This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republican-debate-seven-candidates-against-the-man-who-isnt-there/2016/01/28/2598ab2a-c5dd-11e5-a4aa-f25866ba0dc6_story.html
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump won’t participate in debate over feud with Fox News | Donald Trump won’t participate in debate over feud with Fox News |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| DES MOINES — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Thursday evening that he would make good on his promise to boycott Thursday night’s main Republican presidential debate, staying away from the last face-off before the crucial Iowa caucuses because of his continuing feud with broadcaster Fox News Channel. | DES MOINES — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Thursday evening that he would make good on his promise to boycott Thursday night’s main Republican presidential debate, staying away from the last face-off before the crucial Iowa caucuses because of his continuing feud with broadcaster Fox News Channel. |
| “No, I’m not doing it,” Trump said, after calling reporters to his private plane for a special media availability – in which Trump essentially said that nothing had changed. | “No, I’m not doing it,” Trump said, after calling reporters to his private plane for a special media availability – in which Trump essentially said that nothing had changed. |
| He appeared eager to needle Fox News, saying the network’s top executives had been calling him every 15 minutes, and that he had spoken to Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox’s parent company, News Corp., just minutes before. | He appeared eager to needle Fox News, saying the network’s top executives had been calling him every 15 minutes, and that he had spoken to Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox’s parent company, News Corp., just minutes before. |
| “The time to change my mind would have been two days ago,” Trump said. He said it was too late now. | “The time to change my mind would have been two days ago,” Trump said. He said it was too late now. |
| [Live reports from the debate and the Trump event] | [Live reports from the debate and the Trump event] |
| Instead, Trump will appear at his own rally in another part of Des Moines, which he said would honor veterans – but would also give Trump a platform to counterprogram the very debate he is skipping. Trump said he had already donated $1 million of his own money to veterans causes and raised a total of $5 million for them. | Instead, Trump will appear at his own rally in another part of Des Moines, which he said would honor veterans – but would also give Trump a platform to counterprogram the very debate he is skipping. Trump said he had already donated $1 million of his own money to veterans causes and raised a total of $5 million for them. |
| At the center of the dispute was Trump’s long-standing disdain for Fox anchor Megyn Kelly, who Trump has frequently accused of being biased against him after a tough line of questioning during the first GOP debate in August. Those tensions escalated Saturday amid a push by the campaign to have Kelly removed from the debate during a telephone call Saturday between Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and a Fox network executive. | At the center of the dispute was Trump’s long-standing disdain for Fox anchor Megyn Kelly, who Trump has frequently accused of being biased against him after a tough line of questioning during the first GOP debate in August. Those tensions escalated Saturday amid a push by the campaign to have Kelly removed from the debate during a telephone call Saturday between Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and a Fox network executive. |
| Trump first indicated that he might skip the debate Monday during several television interviews, stirring questions about whether the front-runner would seriously skip a nationally televised debate so close to Monday’s caucuses, the first nominating contests in the country. Trump repeatedly accused the network of treating him unfairly in the days before the debate, adding that the network has used him to boost their ratings and advertising revenue. | Trump first indicated that he might skip the debate Monday during several television interviews, stirring questions about whether the front-runner would seriously skip a nationally televised debate so close to Monday’s caucuses, the first nominating contests in the country. Trump repeatedly accused the network of treating him unfairly in the days before the debate, adding that the network has used him to boost their ratings and advertising revenue. |
| Fox News responded with a series of press releases that angered the billionaire: “We’re very surprised he’s willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly,” the statement from Fox said. | Fox News responded with a series of press releases that angered the billionaire: “We’re very surprised he’s willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly,” the statement from Fox said. |
| Elsewhere in Des Moines, the night’s first “undercard” debate began at 7 p.m. as planned, and its early minutes focused on Trump. The low-polling candidates onstage lamented that Trump had taken so much of the media’s attention away from them. | Elsewhere in Des Moines, the night’s first “undercard” debate began at 7 p.m. as planned, and its early minutes focused on Trump. The low-polling candidates onstage lamented that Trump had taken so much of the media’s attention away from them. |
| “This debate was called the undercard debate. The undercard debate. It wasn’t advertised significantly,” said former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.), in his first chance to speak in the debate. He lamented that Fox News had spent the previous hour talking about whether Trump would follow up on a threat to stay away. “An entertainer” had captured everyone’s attention, Santorum said. “The entire lead-up to this debate was about whether Donald Trump was going to show up for the next debate.” | “This debate was called the undercard debate. The undercard debate. It wasn’t advertised significantly,” said former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.), in his first chance to speak in the debate. He lamented that Fox News had spent the previous hour talking about whether Trump would follow up on a threat to stay away. “An entertainer” had captured everyone’s attention, Santorum said. “The entire lead-up to this debate was about whether Donald Trump was going to show up for the next debate.” |
