Fox News was clearly out to destroy Trump at
the Republican debate, but they failed.
Here is what Fox News tried to
do to Trump, and why it all went wrong.
Fox News made their intentions clear when the first
question of the debate was a show of hands about pledging not to run as
an Independent. Fox was trying to isolate Trump and ruin him with
Republican voters.
Later came the Trump/Megyn Kelly exchange that demonstrated Republican voters love them some sexism.
Transcript of Kelly and Trump:
KELLY: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love
about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s
filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when
it comes to women.
You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.”
(LAUGHTER)
Your Twitter account…
TRUMP: Only Rosie O’Donnell.
(LAUGHTER)
KELLY: No, it wasn’t.
(APPLAUSE)
Your Twitter account…
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Thank you.
KELLY: For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell.
TRUMP: Yes, I’m sure it was.
KELLY: Your Twitter account has several disparaging
comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity
Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does
that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as
president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who
was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on
women?
TRUMP: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.
(APPLAUSE)
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. This country is in big
trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both
in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody.
And frankly, 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.
The Republican audience laughed at Trump’s sexism, and he got loads of applause for attacking “political correctness.”
Chris Wallace tried to undermine Trump’s record in business by bringing up his bankruptcies:
The Wallace/Trump exchange ended in more laughter and applause for Trump.
It was clear that Fox News was targeting Trump, and
the orders came from Fox management. Roger Ailes is desperate for a 2016
Republican 'win', and the establishment views Trump as destroying their cabal.
In the most classless way possible, Trump unloaded on Megyn Kelly after the debate on Twitter:
Trump also unloaded on perpetually losing Republican
messaging guru Frank Luntz for his panel that gave the billionaire a
bad review:
Immediate polling after the debate revealed that Trump was the clear winner:
Fox News had a plan to derail Trump, but they failed
because Trump understands who their audience is better than they
do. A large percentage of the Fox News audience agrees with the
bigotry, sexism, and racism that Trump advocates. Republicans are drawn
to his everyone is stupid but us rhetoric because that is what FOX NEWS
has told them for years. Trump is in part a Fox News creation, and he
has turned the network’s own audience against them.
Ailes
and Murdoch made a gigantic mistake by going after Trump, and they just
may have made the campaign that they were trying to destroy even
stronger.
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