That didn't take long. Just hours after Fox News announced that Megyn Kelly would be a moderator at the next Republican debate, Donald Trump decided to skip the event.
The GOP front-runner's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, confirmed on Tuesday, January 26, that Trump "will not be participating in the Fox News debate on Thursday," The New York Times reports.
Trump, 69, who memorably clashed with Kelly during and after a GOP debate last August, hinted on Monday, January 25, that he would be a no-show if she was chosen as a moderator for Thursday's debate. "Fox will drop Kelly if it means no Trump," he tweeted. "Nobody will watch w/o Trump."
Earlier on Tuesday he told supporters on Twitter that having Kelly as a moderator was a "Pathetic attempt by @foxnews to try and build up ratings for the #GOPDebate. Without me they'd have no ratings!" He also posted a video on his Instagram account stating, "Megyn Kelly is really biased against me. She knows that. I know that. Everybody knows that. Do you think she can really be fair at a debate?"
But the network stuck with Kelly, and Trump decided to walk, telling reporters at a press conference in Iowa on Tuesday as news of his boycott was announced, "Let's see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me."
"@Belizediver88: @CNNSitRoom @CNN @megynkelly It will never happen. Fox will drop Kelly if it means no Trump. Nobody will watch w/o Trump."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2016
Pathetic attempt by @foxnews to try and build up ratings for the #GOPDebate. Without me they'd have no ratings! https://t.co/2bx54VKpQh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2016
The billionaire businessman's problems with Kelly, 45, began when she quizzed him during the August debate about calling women he doesn't like "fat pigs" and "slobs." The following day he told CNN that the Fox News host was "a lightweight."
Kelly has so far remained silent on Trump's decision to boycott Thursday's debate.
