Donald Trump Calls Fox News After Swearing Off Any More Appearances

Just days after swearing to not appear on Fox News again after what he called “unfair” treatment during last week’s GOP presidential debate, Donald Trump called in to Fox & Friends this morning.

In a phone interview with host Steve Doocy, Trump would not rule out an independent run should he not secure the Republican nomination.

From the AP:

In a phone interview with “Fox & Friends” host Steve Doocy, Trump made only passing reference to his brouhaha with the network, saying that they’d “always been friends.”

He also refused once again to rule out a third-party run.

“We’re going to keep the door open, we’re going to see what happens,” he said. “I want to run as a Republican, but I do want to keep that door open in case I don’t get treated fairly.”

Much of the love loss between Trump and Fox News stemmed from what Trump called “unfair” questions from Megyn Kelly during the debate last Thursday. That was followed by a comment from Trump on Sunday saying Kelly went after him with such vigor she had blood coming out of her “wherever” – which many interpreted as a reference to Kelly’s menstrual cycle.

Trump has demanded an apology from Kelly, but she stated last night on her show that no apology would be forthcoming from her:

“Trump, who is the front-runner, will not apologize. And I certainly will not apologize for doing good journalism. So I’ll continue doing my job without fear or favor. And Mr. Trump, I expect, will continue with what has been a successful campaign thus far.”

Hillary On Trump: He’s Always ‘Entertaining’ But Now A Little More ‘Troubling’

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on Donald Trump running for President 2016:

“It’s all about Entertainment, He’s having the time of his life.”

At a press conference Tuesday Hillary said she only attended his wedding because she thought it’d be entertaining.

“I didn’t know him that well. I mean, I knew him. I knew him and I happened to be planning to be in Florida, and I thought it would be fun to go to his wedding because it’s always entertaining.”

“Now that he’s running for president, it’s a little more troubling,” she added.

Is Donald Trump Paying For Positive Coverage At Breitbart?

According to Buzzfeed writer McKay Coppins, Donald Trump’s campaign may have some sort of “financial arrangement” to influence the tone of coverage on the conservative website Breitbart:

According to four sources with knowledge of the situation, editors and writers at the outlet have privately complained since at least last year that the company’s top management was allowing Trump to turn Breitbart into his own fan website — using it to hype his political prospects and attack his enemies.

One current editor called the water-carrying “despicable” and “embarrassing,” and said he was told by an executive last year that the company had a financial arrangement with Trump.

A second Breitbart staffer said he had heard a similar description of the site’s relationship with the billionaire but didn’t know the details; and a third source at the company said he knew of several instances when managers had overruled editors at Trump’s behest.

Additionally, a conservative communications operative who works closely with Breitbart described conversations in which “multiple writers and editors” said Trump was paying for the ability to shape coverage, and added that one staffer claimed to have seen documentation of the “pay for play.”

All four sources spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their jobs; and none knew exactly how Trump’s alleged arrangement with the privately held company worked.

Breitbart’s executive chair Steve Bannon denied the allegations.

Trump Fires Top Adviser, Adviser Fires Back “I Fired Trump”

Conflicting reports (egos?) on the firing of top Donald Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone.

According to USA Today, Donald Trump has parted ways with top aide Roger Stone.

Here’s the statement released Saturday afternoon from Trump’s campaign:

Mr. Trump fired Roger Stone last night. We have a tremendously successful campaign and Roger wanted to use the campaign for his own personal publicity. He has had a number of articles about him recently and Mr. Trump wants to keep the focus of the campaign on how to Make America Great Again

However, Roger Stone has fired back via Twitter with this bon mot:

Donald Trump Catches Heat For Megyn Kelly “Blood Coming Out Of Her ‘Wherever'” Comment

Donald Trump has been on a long anti-Megyn Kelly rant ever since Thursday night’s first GOP debate where, according to Trump, she didn’t treat him very well.

Trump went on Twitter to belittle and denounce her, and urged his followers to do the same.

Things then escalated last night as Trump called in to talk with CNN’s Don Lemon.

During Thursday’s presidential debate, Kelly pressed Trump about misogynistic, sexist comments he made in the past, such as calling some women “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.”

Trump slammed Kelly, saying her questions were “ridiculous” and “off-base.”

“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes,” Trump told CNN’s Don Lemon on Friday night. “Blood coming out of her wherever.”

The real estate mogul elaborated in a statement later Saturday morning, claiming he said “‘blood coming out of her eyes and whatever,’ meaning nose.”

You can listen to his comment in the video here.

Several GOP competitors took to Twitter to condemn Trump’s comments:

Additionally, Erick Erickson has disinvited Trump as the lead speaker at his Red State Gathering tonight and replaced Trump with Megyn Kelly:

Quote Of The Day: Ben Carson On Donald Trump

Talking to Fox News radio, GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson expressed his concerns about a Donald Trump independent run for the White House:

“I’m hoping that he will at some point come to an understanding that if he runs as a third-party candidate, he will essentially hand the election to the progressives, who will get two or three Supreme Court picks, and America will be gone as we know it. I hope he realizes the seriousness of the situation.”

How Taiwanese Animators Viewed The GOP Debate

From the hysterical Taiwanese Animators:

America tuned in last night to watch 10 Republican hopefuls explain why they should be president.

The top polling candidates were invited to participate, including pack leader and billionaire businessman Donald Trump.

Moderator Megyn Kelly hit Trump for calling women fat pigs. Trump said that was true of Rosie O’Donnell and he didn’t care if Kelly didn’t like his comments about women.

Second-in-the-polls Jeb Bush said he should lead the GOP because his nickname is VETO Corleone in Florida while ninth-in-the-polls Chris Christie said he should lead because he cut New Jersey’s taxes and balanced the budget.

Rand Paul said he would end warrantless surveillance and that prompted Chris Christie to attack, who said Rand Paul was naive about terrorists and the tools needed to fight them.

But all eyes were on Trump, who was asked why he had donated money to Hillary Clinton. Trump said he donates to politicians to call in favors such as demanding Hillary Clinton to attend his weddings.

Pressed by Chris Wallace about his four bankruptcies, Trump was unapologetic about using the laws to build $10 billion in wealth.

At the end of the debate, God used Facebook video to ask the candidates whether they hear him.

And despite all that was fired at Trump nothing would stick. Will the billionaire extend his lead in the polls?

(h/t JMG)

Donald Trump Lashes Out At Fox News After Debate

The Donald, unhappy with his “treatment” at the GOP goes after the Fox News debate moderators on Twitter with Megyn Kelly squarely in his crosshairs.

(Trump loves to retweet other people’s insults on his behalf as a passive aggressive thing.)

News Round-Up: August 2, 2015

Some news stories you may have missed:

• HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo acknowledges canceling LGBT series “Looking” was a painful decision.

• Just for the fun of it – here’s the best TV bloopers from local news reports in the past month. Folks are human, don’t you know?

• Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker still backs a Constitutional amendment allowing states to ban same-sex marriage.

• Anti-gay Congressman Steve King says the recent SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage means you can now marry your lawn mower.

• Donald Trump may be riding high amid his GOP competitors, but a new poll shows every Democratic nominee would beat him.

• Did former One Directioner Zayn Malik throw shade at his former bandmates?

• GOP hopeful Dr. Ben Carson doesn’t know if the Bible has “authority” over the U.S. Constitution.
(Here’s a clue – it doesn’t. Separation of Church and State and all that, don’t you know…)

• Two current NFL players say they would come out if the media wouldn’t make “a big deal out of it.”