Vote in Trump’s Twitter poll: Should he participate in Fox News debate?
Update – Campaign Manager says Trump “definitely” out
Fox News just announced its stage line up for the debate Thursday night.
Donald Trump is center stage.
Donald Trump is upset that Megyn Kelly is one of the moderators of Thursday’s Fox News debate.
Trump has been complaining for days, demanding she be removed. Fox News just said No.
Now Trump is upping the ante, posting this Instagram video complaining of Kelly’s bias:
Trump also is putting his participation to a Twitter vote:
Interesting move. Great showmanship.
But it …. is not clear if he’ll treat it as binding. May depend on whether he likes the result.
Such an internet poll allows people who are against Trump to troll it by voting NO to keep him off the stage.
But to some extent it’s no lose. If people vote for him to stay, he participates and the vote is the excuse for not following through on his threats to withdraw. If people vote for him not to participate, he has a face-saving way out of being seen as backing down.
If Trump doesn’t participate, it will be interesting whether Fox News just removes the podium where he would have stood.
Or leaves it there, but empty.
There’s precedent for that, you know.
Could be two hours of the other candidates mocking the empty podium.
But, it’s just as likely Trump organizes his own event.
If @realDonaldTrump does a town hall instead of a debate, I’ll offer to moderate, along with @benshapiro. Would be great fun. #GOPDebate
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) January 26, 2016
Maybe NBC or its affiliates would carry the Trump counter-event, since it was kicked out of the Super Tuesday debate.
This could get interesting.
Update – At a press conference tonight that started just after this post went live, Trump said it’s probable he won’t attend the debate.
“Probably I won’t be doing the debate,” Trump says of the Thursday night Fox News debate.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) January 26, 2016
Trump: “Let’s see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me, okay?”
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) January 26, 2016
Update No. 2 – Trump’s campaign maanager says he’s definitely out:
BIG: Trump will 'definitely not' participate in Fox debate, campaign says https://t.co/rksxXholMS
— Steven Ginsberg (@stevenjay) January 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/692167844608544768
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Comments
FNC announced Megyn Kelly has been removed as moderator of the debate
Link? Everything I’ve seen says the opposite, that FNC is backing her.
Trump WISHES. He’s scared of girls.
Bret Baer just announced it on his show
I’m going through the recording of Bret Baer and I’m not seeing where he says anything about Megyn Kelly. Who was he talking to just before or after saying this?
I was wrong I apologize. Someone texted me and I read it wrong.
So Teflon Don is scared of Megan Kelly. Why else throw a temper tantrum? Kind of reminds me of Obama in 2008. Yeah just the kind of person I want as leader….NOT!
My dad sent me back out to play ball when I took it and went home…when I was eight.
I feel like I’ve died and gone back to high school.
FLUCK Duh Donald AND the pole he rode in on…!!!
Sissy-boy can’t stand up to the Terrible Megyn, SCREW him to the wall.
Sitz-pisser.
Take a deep breath, Rags. And hold on. Things will be getting worse and also weirder before there’s any relief. Try to pace yourself. This advice is well meant. Take care, guy.
I’d be interested in watching the debate without him.
A huge, long post on polls for the Repub campaign on Insty. Lots of commentary on which parts of the party support Trump, the demographics, etc.
I’ve pulled out one tiny snip:
“Bush has the highest “unacceptable” percentage at 45.”
http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/225021/
Trump’s playing y’all like a fiddle…
Holy cow Trump was blazing angry at the press conference.
Yep, he was obviously genuinely mad when Bret Baer asked him if he would see him at debate and he jumped down Baer’s throat and said he wasn’t sure.
Fox News unwisely sent out some news releases today poking fun a Trump to try and goad him into appearing at debate. These press releases have really pissed Trump off, and give Trump the ability to claim not only is Kelly biased but obviously the entire network and its corporate management are biased and playing games with Trump.
I think at least right now Trump should stand up to all the leftists trying to goad him into doing the debate and not do the debate.
If he does competing event broadcast on competing network, it will cost Fox News many millions.
Gary it’s amazing that FNC ceded the high ground to Trump. Flat out amazing. They just proved the very thing that Trump was referring to. This is a huge story.
And again I apologize for my error.
they gave up the high ground when they allowed biased moderators and questions in their first debate … as usual Trump is just punching back …
Stand up to the leftists? He’s boasting about how great he’ll be at sitting down with Pelosi and Schumer and making deals. But would he talk with Ted Cruz? Not likely.
