On Tuesday, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump announced that he would not be participating in Thursday’s Republican debate hosted by Fox News. The primary source of contention between the real estate mogul and news network was Megyn Kelly’s role as moderator. Trump’s campaign accused Kelly of bias and called into question her talent as a journalist, insisting that she be removed as moderator. Fox News issued a statement, however, stating that Kelly would remain on the panel, and Trump has since announced that he will instead host a competing event in Iowa to raise money for veterans. Here are the most socially shared thoughts on the ongoing dispute between Fox and Trump.
Justin Sullivan/Getty, Craig Barritt/Getty via Rolling Stone
VETERANS’ GROUPS HAVE DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM TRUMP’S FUNDRAISER TO COMPETE WITH THE FOX NEWS DEBATE.
Veterans group to Trump: Keep your donations
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CNN – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff tweeted Wednesday that he would decline any contributions that came from the event, which Trump has proposed in place of his attending Fox News’ debate this week. “If offered, @IAVA will decline donations from Trump’s event. We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts,” he said… Read more.
SENATOR TED CRUZ HAS OFFERED TO DEBATE TRUMP HIMSELF.
Trump campaign says Donald won’t participate in Fox News/Google debate
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Fox News – “If Donald is afraid to defend his record, it speaks volumes,” Cruz said in a radio interview with Mark Levin, challenging Trump to a one-on-one debate… Read More.
MANY WONDER IF THE DECISION TO DROP OUT OF THE DEBATE IS SIMPLY A CALCULATED MOVE BY TRUMP TO SEIZE THE SPOTLIGHT.
Trump Refuses to Play by the Rules
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Rush Limbaugh – In addition to that, Donald Trump knows that by not showing up, he’s owning the entire event. Some guy not even present will end up owning the entire event, and the proof of that is Fox News last night… Read more.
Rush Limbaugh
A ROLLING STONE PIECE SPECULATES THAT THIS IS MERELY A DISPLAY OF TRUMP’S HATRED TOWARD WOMEN.
Donald Trump Is Skipping the GOP Debate Because He Hates Women
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Rolling Stone – What was so different about Kelly’s question from other rough coverage Trump has received? A woman asked him about his utter hatred of women, and for once, the truth may have actually stung him… Read More.
THE MOVE REFLECTS TRUMP’S OPINION THAT HIS CAMPAIGN DOESN’T NEED ADDITIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE.
Donald Trump will skip Fox News’s debate because of Megyn Kelly
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Vox – Trump himself has acknowledged his popularity with the media, telling an Iowa crowd that he doesn’t pay for campaign advertisements because the mainstream media already gives him so much airtime… Read more.
TRUMP CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN “PUSHED AWAY” AS OPPOSED TO DROPPING OUT.
Trump Doubles Down: ‘I Have Zero Respect For Megyn Kelly’
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Daily Caller – Later in the interview, Trump said he didn’t walk away from the debate, he insisted that he was “pushed away” from the debate… Read more.
Fox News
MEGYN KELLY ENCOURAGES TRUMP TO ATTEND FOR HIS OWN GOOD.
Watch: Here’s What Megyn Kelly Thinks Trump Will REALLY Be Doing The Night Of The Debate
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Western Journalism – “I really do hope he comes to the debate,” she said. “I think it would behoove him to stand there and be tested next to his fellow candidates…” Read more.
KELLY ALSO REFERRED TO TRUMP AS A “BREATH OF FRESH AIR.”
Megyn Kelly: Trump a ‘breath of fresh air’
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The Hill – “He doesn’t care about P.C. culture,” Kelly said in an interview with Time magazine published on Wednesday. “It’s a breath of fresh air.” Kelly chalked up the Republican presidential front-runner’s criticisms of her, which range from questioning her journalistic objectivity to calling her a “bimbo,” to politics as usual… Read more.
FOX AND TRUMP HAVE HAD AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP OVER THE YEARS.
Trump and Fox at war: Neither side is backing down
CNN Money – By forgoing the debate, Trump is giving up valuable airtime and betting that his fans are loyal enough to follow him to another channel. “This is certainly biting the hand that has fed Trump for years,” Tim Graham, the executive editor of the conservative media watchdog site NewsBusters, said Wednesday. “He wouldn’t be as plausible with conservative voters without all his Fox-granted airtime over the years…” Read more.
Reuters/Chris Keane
KELLY SAYS SHE IS PREPARED IN THE EVENT TRUMP DECIDES TO TAKE THE STAGE.
Megyn Kelly has a few Choice Words About Donald Trump’s Pulling out of the FNC Debate
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Young Conservatives – Kelly went on to state she has her questions for Trump ready to go saying, “They are tough questions, and he will get hit no harder than anyone else on that stage…” Read more.
CRUZ SUGGESTS THE BOYCOTT STEMMED NOT PURELY FROM DISDAIN FOR KELLY, BUT FROM TRUMP’S UNWILLINGNESS TO DEFEND HIS OWN RECORD.
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The Blaze – “He’s not willing to stand up and explain why he supports Bernie Sanders-style, full-on socialized medicine, expanding ObamaCare so the federal government is in charge of our healthcare…” Read more.
SENATOR RAND PAUL ALSO SHARED HIS THOUGHTS ON TRUMP’S ABSENCE.
Trump steps up attacks with ‘bimbo’ tweet before Fox News debate
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Reuters – Another Republican hopeful, U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, told Fox News that he welcomed Trump’s absence from the debate stage because it means “we don’t have to put up with a lot of empty blather and boastfulness and calling people names…” Read more.
