Donald Trump claims his unprecedented withdrawal from a presidential campaign debate is a result of unfair treatment by Fox News.
Trump long has objected to the participation of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly as one of the three moderators, claiming she has treated him unfairly with both her questioning of him at last August’s debate and her commentary since then.
Trump and Kelly tangled at the first debate in August in Cleveland when Kelly asked Trump to explain offensive comments denigrating some women, and he took offense. In an interview with CNN two days after the debate, Trump said: “She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes – blood coming out of her wherever. In my opinion, she was off base.” On Tuesday, he referred to Kelly as a “lightweight” and a “third-rate reporter.”
Earlier Tuesday, Fox News Channel Chairman and Chief Executive Roger Ailes said the network would defend Kelly even if it means losing Trump in the debate.
“Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist, and the entire network stands behind her,” Ailes said. “She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night.”
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