Let’s give a standing ovation to Megyn Kelly of Fox News for calling out Donald Trump about his pattern of abusive and bullying comments toward women. It was a bravura performance by Kelly, who asked fair questions based on facts using accurate quotes that Trump did not contest.
{mosads}Trump’s first lame answer, when a series of abusive comments was read to him by Kelly, was to say, falsely, that he only used those quotes against Rosie O’Donnell, which raises a second set of issues that need not be considered here. Kelly answered that Trump had used such language directed at other women besides O’Donnell, and Trump conceded the point.
Trump responded to Kelly with barely veiled threats and low-end bullying tactics, followed after the debate by his declaring a ridiculous Twitter war against Kelly filled with invective and more implied threats.
Kelly is one of the most professional, fair and talented journalists on television. Her questions were tough, based on facts that Trump did not contest, and the language he has used against women in professional situations deserved airing. Trump could not give a reasoned, professional and serious answers to justify the language he has used on various occasions toward women — in what, I emphasize again, were professional contexts — so he retreated to the time-honored resort of the bully: Name-calling and threats followed by whining that the questions were too tough.
There is an old saying that if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen, and if Trump cannot handle tough but fair questions by Kelly in a presidential debate without responding with angry tirades and threatening insults, he should find a new line of work besides presidential politics.
If Trump becomes so emotional, angry and bullying after debate questions from Kelly, can you imagine what will happen if he ever has to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin?
Setting aside that it is not a very shrewd move for a Republican candidate to declare war against Fox News, Megyn Kelly deserves an apology from Donald Trump and American women deserve answers to the questions that Kelly asked!
Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.