“Not only did I not make threats, but the conversation with the Fox News executive-his daughter works for the Rubio campaign, he’s one of the executives on Fox that writes the debate questions so maybe he has his own ulterior motives, I’m not sure”, Lewandowski said.
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But Trump’s support in the polls, much of it from blue-collar males, has not wavered for months despite him insulting Mexican immigrants, threatening to deny Muslims entry to the United States and fighting with Republican establishment figures like Senator John McCain.
He said the debate was “the last opportunity to talk to the people in Iowa” before they vote on Monday.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Republicans “don’t have time for these kinds of distractions”. The Trump campaign has mentioned the Wounded Warrior Project, but that organization has come under new scrutiny for potentially wasting 40% of all donated funds. “Fox News is making tens of millions of dollars on debates, and setting ratings records (the highest in history), where as in previous years they were low-rated afterthoughts”. Late Wednesday, Trump tweeted that it was Fox’s mocking press release that inspired him to skip the debate, more so than Kelly.
“My sense is those Iowa Republicans who weren’t fans of Donald Trump before yesterday, this has only validated their opinion of him, and those Iowans who have been drawn to his passionate attack on the media and political elites in our country are even more emboldened by their guy today”, said former Iowa GOP chairman Matt Strawn.
“Even though I beat him in the first six debates, especially the last one, Ted Cruz wants to debate me again”. The link, which he posted on Twitter, includes the seal of the Donald J. Trump Foundation, and a form for contributions.
Thursday’s debate comes four days before the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2016 nominating contest.
The event will be held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, only a few miles from where the Republican debate will take place. CNN claims that they will be airing regular programming, but they did not say that they won’t be showing Trump within those programs.
“The entire lead-up to this debate was about whether Donald Trump was going to show up to the next debate”, Santorum said.
“I just want you to consider it”, O’Reilly asked, hoping Trump would reconsider pulling out of tomorrow night’s debate on Fox News.
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“Will it happen? The answer depends on when or if anti-Trump sentiment will coalesce to interrupt his march to the nomination”, he said. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in West Des Moines, Iowa.
