Trump Attacks Fox News & Moderator Megyn Kelly Following Fox's GOP Primary Debate

Trump Lashes Out At Fox News, Megyn Kelly After Debate. Following the Fox News Republican primary debate, in which moderator Megyn Kelly asked Trump about his history of disparaging and sexist comments towards women, Trump criticized Kelly, saying she was “the biggest loser in the debate,” according to The Washington Post. Trump also criticized Fox moderators' debate questions the following day on Fox & Friends, asserting “that [pledge] question was aimed at me, which I didn't think it was appropriate.” [The Washington Post, 8/7/15]

Trump: Kelly Had “Blood Coming Out Of Her Wherever” During Debate. In an August 7 interview with CNN's Don Lemon, Trump continued to criticize Megyn Kelly, saying, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes ... Blood coming out of her wherever.” [CNN, 8/8/15]

Right-Wing Media Figures Defend Trump, Slam Fox News And Kelly For Attacking Trump In Debate

Mark Levin: Fox News Used “Opposition Research” Against Trump During Debate. In an interview with Breitbart's radio program Breitbart News Saturday, conservative radio host Mark Levin accused the Fox debate of utilizing “opposition research” against Trump and called Megyn Kelly's questioning “outrageous”:

Levin explained that Kelly“s ”question two," accusing Donald Trump of making inappropriate comments to Rosie O'Donnell and others, “was outrageous.” Levin suggested that Fox went to great lengths to engage in “oppositional research” on Mr. Trump.

“This isn't a matter of who I support but a matter of basic fairness and what a debate is to be like,” he clarified.

Levin complained that Fox sifted through 185 shows and 14 seasons of Trump's Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice to come up with “a line that they had to take out of context about some lady on her knees. He didn't tell her to get on her knees, They brought it up to him. He responded to it, but not in a sexual context.”

The conservative author expressed sincere disgust with Megyn Kelly for pointing to that incident as an example of misogyny. Levin said that Kelly was a “lawyer, she was law review, and she should know better.” He admitted that he blames Fox News management more than Kelly for the outrageous question. He said Fox turned the gathering into a “National Enquirer Debate, and not a Republican Debate.”

Bannon observed that the debate reeked of “opposition research” and had a definite “adversarial” tone with the questions they asked Trump and others. Levin agreed and recounted that the question they asked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker about abortion seemed prosecutorial in nature. [Breitbart.com, 8/9/15]

Steve Deace: Conservatives Think Kelly Made It “Her Mission To Destroy Trump.” Conservative Iowa radio host Steve Deace asserted that many conservatives were angry with Fox for the debate, writing “I repeatedly heard from frustrated conservatives across the country” that “Megyn Kelly seemed to make it her mission to destroy Trump,” according to a USA Today opinion piece. [USA Today, 8/7/15]

New York Post's Peyser: Trump Was “Swiftboated” During The Debate. New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser claimed "[t]he billionaire real estate developer was swiftboated Thursday night" in Fox News' debate:

The billionaire real estate developer was swiftboated Thursday night. He was effectively tried and convicted of displaying grotesque sexism by Megyn Kelly, co-moderator of the first prime-time debate for the 2016 GOP presidential candidates. [The New York Post, 8/9/15]

Breitbart's Marlow: “Establishment Republican Network” Fox “Trying To Take Out Donald Trump.” On the August 7 edition of CNN's OutFront, Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow claimed Fox tried “to take out Donald Trump” in the network's debate:

“But, for the most part, we saw that Fox was on a mission: they're trying to take out Donald Trump.” He continued: “Fox is positioning themselves as a centrist network, as an establishment Republican network. They're not interested in Donald Trump and his supporters. His supporters are grassroots conservatives, and that's why he does so well.” [Breitbart.com, 8/7/15]

WND's Joseph Farah: Megyn Kelly “Was Clearly Out To Get Trump,” Fox Could Be “Diminished” Due To Debate Attacks On Trump. WND Editor Joseph Farah claimed that Kelly “was clearly out to get Trump,” and criticized the network for “open attacks by two Fox News stars” against Trump in the debate:

Megyn Kelly was over the top in suggesting Donald Trump is anti-woman - maybe even part of the Democrats' phony “war on women” concocted to eliminate from acceptable political discussion the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.

The popular anchorwoman was clearly out to get Trump - nail him for unacceptable name-calling - and, in the process, become part of the debate herself, showing anger, open hostility and emotion in her “gotcha” assertion that he wouldn't be able to stand up to Hillary Clinton in a presidential campaign.

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While Trump emerged unscathed from the bare-knuckled, undisguised, open attacks by two Fox News stars - and possibly more popular than ever - Fox News' position could be diminished as a result. It might even be time for some damage control. [WND, 8/9/15]

Gateway Pundit's Jim Hoft: Conservatives Thought “Kelly Had An Obvious Agenda And Bias Against Trump.” Gateway Pundit's Jim Hoft asserted that “Megyn Kelly went after Donald Trump personally,” and claimed "[m]any conservative viewers thought ... Kelly had an obvious agenda and bias against Trump" during the debate:

Conservative viewers this week were very offended at Megyn Kelly's antics during the Republican FOX News debate.

Megyn Kelly went after Donald Trump personally for his past comments on Twitter and The Apprentice against women. Many conservative viewers thought this showed Kelly had an obvious agenda and bias against Trump. Mark Levin said Kelly's comments were outrageous. [Gateway Pundit, 8/8/15]

Jeffrey Lord: Critics Of Trump's Attack On Megyn Kelly Are Lying To Themselves. CNN contributor and The American Spectator contributing editor Jeffrey Lord slammed critics of Trump's CNN comment attacking Megyn Kelly,likening their criticism to “insight of Hitler's Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels: 'If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it'”:

Having listened to Trump say these words in real time, I thought nothing of it. In fact, I myself had noticed Kelly's fierce glare across the stage at Trump and thought it an apt description. The next day I awaken to the news that Trump had been disinvited from a Red State appearance by Erick Erickson because, said Erickson, “I think there is no way to otherwise interpret Mr. Trump's comment.”

Huh? It took a minute to sink in. Erick Erickson is saying what? And there's “no way to otherwise interpret” what was said? Well, I beg to differ. The disgusting thought that Erickson was abruptly introducing into the public debate never entered my head when I heard Trump's words. Which perhaps underlines a difference between where my mind goes and where Erick's goes.

But to my astonishment, Erick Erickson was not alone. What has followed has been 48-hours of the most disgusting pieces of political analyses I have ever heard in my life. A plu-perfect example of the insight of Hitler's Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

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In their zeal to get Donald Trump, both Erickson and the Republican Establishment have laid bare a streak of appallingly condescending sexism towards Fox anchor Megyn Kelly. 

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Apparently it was OK for the men to be attacked but, hey, Wallace, Baier, and Luntz are just guys. They can take it. But the little lady? Well, by God everybody knows women really aren't a man's equal. Poor little Miss Megyn Kelly needs these big strong men to defend her honor.

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Megyn Kelly is -- newsflash -- a professional journalist. She is every bit the professional equal of her male peers who were also attacked by Trump. She dishes out regularly -- and Trump dished it right back to her. And... so? [The American Spectator, 8/10/15]