Fox News has accused Donald Trump’s campaign manager of threatening host Megyn Kelly, and said in a statement released late Tuesday evening that it would not give into the casino tycoon’s demand that she be removed as a moderator from GOP primary debate on Jan. 28.
“Capitulating to politicians’ ultimatums about a debate moderator violates all journalistic standards, as do threats, including the one leveled by Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski toward Megyn Kelly,” it read.
“In a call on Monday with a Fox News executive, Lewandowski stated that Megyn had a ‘rough couple of days after the last debate’ and he ‘would hate to have her go through that again.’ Lewandowski was warned not to level any more threats, but he continued to do so,” it added.
Trump announced after days of grumbling that he’d boycott Fox’s Thursday’s debate, and said he’d reconsider his decision only if the network replaced Kelly with another moderator. The real estate mogul has been upset at her since last August, when she questioned him during the first GOP debate about disparaging remarks that he has made about women. The casino mogul maintains that the question was unfair.
Trump’s decision to boycott Fox’s upcoming debate was reportedly spurred on by the network publishing a sarcastic statement early Tuesday afternoon that mocked the GOP front-runner as thin-skinned. Shortly after the statement was released, Trump’s campaign told CNN that he’d definitely sit out the Jan. 28 event.
The cable news giant then responded later Tuesday evening with a lengthy statement that reaffirmed its support for Kelly, and also accused the Trump campaign of threatening Fox employees.
“Donald Trump is refusing to debate seven of his fellow presidential candidates on stage that night, which is near unprecedented,” the statement read.
“We’re not sure how Iowans are going to feel about him walking away from them at the last minute, but it should be clear to the American public by now that this is rooted in one thing – Megyn Kelly, whom he has viciously attacked since August and has now spent four days demanding be removed from the debate stage,” it added.
Kelly reportedly received numerous death threats from Trump supporters following her role in the August GOP primary debate.
The Fox statement continued, “We can’t give into terrorizations toward any of our employees. Trump is still welcome at Thursday night’s debate and will be treated fairly, just as he has been during his 132 appearances on Fox News and Fox Business, but he can’t dictate the moderators or the questions.”
