Trump v. Kelly, the Scrap Continues

  By Florida Bill

                             So you thought you'd heard the last of the media war between Donald Trump and his arch foe, Megyn Kelly?   Think again.  The feud continues to heat up, and now media heavyweight Fox News, Kelly's employer, has stepped in to defend her professionalism. All of this is not only making Kelly's star burn brighter, it is also making Trump look like a bully, a character trait he should be trying to downplay as he gets closer to the nomination. It's time for the Donald to show a little class and act more Presidential. Obsessively nasty tweets about a newscaster don't fill the bill. 
                                 In a recent interview with CNN, Trump said that Kelly, the host of Fox's "Kelly File," continues saying negative untrue things about him and his candidacy and he will continue to hit back on Twitter.  But for me, he said, her popularity and her prime time show, "The Kelly File" would be in the ground.  Trump is certainly right that he is probably the best thing that has ever happened to to Kelly's career.  Is that what he really wants?
                                Trump continues to lead in polls and in primaries and appears to be on the path to becoming the Republican nominee for President in November's election.  Nevertheless, he continues to fire off  tweets to millions of his followers on the social air waves castigating Kelly as an incompetent, biased reporter who does not do a good job.  In fact, he says, she is a bit "crazy" and her show should be boycotted. But here is the unintended consequence of his persistent aggression:  Kelly is becoming a celebrity and Trump is looking less like a man who should be president, and more like an ill-tempered hot-head who can't take the heat.   It is not a winning formula. 
                           In the face of the cantankerous needling by Trump, Kelly has remained poised and somewhat distant, handling questions from other reporters and pundits with wit and good judgment.  Perhaps Trump thinks he is playing to the general distrust of the media, especially among conservatives, but he seems to be overdoing it, and Kelly may be having the last laugh. 
                               The enmity between billionaire Trump and the news reporter who has credentials as an attorney and former prosecutor began when they locked horns in the first Republican debate last August in which 17 candidates participated.  Trump got angry when Kelly asked him to explain why he had called women  "slobs, dogs, fat pigs and disgusting animals."  He never answered the question at the forum, but later said that the malicious Megyn had blood coming out of her eyes and from "everywhere" as she endeavored to humiliate him. 
                                In the following weeks and months, Trump derided her repeatedly on the social media outlets and in interviews as a "bimbo" who was out to get him; and was "not very good at her job." For a while it appeared that Kelly got hurt in the exchange, but as time passed, her reputation gained status. She was a guest on the Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon late night shows.  When Colbert asked her about her tough questioning of Trump, Kelly explained that the question was tough but all of the candidates get tough questions.  "They all want to be George Washington, she said.   "I am a member of the press, and so it is my job as a reporter to press them to see if they are worthy.".
                                 In a debate in January,  Trump declined to participate because Kelly was slated to be one of the reporters asking questions. This came across as pouting--and maybe more. Was the big tough Donald, who was ready to stand down Putin and the entire government of Mexico, afraid of a few hardball questions from a woman reporter?  Gradually,  many women and organizations began to support Kelly publicly and to criticize Trump for his "blood" remarks and sexist persona. 
                               At a debate on March 3 in Detroit, they faced off again in the Republican 11th debate. During an exchange, Kelly noted that Trump had flip flopped on several positions, and Trump acknowledged that he was "flexible" on some issues because times have changed. She also noted that Trump University which he had created has been accused of fleecing thousands of students of their money, and that the Better Business Bureau had rated the billionaire's university venture as  D-minus.  An angry Trump contradicted Kelly arguing that the school had earned an A-minus, but Kelly pointed to official  records which showed the poor rating.                              All in all, Trump did poorly in the debate, and Kelly's behavior and professional demeanor and ability as a reporter was praised by TV analysts and newspapers.
                                 In the days following, Trump directed further vitriol at Kelly.  Kelly again declined to exchange insults, but then her employer, Fox News stepped in and issued the following statement condemning the blustering Trump:
                                 "Donald Trump's vitriolic attacks against Megyn Kelly and his extreme, sick obsession with her is beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate who wants to occupy the highest office in the land.  Megyn is an exemplary journalist and one of the leading news anchors in America.  We are extremely proud of her phenomenal work and continue to fully support her throughout every day of Trump's endless barrage of crude and sexist verbal assaults.  As the mother of three young children, with a successful law career and the second highest rated show in cable news, it's especially deplorable for her to be repeatedly abused just for doing her job"  Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes added that Trump's comments about Kelly are "disturbing" and he should apologize.
                                   Of course, there was no apology from Trump who issued a statement that he "disagreed" with Fox.  "I do not think that Megyn Kelly is a quality journalist," he said.  "I think her questioning of me....was very unfair."
                                     In many ways,  Trump has captured the minds and hearts of millions of Americans as he taps into their  frustrations over the country's downward spiral under the leadership of President Obama.  He speaks of making America great again.  He promises to stop illegal immigration; rebuild an eviscerated military and to destroy the radical Islamic force known as ISIS.  Americans like it and his polling numbers remain high, and he has won most of the early primaries. 
                                   However, his  peevishness and apparent desire for revenge are stripping him of presidential demeanor, and he would be wise to "cool it" a bit in his route to the oval office.                            

                                                               xxx