FOX News host Megyn Kelly on Tuesday responded to the news that Republican Donald Trump is boycotting Thursday night's GOP debate on the network because of the organization's unwillingness to boot the anchor as one of the debate's moderators, saying the real estate mogul "doesn't get to control the media."
"What's interesting here is Trump is not used to not controlling things as the chief executive of a large organization," Kelly said on Tuesday night, according to RealClear Politics. "But the truth is, he doesn't get to control the media."
Kelly pointed out that she has the backing of the network, all the way up to the top of the corporate chain with CEO Roger Ailes. "And while he's made his position clear about me, after that first debate, Roger Ailes made his position clear, too. You know, when Trump started it up again this past Saturday and resumed it again and again and again, he was told repeatedly our debate team is settled."
She added: "I'll be there."
On Wednesday, Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski attempted to place the blame on Kelly. "You know, what we know is Megyn Kelly is totally obsessed with Mr. Trump," Lewandowski said on MSNBC, according to Politico. "She's on show after show about why the media shouldn't be having him on television."
Over the weekend, Trump said in a tweet that Kelly's "conflict of interest and bias" should mean "she should not be allowed to be a moderator" in the upcoming debate. FOX News responded on Saturday, saying in a statement, "Megyn Kelly has no conflict of interest. Donald Trump is just trying to build up the audience for Thursday's debate, for which we thank him," according to The New York Times.
On Monday, FOX responded more forcefully. "Sooner or later Donald Trump, even if he's president, is going to have to learn that he doesn't get to pick the journalists - we're very surprised he's willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly," a FOX News spokesperson said, according to Mediaite.
The feud between the two began when, in the first GOP debate in August, Kelly asked Trump about a history of disparaging comments toward women.
