Earlier this evening, CNN’s Don Lemon interviewed Donald Trump about the debate on Fox News Channel last night, and set off another Trump-related tempest. After noting that Kelly pushed Trump during the debate, and that she “pushed a lot of people” besides Trump, Lemon asked, “What is it with you and Megyn Kelly?” Trump’s reply was, er … colorful, to say the least [emphasis mine]:
TRUMP: Well, I just don’t respect her as a journalist, I have no respect for her. I don’t think she’s very good, I think she’s highly overrated. But when I came out there, you know — what am I doing? I’m not getting paid for this. I go out there, and they start saying this stuff [garbled]. But you know, I didn’t know there’d be 24 million people. I knew it was going to be a big crowd because I get crowds, I get ratings. They call me the ratings machine. So I have, you know, she gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions, and you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her … wherever. But in my opinion, she was off base.
Kelly did ask Trump tough questions in last night’s debate, but she asked tough questions of Marco Rubio on abortion too, and of other candidates on stage as well. As the front-runner, Trump should have expected tough questions, especially given his track record of supporting nearly every progressive idea at one time or another, including Hillary Clinton being President. Kelly also asked Trump about his remarks about women, which appears to have particularly rankled him — and pushed him into validating Kelly’s premise in asking those questions in the first place. After all, it’s not often when a major party candidate takes a shot at a woman by reminding everyone of her menstrual cycle. I’m certain that will really impress women about their place in the Republican Party.
Trump was scheduled to speak at the Red State Gathering tomorrow, in the final slot at the event. Not long after these remarks, event organizer Erick Erickson announced that he had withdrawn the invitation:
I have rescinded my invitation to Mr.Trump. While I have tried to give him great latitude, his remark about Megyn Kelly was a bridge too far
That will undoubtedly anger some Trump supporters, but after last night’s debate performance and his thin-skinned whining afterward, I wonder if that group wasn’t already in decline. This might fire up the die-hard Trump troops, but suggesting that a journalist went after his target-rich record only because she was menstruating should be a disqualifier for most voters. It’s vastly worse than anything Todd Akin said, and will almost certainly have media outlets demanding responses from the other Republican candidates. It’s practically tailor-made for Democrats to hoist up the Republican War On Women banner, especially Hillary Clinton.
Get ready for plenty of Team Trump dog-in-the-manger, sour-grapes quotes in the morning, if not overnight. There may be some legitimate anger among a small group of RSG15 attendees tomorrow who wanted to see Trump at this event, but Erick has a solid case for not wanting to have this overshadow the event tomorrow, with more presidential candidates on hand to make their pitches. Erick will almost certainly address this in the morning, and we’ll see what the fallout is over the rest of the day.
Update: Carly Fiorina appears to be the first Republican candidate to respond to Trump’s remarks, perhaps fittingly so (via Twitchy):
That’s interesting, because Fiorina actually deflected a Trump question at her presser today at RSG15 by asking why the media wasn’t calling out Obama for his offensive comments about opponents of the Iran deal. Not this time, apparently.
But I also think that while Mr. Trump resonates with a lot of people with his bluntness, including me to a degree, there are just real lines of decency a person running for President should not trust.
His comment was inappropriate. It is unfortunate to have to disinvite him. But I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong.
I have invited Megyn Kelly to attend in Donald Trump’s place tomorrow night.
Well, that would be interesting. We’ll see if she can swing that.
Carly Fiorina: "I'm the new rising star Lion-ess of GOP Presidential candidates!"
This broad Fiorina is a hologram. A fake. Wolf in sheeps' clothing. A hedge for Jeb. A totally manufactured candidate who is OBVIOUSLY following a script. She's just as manufactured a product as is the fake outrage against Trump. The Megyn Kelly-led "War on Women!" meme, and the un-holy matrimony of FOX News to the effete GOPe is now exposed to the world. How will Republican voters react to this manipulation?
