FAIRFIELD, Iowa- Ted Cruz challenged Donald Trump on Tuesday night to a one-on-one debate “anytime between now and the Iowa caucus”.
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“He will not be participating in the Fox News debate on Thursday”, Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowksi, told The New York Times, adding “it’s not under negotiation”.
The maverick Republican frontrunner accused Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly, whom he has clashed with in the past, of being a “lightweight”.
At his campaign event in Marshalltown, Trump expressed confidence in his position in the race, saying if he were to win Iowa, he could “run the table” and roll up subsequent victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond.
Kelly says she’ll be at the debate, which will “go on with or without Mr. Trump”.
Mr Trump said he meant to hold a separate Iowa event at the same time as the debate to raise money for wounded veterans. Fox News still thinks Trump is going to be center stage. At a press conference 20 minutes later, Trump said he “probably” wouldn’t show up.
Cruz furthered his attack on Trump’s decision to bow out of the debate, asking Levin how Trump would handle friction with other world leaders. “That’s fine; he’s running for president, it’s not a fun business, there’s gonna be ups and downs and I know he considered that a down”, Kelly said. “Who’s said no? I can tell you different people that have”, he said, but would not say if Trump had made him an offer.
Fox intensified the standoff by mocking Trump, who had asked his five million Twitter followers to weigh in on whether or not he should attend the debate.
“I think every candidate for president owes it to the voters, and in particular owes it to the men and women of Iowa, to go and humble yourself and put yourself before them and answer their hard questions”, Cruz said.
When Trump read the statement, he shot back with a tweet, calling it a “pathetic attempt by Fox News to try and build up ratings for the #GOPDebate”. Trump said, asserting that the ratings will sink if he’s not there.
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks during a campaign town hall meeting in Whitefield, N. H., on January 18, 2016. Florida Senator Marco Rubio was at 8 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 6 percent, while former Florida governor and George W. Bush’s brother, Jeb Bush, at 5 percent. “I’ve won every single debate, according to every poll”, he said.
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In a corresponding Instagram video, Trump reiterated his criticism of Kelly’s supposed bias against him.
