Trump won’t apologize for Kelly comment

She also told CNN “The point is women understood that comment and yes, it is offensive”. Trump has called Kelly a “bimbo” and a “lightweight” for asking about his disparaging comments toward women he believes he has slighted him.

Trump is under fire for criticising Fox anchor Megyn Kelly during and after a Republican debate on Thursday.

Appearing on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” Sunday, Omarosa Manigault and Katrina Campins, who were roommates on “The Apprentice” season one, backed Trump and slammed Fox News’ Megyn Kelly for bias. And maybe when he asks “Who would say such a thing?” it’s because we’re all stupid and remembering Trump saying something he CLEARLY DID NOT SAY.

Some have responded by sharpening their critiques, questioning Trump’s electability, his conservative credentials, policy ideas and personality. “Who would make a statement like that?” the real estate mogul, 69, said. “Only a sick person would even think about that”, he said. “So I thought what he did was bad”, Trump said. “I thought she asked a very unfair question and so did everybody on social media”, Trump explained. “If I had said that, it would have been inappropriate”, he said on Today.

The comments about Kelly led RedState’s Erick Erickson to withdraw Trump’s invitation to a gathering hosted by the group in Atlanta this weekend, a decision his campaign said was made by a “total loser” who “has a history of supporting establishment losers in failed campaigns”.

Trump instantly drew boos on Thursday evening by refusing to rule out a 2016 Oval Office bid as an independent.

Kelly probed Trump for his insulting comments toward women.

“All I can say is on women’s issues and women’s health issues there will be nobody better than Donald Trump”, the New York businessman told host Joe Scarborough.

The other 16 Republican candidates fighting for attention and breathing room in a primary field eclipsed by Trump hoped he’d be finished off by latest firestorm to consume his campaign, sparked by provocative comments about women. “I said blood was coming out of her -. and I didn’t even finish it”.

He also said he wants to give incentives to businesses to move to inner cities like Baltimore and others “that are blowing up”.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that there “may be a difference between political correctness and, you know, courteous speech – there is a difference”, implying that Trump had crossed a line.

Trump told CNN he had “great relationships” with women and had hired thousands, including many top-level employees, adding, “I cherish women”.