Bush: Trump’s debate boycott will hurt him in Iowa

Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly told Donald Trump Wednesday he thought the candidate was making a mistake by not appearing on the Fox News debate January 28, saying he was missing an opportunity to persuade people he was a strong leader.

Mr. Trump has said he will skip the debate after Fox refused to cut moderator Megyn Kelly, whom Mr. Trump has accused of unfairly attacking him. “So if you want to vote for anybody else, I’d say that vote goes to Donald Trump unless you vote for Ted Cruz”.

Presidential hopeful Donald Trump dropped out of Thursday night’s GOP debate, just days before the Iowa caucuses.

“I don’t think not showing up at the debate tomorrow night is good for America”, O’Reilly said to Trump on his show.

Instead, Trump will hold a simultaneous event in Iowa to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project.

The Fox host then asked Trump to “just consider” attending the debate. “I don’t care. I might be the best thing that ever happened to her, I dunno, whoever even heard of her before the last debate?”

Before he withdrew from the debate, Trump demanded Kelly not be a moderator because she, in his opinion, is biased toward him.

Trump has substituted mass rallies for normal meet-and-greet events, made inflammatory statements that would have sunk other candidates, and spent much of his time giving his views on television news shows and Twitter. The actual debate will seem boring and irrelevant with him not there, and he’ll unmistakably communicate to future debate hosting networks that he is willing to walk away if he doesn’t get what he wants.

“Megyn Kelly shouldn’t be in the debate”.

“Conservatives versus Trump” was the subject of O’Reilly’s “Talking Points Memo” on Tuesday’s show, which saw O’Reilly talking about the antipathy many conservatives feel toward Trump. “I think that it’s a strategic decision to sit on a lead and avoid taking hits here at the end”. “She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night”.

O’Reilly finished their exchange by complimenting Trump for coming onto the network for the interview despite his complaints about Fox. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is in third place in Iowa, tested a new line Wednesday, calling the debate drama a “sideshow” and the election choices, “serious”. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who has become Trump’s top rival in the GOP field, placed in second.

Responding to the press release, Trump seemed unconcerned that the absence have any affect on his chances in Iowa.