show format of the caliber of Jerry Springer.
The GOP/MSM are not happy Trump KO'd their insider lapdog.
Deserved or not, Kelly is the face of Fox being outed as just as biased as the others. Their “fair and balanced” reporting is no such thing.
I would rather Trump let it go, he’s done more than adequate damage to her and Fox.
Wallace and Kelly did a very poor job of running the debate. This is not only with Trump, but with the rest of the candidates as well. As often happens, Trump winds up being the self-selected lightning rod, but his complaint is true for the others too.
The earlier debate was as poorly run as the second. Fortunately, most of the candidates refused to be baited into the moderators’ dumber questions, and presented themselves very well with only a couple of exceptions.
I would like to see a debate moderated by people who are actually smart, maybe like Levin, Ingraham, people with some smarts. Instead of empty heads like Wallace and Kelly.
Didn’t Kelly continue to push the “Trump raped his wife” story even after she refuted it?
That’s when I saw behind the mask. Then came the debate. Haven’t watched Megyn Kelly since.
Here is a question I would ask:
Why do you give far more money to the Dems than the Republicans including the Clintons?
Rut-roh.
Kelly is going to need a transfusion before the day is over.
winner
Almost? Trump never backs down from personal attacks.
Fair question, but one I believe he answered. His response was rather weak but I do not do real estate in NYC.
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