Without a doubt Donald Trump is enjoying every minute of the attention being accorded him in his quixotic crusade for the Presidency. What Trump doesn’t like is being in a situation he can’t shout and bully his way out of and we all witnessed it in the GOP debate. As a review, here the Kelly-Trump confrontation:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJI3F_SIFI[/youtube]
Following the debate Trump exploded at Kelly
“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
Many interpreted that as a menstrual connotation, but Trump denied it.
There has been an amazing amount of fallout from that night and Trump’s supporters have been savaging Kelly.
Trump denied using the language Kelly spoke of but his memory seems impaired:
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday he can’t recall using words such as “dog,” ”fat” and “disgusting” to insult women he believes have slighted him, but such language litters his Twitter feed and other public comments he’s made for years.
Then Trump went out and called Kelly both a “bimbo” and a “lightweight.” Then he added:
“She’s not very tough and not very sharp,” Trump said during a phone interview on CNN. “I don’t respect her as a journalist.”
She was tough enough to piss him off. More Trump comments:
In tweets sent last year, Trump called Huffington Post editor Arianna Huffington “a dog who wrongfully comments on me” and said she is “ugly both inside and out!”
In 2012, Trump wrote on Twitter of singer Bette Midler: “But whenever she sees me, she kisses my ass. She’s disgusting.”
Trump is a foul mouthed misogynist. I agree completely with Steve Hayes when he says this is not going to end well.
We assumed that at some point they’d embarrassed to be associated with him: If not his slander of Mexican immigrants, then perhaps his mockery of POWs; if not his kindergarten Twitter insults, then perhaps his sad and compulsive boasting; if not his incomprehensible answers to substantive questions at the debate, then maybe, finally, his juvenile and misogynistic put-down of the female moderator.
Trump is an insecure narcissist. All this would be great entertainment if Republican aspirations for the White House weren’t at stake.
Anyone who paid any attention to the debate knows that each of the candidates were asked an opening question specifically designed for them. Moreover, the questions were all aimed at a soft spot in the candidates. Dr. ben Carson was asked if he felt qualified to be President never having participated in politics. Trump was queried on his abusive language toward women.
It wasn’t off base. Trump used that language repeatedly. He is abusive and he is a bully.
Some circulate a petition seeking Kelly’s removal from future debates. It’s disappointing to see some conservative sites pile on Kelly. Some are trying to use an old interview of Kelly by Howard Stern to smear her.
It’s here if you want to listen. Kelly indulges in some salacious talk but spends most of the time parrying Stern’s usual perversions.
Yet, Kelly did Trump a favor, despite what I felt was at times high school repartee with her cohosts.
Does anyone think for one second that this would not have surfaced during a lengthy campaign?
Does anyone think for one second the left would have avoided bringing up the “Trump war on women” topic?
Wake up and smell the coffee.
If somehow Trump survives this, he’ll have been given a gift by being able to clear the air before the left smacks him with it. If Trump thinks this was tough, he better shop for a better set of big boy pants. The left will be body-slamming him like he’s never seen. What will he then threaten? Not to be nice to his opposition? Will he threaten to stop making political donations to democrats? One can only imagine the fusillade of boorish verbosity that would be loosed. Ultimately America would have but one response to Trump:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SEy1qu71I[/youtube]
“Ya fyuhd!”
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
Dr. John, there are few times I disagree with you, but this is one of them.
Perhaps you should read my comments on the other thread. Here is the bottom line; if you’re a woman and you want to play in the mud with the big boys, you should expect to get mud on you.
The debate was a disgrace. It was more Jerry Springer than what we have come to expect from Fox News. And it seems that you left out part of Donald Trump’s quote where he went on to say:
“Believe me there’s a big difference between Mike Wallace and Chris Wallace. Because I watched him last night and, you know, blood pouring out of his eyes, too.”
Are we to assume that Trump was talking about Chris Wallace’s menstrual cycle, as well?
All these conservative pundits that are coming to Kelly’s rescue, like Knights on white horses, are doing it so that they don’t look like misogynists. Not one of them have finished Trump’s quote.