Q: Is there ANYTHING that either FOX News or the GOPe do that isn't contrived, staged bullsh*t?? Their relationship isn't much different than the symbiosis of MSNBC and the Dem Party.
In her rather miserable 2010 CA Senate campaign, she was adamantly pro-choice and on the global hotting side.
She was, in fairness, just recovering from surgery and breast cancer and had just lost an adopted daughter.
In fairness, why should her personal her problems have played into her life philosophy? In order to be "fair"?? What proof have we that she's sincerely suddenly changed her mind on those two hot-button issues that are traditionally DEM red meat requisites?
I think she has prepared for and wants to be the new Palin, an attack dog that can defy the usual War On Women themes.
That portrayal appears to be the narrative/script for the time being. But now she's just defied her defiance of the "War on Women" theme by going after Trump. That didn't take long.
She is a much better prepared candidate now than she was in her 2010 race or in her role in 2012 as a highly placed Romney surrogate.
Yup, I agree wholeheartedly. Fiorina polished inside and outside, and seems to have attended finishing school for GOPe Candidates.
Given that she is appealing to the GOP party establishment, it's no surprise she's demoing her willingness to go on the attack yet again.
But THIS time, her handlers have jumped on the "Destroy-Trump!" bandwagon, which undoubtedly endears her to the RNC. My impression: Fiorina seems...almost TOO polished, too smooth, too confident. And NOW she can play off and exploit the "War on Women" card and not be treated "meanly" during the campaign. How utterly reptilian AND brilliant!
But THIS time, her handlers have jumped on the "Destroy-Trump!" bandwagon, which undoubtedly endears her to the RNC. My impression: Fiorina seems...almost TOO polished, too smooth, too confident. And NOW she can play off and exploit the "War on Women" card and not be treated "meanly" during the campaign. How utterly reptilian AND brilliant!
It is a clever strategy, certainly obvious enough.
Donald made an unforced error, Fiorina swoops in to capitalize on it.
I saw a number of political consultants who think that Fiorina won both debates on Thursday. No one at the main debate had as good a night as she had in the 5pm debate. Then she raced to PMSNBC and kicked Chrissy Matthews in the balls.
So she's on a roll and will definitely make the cut for the main debate upcoming on CNN. Where she can slice and dice Teh Donald to his face for a big audience.
Let's imagine how that might go. She attacks him for chummy phone calls with Bill Xlinton and for saying he might run third-party. He makes some angry retort about her tenure as HP CEO. She then says something acidic in return and finishes with, "I hope you don't think I'm bleeding from...somewhere like you said about Megan Kelly, you crude buffoon."
The DNC is probably trying to figure out how they got upstaged with the "Trump plan." They probably see Trump in the race as a master stroke of RNC strategery:)
I heard they are now delaying their first debate. Wonder is Vasserman Sholtz is looking for a lightening rod:)
As it stands all the Dim candidates are boring. Not good "television."
The DNC is probably trying to figure out how they got upstaged with the "Trump plan." They probably see Trump in the race as a master stroke of RNC strategery:)
You know they're trying to script up ways to tar the entire GOP with Trump.
Media to any GOP nominee: "Why did you not confront Donald Trump's hate speech toward Mexicans or even Megan Kelly? Aren't you part of the GOP's War On Womyn?"
Is Trump the tar on the GOP or is the GOP the tar on Trump?
Trump is just Trump, same as ever. He has always been only about himself.
Being a New Yorker, he considers the GOP just a line among a few dozen others on the NY state ballot, probably has no idea it isn't like that elsewhere in the country.
I think Trump is actually pretty naive about America generally, probably the worst in either field. Donald Trump's life is all about excluding the 99% entirely.
Trump is just Trump, same as ever. He has always been only about himself.
