Donald Trump v Megyn Kelly
Kelly, a moderator at the Republican debate in Cleveland on Thursday night, had an exchange with Trump about his view of women and the real-estate tycoon did not like her line of questioning. She made references to words and phrases she said that Trump has used in the past to describe women, such as disgusting animals, fat pigs, dogs and slobs.
On Good Morning America on Friday, Trump appeared to deny ever using those words, though not emphatically, and he said he would take a “very serious look” into Kelly’s questions, though his intention was unclear.
Then later in the day on CNN, Trump made the remark that has gotten him barred from the influential RedState gathering. He said that he believes that on Thursday night at the debate Megyn Kelly “had blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
When asked about those words, a member of his campaign acknowledged Trump was suggesting Ms. Kelly asked pointed questions to him because she was menstruating. Perhaps it was refreshing not to get a denial when it seemed clear that was the intention of Trump’s crudity…but that isn’t going to help Trump.
Donald Trump v Erick Erickson
That’s because his remark offended conservative Erick Erickson, organizer of the RedState gathering in Atlanta. Erickson, 40, is a conservative blogger and former contributor to CNN. He has clout in the conservative ranks and isn’t one to alienate, which is what Trump has done.
“I don’t think I should have anyone on stage while my wife and daughter are watching who would say that on a female journalist,” Erickson told the Guardian. “I think it crossed a line of decency no one running for president should ever cross, whether you are a professional or amateur politician.
“This is my event, that I’m paying for and I can do whatever I want,” he added. “I wanted to have him here as a legitimate candidate, but no legitimate candidate suggests a female asking questions does so because she’s hormonal.”
Fiorina: “No excuse”
So could this move backfire on Erickson? After all, Donald Trump has a caustic vocabulary and he’s even gone after John McCain’s war record after McCain made a remark about Trump that Trump didn’t like. Conservative analyst Matt Mackowiak, who also spoke to the Guardian, said it’s not Erickson that should be worried.
“I expect Trump to lash out at Erick,” Mackowiak said. “But Erick wins when he fights and has a huge microphone and speaks to a lot of conservatives across the country.”
Others have criticized Trump for his remark, including Carly Fiorina, the only woman running for the Republican nomination for president. She simply tweeted: “Mr. Trump: There. Is. No. Excuse.”
Trump’s campaign seemed to backtrack on its earlier admission about the meaning of the remark, however, and said that he was referring to Ms. Kelly’s nose. Trump, meanwhile, tried to turn his name-calling into simply being frankly, and used that as an attack on political correctness.
“So many ‘politically correct’ fools in our country,” he wrote on Saturday. “We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!”
