Trump pulls out of Republican debate in Iowa

[Lodestar]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump withdrew on Tuesday from a debate with party rivals this week out of anger at host Fox News (FOXA.O), leaving the last encounter before Iowa's pivotal nominating contest without the front-runner.

Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told reporters after a combative news conference held by the candidate that Trump would definitely not be participating in the debate scheduled for Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, and co-hosted by Google (GOOGL.O).

During the news conference before he addressed a large crowd in Marshalltown, Iowa, Trump expressed irritation that Fox News planned to leave in place as a moderator the anchor Megyn Kelly, whose questioning of Trump at a debate last August angered him.

He also expressed displeasure at a Fox News statement on Monday night saying Trump would have to learn sooner or later that "he doesn’t get to pick the journalists" and that "we’re very surprised he’s willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly.”

"I was all set to do the debate, I came here to do the debate. When they sent out the wise-guy press release done by some PR person along with (Fox News Chairman) Roger Ailes, I said: 'Bye bye, OK'"

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSMTZSAPEC1RL7E6JS

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Trump's not only single handedly destroying the GOP, but he's taking FOX News with it!

[Helen Borg]

1. The poor baby is scared by Megyn!

Well done, Megyn!

[7962]

20. He's mad because she's never really gotten into the fight with him.

And he doesnt like it. Its hard to keep hammering on someone who refuses to join in. She's tougher than I am; I'd be insulting his ass right back! But she's a lot smarter than he is and never took the bait. And he cant stand it

[Mike Nelson]

2. No serious candidate should agree to appear...

...with Megyn Kelly or FOX "News" - so he should probably do the gig.

[tecelote]

3. "We can’t give in to terrorizations toward any of our employees," Fox said in a statement."

Give me a break.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. I'm actually inclined to watch it now

Just to piss Trump off.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. That guy's the proverbial bull in the china shop

As long as it's just the GOP china shop, I don't care.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. Trump sez he can kick ISIS ass, but is afraid of little ol Megyn Kelly?

Well, she IS scary...

[pampango]

11. “We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald

Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.”

Trump expressed contempt for the “wiseguy” Fox News statement.

Tempting though it is to game out the PR and political calculations between Fox News and Trump, there’s something bigger going down here. Momentous, even: The right-wing penchant for nonstop media criticism is swerving across the median, zigzagging around the road, about to wrap itself around that oak tree around the curve. Like other planks of the conservative canon — e.g., foreign-policy hawkishness — it has been invoked and ultimately abused by Trump. Such that it can no longer stand on its own.

The ironies here are circular. Over the years, Fox News has boosted its own ratings by frequently airing accusations of media bias. Now its ratings — at least for Thursday night’s debate — stand to suffer over just such an accusation. Everyone tunes in to see just how Trump will bring out the worst in those who surround him. And the National Review got tossed from hosting a February debate because it dared to exercise its prerogative as an opinion journal to editorialize against Trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/01/26/donald-trump-fox-news-and-the-implosion-of-the-conservative-media-critique/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-f%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Indeed. If Trump can't handle a FOX news anchor, how is he going to handle the Ayatollah and Putin (assuming Putin does not end up being his best friend as seems to be the case for now) when they don't treat him 'fairly?

[7962]

17. I know you're supposed to be "above" the crybaby, but thats hilarious

I love it. And it shows Fox ISNT scared of the ratings loss if Trump goes and sits in the corner. They're not bending over backwards to please him
He takes a risk because now all the others are going to get a LOT more time without him getting 1/2 the questions.

What a crybaby. And yet, his supporters will think he's being "tough"

[7962]

18. Well, she MIGHT ask a question he doesnt like!!! nt

[Firebrand Gary]

7. I actually agree with Trump on this.

Fox News is entirely built upon whoring out false, dishonest, destructive commentary and they do it by filling their network with people just like him. I agree Loadstar, if it knocks Fox News down a bit, let it.

If the network did slander him in a press release coming directly from the top, can you blame him?

Pass the popcorn y'all!

[Lodestar]

9. Trump is like a grenade thrown into the GOP stronghold and FOX their mouthpiece

BOOOOOM! What could be better?

[Firebrand Gary]

10. I love this SO MUCH!

Every dirty media organization and slimy republican is flipping out like "He's such a whiner, how's he going to face down Putin"? They're pissed about their ratings loss and opportunity to drag him down. Fox News is getting their curtain pulled back and their many huddled viewers are seeing Murdoch's minions for what they are...

I should get ice cream to go with my popcorn!

[EdwardBernays]

8. Did

You read the press release?!

Total Insanity.

[onehandle]

12. Sounds like he's tired of the work of running.

He's been playing the ultimate reality show character for months. Maybe he thinks the grift has been played out.

[leftynyc]

13. Trump called Ailes' bluff

and I agree, taking fox down with the rest of the pub party is like having Chanukkah all over again.

[rurallib]

14. even the vaunted Onion can not out do the Trump-eter!

not only the GOP and FOX but he is making life really hard on satirists.

[DhhD]

15. Now he is running as an Independent with his name still on the Repub Ballot. Mission accomplished.

[7962]

16. Poor baby afraid to be questioned by a WOMAN. he's a baby

And yet he insists Hillary should be answering all questions from everyone, which she should, he's supposed to get a pass? No.

[Sunlei]

19. fox-lies is just a 24/7 republican infomercial. Trump should run a show on another station

offer prizes and fox will lose all their viewers.