Assume Trump is about Trump. But even if true, his legit words and anger over the illegal invasion and Sanctuary Cities did MORE to bring attention and address the problem than the last 6 1/2 years of GOP under Boehner and McConnell. Speaking of which -- are both Boehner and McConnell representing their own selfish interests, OR just the interests of their pimps?
Don't tell me Jeb has ever been about anything BUT himself. Same of both Dubya and Poppy. Proof is in the pudding.
I think Trump is actually pretty naive about America generally, probably the worst in either field. Donald Trump's life is all about excluding the 99% entirely.
So naive that he's hit on the hot-button of many Americans, trouncing the GOP field in the polls before the GOPe colluded with FOX News to shut him down.
Trump has demonstrated in word that he IS in tune with the world -- the 99% -- and not as naive or informed as you'd like to believe.
trouncing the GOP field in the polls before the GOPe colluded with FOX News to shut him down.
to TRY to shut him down. He's not shut down if the people react to that lynch mob with leaving Fox and telling Megyn Kelly to STFU every time they see her.
They're after him. Support him MORE. And when they belittle Trump, and belittle Trump supporters, belittle them back.
Be sure to use words that they find "offensive" - they're aiming to control the language and control you by controlling the language. Hit them back and make them retreat from you. Do not concede any ground, any where. Enough. Take the stand and shout them down. They try to intimidate, yell louder, shout them down, Do not let them flap their shit traps to speak their conniving words. If they are so easily frightened, then scare the living shit out of them.
Trump is still very much in the game.
He meant NOSE. He bloodied her NOSE. Carla Fiorina hyperventilated from her skirt - not Presidential material. She was a useless failure of an executive and gets her panties in a wad IMAGINING slurs against women that are not there.
A whiny, useless person, who was useless as a mere corporate executive. Shut her up. Shut them down. Give them nothing.
Trump is in the game. And people like it, like him, and think that people who whine about talking about giving a reporterette a bloody nose are pussies.
So you think it's fine for a man to talk about giving a woman a bloody nose? Seriously?
Stop trying to excuse the inexcusable. You know exactly what he meant.
Yes. Women are equal nowadays. When a woman stands up to you toe to toe to try to take you out, you beat the shit out her verbally just exactly as she will do to you. And if she hits you, you take her out physically.
They are not prissy little creatures, they say they don't want to be treated as prissy little creatures, they are, in fact, often manipulative, temperamental nasty bitches who deserve to be slapped down verbally just exactly like men - and they never hesitate to do it.
Celtic women - French, Irish, Scots, etc, have always been fierce and difficult. Megyn Kelly is not some tender little damsel in distress. She came out there to have a fistflght with Donald Trump. She did. And she's been empowered by it. She and Fiorina. When women run things, it's always a miserable fucking disaster.
#127. To: Vicomte13, TooConservative (#122)(Edited)
So you think it's fine for a man to talk about giving a woman a bloody nose? Seriously? Stop trying to excuse the inexcusable. You know exactly what he meant.
Yes. Women are equal nowadays.
I am probably rationalizing Trump's boorish behavior (and I am a supporter) but if women want to be treated as equals and not like children (their pre suffrage legal status) then they can be metaphorically punched bloody. Politics is a blood sport it is said, is it not?
The thing with Trump is that he is saying, I may talk like this but I am a highly competent business man/man of action. I will fix problems - I am a problem solver.
Steve Jobs is praised as some sort of genius - and he was in a way. But he was also a complete asshole and boor as well. But if he ran for president his talents are so great that it outweighs having poor manners. Same kind of thinking people have with Trump. He has poor table manners but he will fix stuff.
Also, here is the unsaid truth that the GOP is freaking over - ideologues don't solve shit. If ideology says 2+2 must equal 5 then an ideologue will never really fix a problem where the answer is 4.
So deep down many Republicans must be thinking this. Trump will fix this and because he is not a true conservative all that bullshit we know is conservative ideological bullshit ideology (like capitalism's love of free trade is good for American jobs) won't get in his way.
