Republican Debate: Trump Grilled By Megyn Kelly, Insulted By Opponents

Hoo boy, what a day for politics it was, in the hours leading up to Thursday night’s Fox News Republican debate. First, concerned GOP leaders summoned Mitt Romney, who looked as though he’d just been woken from an afternoon country-club nap, to read a screed against Donald Trump, attacking the candidate for everything from his poor business acumen to the fact that “We have long referred to him as ‘The Donald.’ He is the only person in America to whom we have added an article before his name,” the latter hardly a sporting blow, since even The Donald can’t be blamed for the media dubbing him “The Donald.” (Also, Mitt: May I introduce you to The Weeknd?)

Trump responded with a spirited torrent of abuse, starting with “I could have told Mitt to drop to his knees” when Romney sought Trump’s endorsement for Romney’s own Presidential bid. Meanwhile, newspapers like The New York Times were reporting that the business wing of the Republican party is frantically trying to find a warm body to put forward as a third-party alternative to Trump.

Exciting times, and made only more rousing by the Fox News debate, where Trump came face-to-face with his nemesis, moderator Megyn Kelly. With Ben Carson saying he can’t “find a political path forward” to continue being ignored in the debate cycle, we were left with a quartet of prize-fighters, including Ted “I’m Sort Of A Winner” Cruz, Marco “Maybe Florida?” Rubio, and John “Damn Right I’m Still Here” Kasich. But the central battler was Trump, and Kelly came prepared with numerous clips from various TV news outlets that she said demonstrated contradictory Trump positions on subjects including Afghanistan, Syrian refugees, and the Iraq war. She had an on-screen quote with a negative comment that was included in a Trump University lawsuit. Kelly asked Trump an artfully phrased, research-based question as to whether he’s been “playing on people’s fantasies, which is a tactic you praised in your book The Art of the Deal?” That was a rich subject, but of course, Trump didn’t explore it.

The pair had, initially, greeted each other cordially, the verbal equivalent of tapping gloves before the bout (Kelly: “Hi; how ya doin’?” Trump: “Hello; you’re looking well”). But in arriving with more ammo to aim at Trump than the other three, Kelly was the bellwether for where Fox News is coming down in regard to The Donald: It seems as though Fox’s Roger Ailes, through Kelly-as-proxy, has decided anyone-but-Trump.

To be sure, the debate wasn’t all documented prosecution and inquisition; there was plenty of room for vulgar frivolity. Twitter went giddily nuts when, early on, the moderators brought up Rubio’s recent insult-joke material about the size of Trump’s hands. Barrelling right past euphemism, Trump waggled his upper appendages and alluded to his nether region, saying leeringly, “I guarantee you there’s no problem there.” Juvenile, yes, but Fox News invited it.

Trump was a mixture of arch serenity and ursine oafishness. One minute, he’d answer a question frankly, saying, for instance, that he’s changed his positions on some topics because “you have to have a certain degree of flexibility… you learn more.” The next minute, he was cuffing Rubio around, calling him “Little Marco,” to which the latter responded lamely, “”Let’s hear it, Big Don.”

Rubio’s quips were sharper later in the night. Cruz more than once spoke condescendingly to Trump, ordering him to “count to 10” and to “breathe, Donald, deep breaths.” Rubio to moderators: “When we’re done with the yoga, can I answer a question?” Cruz: “We wont see yoga on this stage.” Rubio: “Well, he’s very flexible so you never know.” Big guffaws from the audience.
The crowd in the gorgeous Fox Theater in Detroit did seem ready to boo Trump more readily than the others, but the audience was also generous in its contempt for the moderators, booing Chris Wallace when he asked Rubio, “How many jobs have you created?”

The final question of the night was to ask the other three whether they would support Trump if he were the Republican nominee. After varying amounts of huffing and puffing, each said yes. (Trump, asked if he would support another candidate should he not secure the nomination, said yes, he would.)

After the debate, Bill O’Reilly snagged Trump for an interview. Trump, sensing the Fox News tone I mentioned earlier, told O’Reilly, “I think you’ve become very negative.” “Toward you?” asked O’Reilly. “Why do you say that?” “You’ll have to ask your psychiatrist,” said Trump. Yes, in the end, as it had been all day during this news cycle, it was All About Trump.