Breaking news: Trump. The free publicity is a win, win situation.
I wonder if it would be equally easy to recover the $20 trillion or so of lost American wealth. Think of the unplanned Posterity.
I’m sure he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo to her face would he?
I think it is a tough call for Trump. Right now subject to change I think he should skip the debate especially if he can get a townhall put together for a competing network.
This is the press release FNC sent to Mediaite
“We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.”
That is not even remotely professional.
Here is the link for the press release.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/fox-news-responds-to-trumps-latest-twitter-poll-with-first-rate-trolling/
“Professional” is starting to be relegated to the trash heap, along with “conservative”: that is, it means whatever the speaker wants it to mean. The Media, including Fox, only has a vague notion of ethics and professionalism. This might be what the Colonel was referring to when he said that words like “integrity” and “honor” are just punchlines at cocktail parties.
Professionalism be dammed. Their press release was spot-on and funnier than all Hell, unless one considers there might be some sad truth to it. Donald is a bully and is only interested in bullying.
““We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.””
Kelly/Fox should respect a candidates concerns after their last performance (obvious bias). I’d rather see a good debate and Fox has proven they are willing to spoil it. Kelly interviewed Beck last night and tonight it’s M. Moore. Still pushing the media freak show. Expect her uber-ego would ruin another debate.
Why doesn’t Trump just buy Fox, then he can call Kelly into his office, and say what he’s dying to say to her: You’re fired!
It is my understanding that last week on her show, Kelly had an episode which showcased the National Review issue including many of the contributors. They all had one big party bashing Trump.
All the things aside, that one episode indicates to me that Fox to allow her to be a moderator. If she is allowed to moderate what would be next? Candy Crowley as a moderator?
That’s just the decorum I would expect from a real news network. By going with her, Fox shows they are no different from ABC, MSNBC, and CNN.
As for Trump, I see no reason that he should subject him self to being attacked bya bunch of candidates and several moderators. This isn’t an election to determine who is the best punching bag.
As for what FOX will do if he doesn’t show, you stop to short. No matter what they do with the podiums they set themselves up for a real problem. Do they pretend that it’s a serious debate without the leading candidate? Or do they trash Trump for the whole two hours. I’m really sure doing that will cause someone who might vote for him decide not to.
Are you nuts? I quit watching Fox because I was sick of All Trump, All the time. Fox would show his entire speeches but only clips from other GOP candidates. So he got his widdle feelings hurt by a girl. He should cowboy up and deal with what he is handed. Instead, he shows he is nothing more than a redo of the petulant child we have had to deal with for the last 7 years.
I Agree.
Trump? Cowboy up? Now that calls to mind some quite remarkable images 😀 😀
I cannot believe it that if the best this country can field as candidates for President are the likes of these arseholes on either side of the fence …. thank god I won’t live out the length of the term of the next schmuck that gets “elected.” Now… back to something important like the Aussie Open. 🙂 🙂
Hillary, Sanders, Trump, Cruz – a pathological liar, a Communist, a blow hard bully, and a slime. In a nation of 315 million this is the best?
Why don’t you come right out and say what you mean?
Megyn Kelly has an obvious conflict of interest at this point. If Fox were interested in actually showcasing the candidates, rather than boosting its ratings, it would remove her.
Trump risks having a group Trump-bashing fest at the debate if he doesn’t show up, to which he will be unable to respond. But on the other hand, he’s correct to demand at least facially neutral moderators.
But it will make enormous media attention for him to not show up.
Trump has the maturity level of a 12 year old Middle School girl. The only way he should ever step foot in the White House is on one of those guided tours.
For those of you who think Trump should sit this one out, I have just one question for you: aren’t you tired of President Stompy Foot? Haven’t you had enough of a bombastic, bellicose egotist in the last 7 years?
We conservatives lambasted the Democrats when they bought into the Cult of Personality. What are Trump followers doing now? Trump’s been in bed with the Democrats more times than a sailor has been with a ship channel hooker. Yet, here they are; people falling again for the nice shiny object.
It’s disgusting.
Stompy-foot, stompy-foot.
“Journalists” have an obligation to be neutral.
Megyn Kelly is right now on her show replaying her vile questions from the debate and bashing Trump and defending herself.
Forget the Trump sideshow for a minute.
Why the FUCK are there EIGHT people in this ‘debate’.