As to giving her a pass on the Howard Stern show; bull. She also played along with Stern’s game “F**k, Marry, Kill.” She said she would f**k Bill O’Reilly, marry Sean Hannity (he’s young and rich) and kill Glenn Beck. Her photographs in Gentleman’s Quarterly were also pretty risqué. If she wants to be treated like a lady, perhaps she should have acted like one. Perhaps you think she’s above trying to build her reputation with sexy photographs but Stern’s reputation precedes him and any one who goes on his show knows what to expect. Megyn Kelly was no different.
Is Trump a bully? Yes. But trying to whitewash the actions of the moderators, turning a serious debate into a shock-jock show is inexcusable. And Republican voters didn’t tune in for that. Never mind that for a week, Megyn, Chris and Brett all got more face time on Fox than normal touting how they wondered what Trump was going to say and how he was going to act. The network built their viewership on pumping up interest in Trump.
So while Obama compares Republicans (and now a few Democrats like Chuck Schumer) as being as bad as ISIS, and has consistently insulted his opponents, conservatives and Republicans, you seem to be worried because Kelly got body slammed when she entered the ring.
Last year both the Indian elite party rulers (in India) as well as some of the UK party elite rulers were overthrown by surprise wins from populist candidates whose parties never won a thing before.
It is a good thing.
The Republican win last election (2014) should have led to a populist sea change but our establishment Republicans made worse war on them than they did their Democrat foes.
The sad thing is that Trump might poison the well for other, better populist candidates by his antics.
He has a few tricks and uses them over and over.
Read his books (I have) and see.
I imagine his TV shows are also filled with examples, like the ones that surfaced recently.
But his big mistake is confusing being un-PC (a great thing) with being a boor.
One can destroy the PC construct without resorting to such tactics.
In point of fact, the PC crowd is busy eating its own.
Just look at how Bernie Sanders was kept off his own stage by two George Soros plants.
His ”crime?”
He believes that ALL lives matter, not merely black ones killed by police.
@Nanny G:
Except that the Fox team took one quote out of context. The woman to whom the statement was directed has disputed that it was said in a sexual context.
OK, you tell me how that works because from where I sit, we are losing the PC war. How exactly do you fight Alinsky tactics? Do you think being nice, and not saying anything offensive about the left is really working? That’s the problem with D.C. Republicans. They are so afraid they are going to be slammed in a press that is largely left wing if they say anything untoward about a Democrat, they just roll over and take it.
How do you get a school yard bully to stop hitting you with a rock? You hit him with a brick.
I have said, time and time again, Trump is not my candidate. But to think that we are going to win friends and influence voters by rolling over and taking what ever meanness the left dishes out has been proven false. Like it or not, Alinsky tactics work.
So if you have a better way, perhaps you should let Boehner and McConnell know what it is.
Another GOPe blog. Wow. So many lies and smears. Nice of you to write about all the tweets from Trump with no context..Do you think Trump just woke up one day and fired off those tweets? Or was he called names 10x worse to start.
The anger at the GOPe and its little minions on blogs and media is why Trump is where he is, warts and all. We have no voice. No one standing up for us. All these rinos campaign one way then laugh at us and appease the left. We hate condescending jerks like Steve Hayes and Charles Krauthammer. They are the problem. Burn. It all down.
The conduct and statements of Ms. Kelly et al matter not one whit. They are not running for president. Donald Trump is almost as much a worm as Barack Obama.
As @Roy (#5) indicated, Megyn Kelly doesn’t need to explain anything, or justify her question. She’s not running for office. Trump has a history of disparaging everyone who disagrees with him, or he sees as a competitor. When he doesn’t get his way, he throws a tantrum.
Also, most of us in these forums here at FA have complained about the lack of civility, especially in politics. If this is the best we can do, God help us.
The conduct and statements of Ms.Kelly and the rest of Fox left no equal time to others on the stage, Carson and Cruz ,respectively. For example, Carson quipped to Ms. Kelly of abandonment and Cruz was not heard from for almost an hour..The American public deserved better than the taunting of Mr. Trump via Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wallace. Perhaps, Candy Crowley can join the Fox Panel for future debates.