| Santorum, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2012, expressed frustration that he had not had the same success this time around. He blamed the media, who he said had marginalized him by refusing to ask voters about him in opinion polls, and by relegating him to undercard debates like this one. “Trying to segregate and take Iowans out of the process,” Santorum said, meaning that the media had not allowed Iowans a fair chance to evaluate him this time around. | Santorum, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2012, expressed frustration that he had not had the same success this time around. He blamed the media, who he said had marginalized him by refusing to ask voters about him in opinion polls, and by relegating him to undercard debates like this one. “Trying to segregate and take Iowans out of the process,” Santorum said, meaning that the media had not allowed Iowans a fair chance to evaluate him this time around. |
| Later, Santorum said he had made 700 political appearances in Iowa over the last five years. | Later, Santorum said he had made 700 political appearances in Iowa over the last five years. |
| Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, the lowest-polling candidate in the undercard, complained of a conspiracy to sideline him, to benefit other candidates on the undercard stage. | Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, the lowest-polling candidate in the undercard, complained of a conspiracy to sideline him, to benefit other candidates on the undercard stage. |
| “There are powerful forces that are really controlling our lives,” Gilmore said. “The biggest one is the organized establishment media. And I just noticed, just now, you gave Carly Fiorina two one-minute answers in a row.” | “There are powerful forces that are really controlling our lives,” Gilmore said. “The biggest one is the organized establishment media. And I just noticed, just now, you gave Carly Fiorina two one-minute answers in a row.” |
| Gilmore had been kept out of the past five undercards because his poll numbers were so low. But moderator Bill Hemmer pointed out that Gilmore had not even appeared in Iowa to campaign until a week ago. | Gilmore had been kept out of the past five undercards because his poll numbers were so low. But moderator Bill Hemmer pointed out that Gilmore had not even appeared in Iowa to campaign until a week ago. |
| “This is not the place where I choose to begin my campaign. I am beginning my campaign in New Hampshire,” Gilmore said. | “This is not the place where I choose to begin my campaign. I am beginning my campaign in New Hampshire,” Gilmore said. |
| He also took a shot at Santorum and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who were both scheduled to appear at the Trump rally later in the evening. Gilmore said that he came from a humble background: his father was a meat-cutter at Safeway, his mother a secretary. “I’m not about to go across and carry the coat for some billionaire,” Gilmore said. | He also took a shot at Santorum and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who were both scheduled to appear at the Trump rally later in the evening. Gilmore said that he came from a humble background: his father was a meat-cutter at Safeway, his mother a secretary. “I’m not about to go across and carry the coat for some billionaire,” Gilmore said. |
| Rather than addressing Trump’s absence, Fiorina, the former tech executive, attacked Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, calling her dishonest and saying that Clinton deserved to be “in the Big House” for her use of a personal e-mail server to handle government data. The Big House is a euphemism for prison. | Rather than addressing Trump’s absence, Fiorina, the former tech executive, attacked Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, calling her dishonest and saying that Clinton deserved to be “in the Big House” for her use of a personal e-mail server to handle government data. The Big House is a euphemism for prison. |
| Fiorina, Gilmore, Huckabee and Santorum are all polling below 5 percent and have little chance to win the Iowa caucuses. Each has been overshadowed by Trump, the bombastic billionaire who rose to the top of the GOP field with promises to erect a giant wall on the border with Mexico and to bar Muslim foreigners from entering the country. But they, and possibly the main debate participants, have never been as upstaged as they will be tonight. | Fiorina, Gilmore, Huckabee and Santorum are all polling below 5 percent and have little chance to win the Iowa caucuses. Each has been overshadowed by Trump, the bombastic billionaire who rose to the top of the GOP field with promises to erect a giant wall on the border with Mexico and to bar Muslim foreigners from entering the country. But they, and possibly the main debate participants, have never been as upstaged as they will be tonight. |
| But without Trump at the main debate, an opening could develop for the other candidates who have struggled to get a word in edgewise, in a race dominated by the reality-TV-trained showman. | But without Trump at the main debate, an opening could develop for the other candidates who have struggled to get a word in edgewise, in a race dominated by the reality-TV-trained showman. |
| In particular, it could allow Trump’s top rival in Iowa, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, to repeat his argument that Trump is not a committed conservative. | In particular, it could allow Trump’s top rival in Iowa, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, to repeat his argument that Trump is not a committed conservative. |
| [Cruz super PAC donors try to pressure Trump into one-on-one debate] | [Cruz super PAC donors try to pressure Trump into one-on-one debate] |
| Or it could allow Trump to dominate the debate without even having to show up. If networks show his rally before, or even during, the formal debate, Trump could steal the moment again. | Or it could allow Trump to dominate the debate without even having to show up. If networks show his rally before, or even during, the formal debate, Trump could steal the moment again. |
| The other candidates in the main-event debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who had once challenged Trump for the lead in Iowa but then faded; Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; former Florida governor Jeb Bush; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. | The other candidates in the main-event debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who had once challenged Trump for the lead in Iowa but then faded; Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; former Florida governor Jeb Bush; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. |
| Many of them, having little chance in Iowa, may be aiming already at the (theoretically) more-moderate, establishment-friendly voters in New Hampshire, although Trump is way ahead of them there, too. The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 9. | Many of them, having little chance in Iowa, may be aiming already at the (theoretically) more-moderate, establishment-friendly voters in New Hampshire, although Trump is way ahead of them there, too. The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 9. |
| Jose A. DelReal and Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report. |