Trump Campaign Defends Choice To Boycott Debate

Christie made similar if slightly edgier comments in a Wednesday morning interview with Boston Herald Radio, saying Trump’s decision “just makes people call into question his judgment”.

Donald Trump’s announcement that he would skip the next Republican presidential debate hosted by Fox News roiled fellow Republicans five days before the Iowa caucuses and left the hosts scrambling.

Trump leads Cruz 33.2% to 27.5% in the latest RealClearPolitics Iowa poll average. “Does it create doubts about him?”

For the past few days, Trump has oscillated over whether or not to appear in a GOP presidential debate being aired on the network Thursday, ultimately deciding not to participate.

The news conference included a testy exchange with NBC’s Peter Alexander who pressed Trump on his position on abortion, asking a question that included a partial quote from Trump’s 1999 “Meet the Press” interview where the real estate magnate said: “I’m pro-choice in every respect”.

Even Rep. Steve King, the conservative congressman barnstorming Iowa in support of Sen.

Trump said as soon as the “wiseguy” press release was sent out, “I said, ‘Bye-bye'”.

“With me, they’re dealing with somebody that’s a little bit different”, he said.

“It’s appalling to think of the hubris of Donald Trump”, King said. “It’s time to be adults about this”.

Being president of the United States is likely the toughest job in America, if not the world.

Cruz also offered to debate his rival with no moderators at all.

On Tuesday, Trump said he would not participate in the debate, scheduled for Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, expressing irritation at Fox for allowing Kelly to moderate after her questioning angered him in a debate past year.

“If Donald is afraid to defend his record, that speaks volumes”.

In a campaign based on rage toward and hatred of people who fall into a range of categories-Mexicans and Muslims come immediately to mind-Trump’s hostility toward women seems the most authentic, and not some mere contrivance meant to rile the GOP base.

But Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of MI, said Trump’s decision to skip the final debate before the February 1 Iowa caucus could be “the first major mistake he’s made”.

There was also a tactical reason for the move. “He took a lot of money out of there and didn’t put a lot of money back in”.

“Ted Cruz is whacky”. King said. “It’s quite a possibility”.

But for those at the bottom of the polls, including Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Roger Ailes and FOX News think they can toy with him, but Mr. Trump doesn’t play games.

But the Trump campaign is betting that any opening the billionaire’s rivals hope to grab during the debate will be limited by significantly diminished viewership. “She will absolutely be on the debate stage Thursday night”.

“Let’s see how much money Fox makes without me in the debate”, he added. “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.

The Trump campaign is hoping voters see Trump’s decision as an example of the bold and unforgiving attitude Trump has promised to bring into the Oval Office.

“I’m happy to go an hour-and-half, mano a mano, me and Donald with no moderators anytime before the Iowa caucuses”. The Republicans go on forever and ever and ever with debates. “If Donald is afraid of Megyn Kelly, I would like to invite him on your show to participate in a one-on-one debate between me and Donald, mano-a-mano”, Cruz said, adding: “If he thinks Megyn Kelly is so scary, what exactly does he think he’d do with Vladimir Putin?”

The New Yorker took aim not at Trump, but the media, calling on TV news outlets to hold Trump more accountable for his statements.