@retire05:
I do not like Trump.
I do not trust Trump.
I do not believe he is a conservative.
I would much rather see him explode now than as a GOP candidate.
@David: Megyn Kelly. Is an opportunist, someone who holds a pricetag on her fronthead. Cheap female who makes this world an ugly place.
@drjohn: too bad for you. He is THE BEST get a tissue
@Richard more:
He is an opportunist who has no chance of being elected. Anyone who reads this blog knows I agree with many of the points he makes and I’d like to see the GOP candidates take a hint from him.
Problem is, he’s a lot like Obama. Disagree with him and you’re ridiculed.
Same mean Megyn eyes to Donald as she showed to Bill Gates.
Trump! is loved by the GOP base.
They deserve each other.When Trump polls twice as high as any other candidate what does that tell you about that party? Nothing good.
@drjohn:
I understand. I do not like, trust or think Christie or Bush to be conservatives. And I find Christie’s abrasive personality to be just as bellicose as Trumps.
But I don’t think that “journalists” who want to be taken seriously, and serve to shed light on the policy beliefs of the candidates, should treat a debate like a frat party or a Jerry Springer show. The question that was given to another candidate re: abortion was designed to embarrass. What is the point in that? I want to know what a candidate proposes to stop the illegal actions of the current President.
And while some say “Well, Kelly is not running for president” she, Wallace and Baier were responsible for trying to give the public some idea how each candidate would govern. It’s called “journalism” and there are rules in a debate for both the candidates and the moderators. The fact that almost 40% of the allotted time was sucked up by the moderators should tell you all you needed to know about the agenda of Fox. It was the Megyn, Chris and Brett Show. And the appearance of Trump was pumped up by Fox for a week. All designed to garner viewers, not to inform the public on the issues.
Also, not mentioning that Trump said the same thing about Wallace as he did about Kelly (blood comment) is misleading, at best. I am sick of sound bite innuendos.
Trump is already a candidate. Perhaps you meant nominee?
@drjohn:
Yet he continues to lead in the polls.
You are missing the larger issue. The fact that Fox News had an opportunity to do a serious debate and they failed. The questions were the type that I would expect from CNN or Chris Matthews. Not from a news outlet that is supposed to be “fair and balanced.”
@retire05:
“…CNN or Chris Matthews.”
Those were my thoughts.
Kelly handled Trump in the same fashion as John King did to Newt…how soon we forget. Was she auditioning for a CNN slot?
“Gingrich delivers show-stopper at beginning of South Carolina debate”
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/…
Fox should have been more professional, and not turned the second debate into a ‘slaughter Trump’ show. He singlehandedly handed them 24 million viewers. There are almost NO conservatives on Fox, certainly NOT Kelly.
I personally dislike the childish Trump tweets following the debate, but as I wrote long ago, no one owns him. Most thinking Americans are tired of “politicians” and everything that is meant by “politician”.
As the full economic reality of what it means that 60 million Americans are unemployed, people will hunger for someone who understands entrepreneurship. A professional politician is not that.
At this point, Fiorina is the one to watch. She and Carson would make a dynamite team given what we have been presented so far.
Guys like Rubio are simply likeable, slick, politicians. He can’t even stick to his stance on immigration. That points to a lack of both wisdom and principles.
It will only be fair IF every candidate gets as thorough a background check as Trump.
Back when Ivana and he were divorcing and the fur was flying a female reporter covered the mess with her tendency to favor the wife and child showing in her article.
So, how did Trump react?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/you-have-to-treat-em-like-shit-before-megyn-kelly-trump-dumped-wine-on-a-female-reporter.html
Well, at least Megyn was not the first.
If this article from the Los Angeles Times is true (the reporter cites no source for his information) it appears Fox News was prepared to escort Donald Trump off the stage if he broke protocol.
Seems they went over exactly how they would ask each question and Bret Baier was the one ready to pull that trigger if it had been needed.