There is absolutely ZERO justification to have losers like Kasich, Paul and Christie on the stage (Carson and Bush are borderline).
They’ve lost. Stop subjecting us to their pointless inclusion.
There should be 4 people at this debate, based purely on poll numbers – Trump, Cruz, Rubio, and whichever is higher Bush/Carson (MAYBE you could have both of those 2 to make it 5).
If you didn’t make the cut, you’ve lost, now get lost.
Because their advertising revenue.
And, yes, it is ridiculous.
What a petulant child. But sure. He’s ‘tough’ enough for Putin/ISIS. Pathetic.
there you go … straight to the insults … Who is the child ? wow, Trump lives rent free in your head …
Has he not been given the opportunity to speak for himself? Is he not at the center of the debate stage? If his ideas are ‘fabulous’ and those of his ‘nasty’ ‘mean’ running mates are ‘dumb’ ‘worthless’, then prove it.
Or is he afraid of some hard questions that require higher than a grade school vocabulary of his?
This debate is to decide the possible leader of the free world. Not some reality TV show appearance that you can shake off on a whim. It shows a deep character flaw. When the going gets tough, Donald takes his football home. Pathetic.
I have no idea how many votes Trump will lose or gain; other than the one I know for sure that he had, but has now lost.
Trump of course is now the subject matter of Fox News tonight, hahaha! It’s all about Trump.
Reality is, there’s only so many times Ted Cruz and the talking heads can claim “Trump is afraid to show up” and rehash what they’ve already said.
And Megyn et al. in shakey voice are claiming that Trump cannot “control the media”. While they make Trump the entire subject of her show.
Lot of folks looking like pretzels trying to justify Trump’s adolescent behavior, lol.
What a fucking circus.
hahaha… Fox news ratings will plummet by 50 million
….if they don’t have Trump at that debate. (which means they’d lose quite a bit of money)
I don’t think it really hurts trump either way.
I undoubtedly think Trump will be the nominee…
something really significant would have to happen for the polls numbers to favor Cruz or Rubio… like REALLY significant.
…Which I don’t expect will happen.
….more importantly tho why are the other candidates still in this race? the only 4 that the majority seem to show interest in are Trump, Cruz, Rubio and …maybe Ben Carson.
….don’t think any of the rest have any chance… jeb is just wasting millions of dollars at this moment for nothing.
Rags has gone silent. Must be lots of panic in Cruz town as there entire debate strategy on attacking Trump just went out window. Rags must be waiting for a new set of talking points and select phrases to use.
No, Gaghdad Bob. I practice law, and sometimes that’s very time-consuming.
Plus, I wouldn’t know where to find “talking points”, though I do read very broadly and often find facts and arguments that I report here.
You lying SOS.
BTW, butt boi, where’s the un-doctored tape of T-rump you were lying about yesterday? The one you said showed me a liar, liar?
I guess we can all see who lies, and who does not. Knowing you ARE a liar, and continuing to do it every day SHOULD make you ashamed. But I reckon you are like T-rump in that respect…
I like the idea of an empty podium. Perhaps someone can put a dunce hat on it.
All moderators at every debate should be neutral, not hostile or partisan. The audience does not need or want bias.
Another Stompy Foot in the WH? No thanks.
Next he’ll be threatening to hold his breath until FOX capitulates. What a crybaby whiner.
No, he shouldn’t participate in the debate. In fact, he should go away altogether and never be seen or heard from in politics (or anything else) ever again.
Trump is the most detestable person I’ve ever seen in politics. He has only Hussein and Hillary as equals.
You do realize that Trump being in the race is the only reason Cruz has a chance, right? The GOPe didn’t see Trump coming, but planned all their strategy around keeping Cruz out. Trump being in makes Cruz look conservative, not extreme – as both the GOPe and the media/Dems believe him to be. Without Trump, we’d be faced with nominee Jeb, most likely. The past 6 months would be so vastly different from what they have been, no one can even imagine it.
Trump, The Great Deal Maker, learns his lesson on how his methods for leveraging control in business doesn’t work in politics.
“…doesn’t work in politics.”
The joke of the day I presume.
By what metric are you measuring that?
I think he knows exactly what he’s doing. Walk away, capture the news cycle for the next two-three days, do a “poll” that leverages his decision, relent — do the debate — and the last debate is all about TRUMP. You might thibnk he’s taking a gamble. But he’s playing the audience and playing Fox, and pretending to walk away from the table is a tried and true negotiating tactic.