Donald Trump fired back Friday at Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, saying she wasn’t very professional and unfair.
Kelly asked the real estate executive about past derogatory comments about women. Trump tried to joke at first, saying he was talking about television entertainer Rosie O’Donnell. A determined Kelly pressed on...
Friday, he told Willie Geist of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” “I just don’t think it’s very professional.
“ I do say this, and I was listening to you folks and Joe before, if you’re going to do that to me I think it’s great, but you have to do it to everybody else or ease it up,” Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, said. “But you can’t do it to Trump. I mean I walked out of the room and people were saying that was really unfair.”
Kelly recalled how Trump has called woman fat pigs, dogs, slobs and worse. "Only Rosie O’Donnell," Trump said.
Pressed, Trump said “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.” The audience applauded.
Trump went on. “I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either,” he said.
Trump added that “What what I say, and oftentimes it's fun, it's kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn't do that.”
Trump also defended Friday his refusal to rule out an independent bid for the White House should he lose the Republican nomination.
“I’m running as a Republican. I’m a frontrunner obviously I’d much rather run as Republican and let that be clear. And I just want to see if somebody gets in that I like and if I’m treated with respect, I would not run as an Independent. But I want to leave the option open just in case that doesn’t happen,” he said.
A McClatchy-Marist poll found that a three way race between Trump, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and Republican Jeb Bush would mean an easy win for Clinton.
Geist pressed Trump. “It’s not something I want to do at all. But a lot of people are asking me to do it, they’re begging me to do it. They think I’d win as an independent you know you don’t need as much—Hillary’s not exactly the great Abraham Lincoln...but Hillary is—I think she’s going to have a hard time frankly. I don’t know if she gets past the email scandal. She’s got a lot of problems going on. I don’t even know if she’s going to be the candidate necessarily.”
David Lightman: 202-383-6101, @lightmandavid
Comments