Sure wish the reporter had named his source, though.
The building Possibilities:
Fiorina / Carson
Cruz / Fiorina
Cruz / Carson
Any of these combinations would present excellent challenges to 4 more years of the current “deconstruct America” machine.
OK, who thinks Trump would have escaped being reminded of his past derisions of women?
Put up your hands!
Who thinks Trump would not have to explain why we should treat women “like shit”?
Stand up! Let’s hear it.
@drjohn:
Brett Baier just said on Fox that the purpose of a debate (and I’m paraphrasing here) is to show the policies and issues of the candidates. He went on to say that Trump answers prevented that and that they were going to show some of the responses of other candidates.
Who the hell was asking the stupid, gotcha, Jerry Springer questions?
Why didn’t they ask Chris Christie why he has appointed Muslims to high places in the New Jersey government that have had ties to radical Islamist groups? How’s that for a gotcha question? How about the Jeb! about his statements on it’s-not-amnesty amnesty? Or maybe ask Kasich what his state’s budget shortfall is going to be starting next year after he has placed so many in his state on Medicaid?
You don’t like Trump. We got it. But to not lay the blame on Fox for their lousy questions, cheating viewers out of a real, honest debate on policy and issues is narrow minded and off base.
Now I don’t know how this will shake out for all the other candidates ….. but…. Fox News is looking at a way to give Trump an HOUR to just answer questions and express opinions on the air.
Is that fair to the other 16?
http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/10/media/donald-trump-fox-news/index.html?sr=twmoney081015trump1000story
http://spectator.org/blog/63740/fox-news-might-be-looking-trump-peace-treaty
@Nanny G #23 –
If that is a true report, then FNC is going to create problems. In all fairness, the other 16 should get their equal time if they’re going to give him an hour to rehabilitate himself.
Politics is a rough, dirty line of work. If Trump can’t handle a tough question, or even an unfair one, now, then he shouldn’t be president. He also needs to get off the telephone for his media interviews and show up in person like the other candidates or do a studio remote.
@retire05:
Sorry, I disagree. I think it was a fair question. Had Chris Wallace asked it, I wonder if anyone would be outraged.
Who thinks Harry Reid would have escaped being reminded of his past decisions of Romney on the Senate floor?
Who thinks Bill Clinton would not have to explain why we treat women “like shit.”
@drjohn:
Yeah, like asking a candidate if God “spoke to him” about running for POTUS.
What does that have to do with the issues that Americans are concerned about? You know, things like our massive debt, riots in our streets, ISIS marching across the Middle East beheading Christians, the low work force numbers, our sluggish economy, Iran getting nuclear weapons, the invasion of illegals into our country and the crimes committed by them, the disaster train Social Security is on, a SCOTUS that is making law, not ruling on the Constitutionality of law passed by Congress, and dozens of other issues that have the security and stability of our nation threatened?
Can you envision Megyn Kelly or Chris Wallace asking Hillary Clinton “Mrs. Clinton, your husband was a notorious womanizer and it has been claimed that you persecuted those women to save your husband’s hide. Isn’t that a case of the real “war on women?”
Has there been any announcement that Dems are going to be debating on Fox news?
I sure can’t imagine anyone at the ABCNBCCBSCNNMSNBS media complex ever asking her that.
But Stephenopolus (sp? who cares?) had no problem asking Romney about banning birth control pills……
“Governor Romney, do you believe that states have the right to ban contraception? Or is that trumped by a constitutional right to privacy?”
I’m coming late to the party on this one but……If Obama is a puppy that loves to get his ‘tummy’ rubbed, Trump is a Junk Yard Mutt, loves to bark and bite. Right now we’re tired of the cute little puppy. Somewhere along the line we need a dog that will be a companion and a protector, I’m fairly sure that Trump isn’t that dog, plus he sheds a lot, especially with his history of sucking up to the dims. He is on records as wanting more control of ‘assault’ rifles…what the heck they are. As James #20 posted we’ve got 3 people that would give us some good combinations.