Trump has said Fox News, who is hosting the debate, is “playing games” and including anchor Megyn Kelly as moderator. “You know if she asks him mean questions I mean his hair might stand on end”, Cruz said of Kelly in Fairfield, Iowa, and likened missing the debate to skipping a job interview.
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Trump said he was angered about how Fox News, the sponsor of the debate, was promoting the event.
Later, the network followed up with a cheekier statement that said, in part, “We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president”.
Senator Ted Cruz wasted no time in attacking Trump for skipping the debate, telling radio host Mark Levin that Trump was “afraid” to face questions.
Less than a week before the nation’s first primary caucus, Cruz and his leading rival, Donald Trump, are tied for the top spot in a recent poll.
According to a CNN/ORC national poll released Tuesday, Trump got the support of 41% of Republican voters, a new high in the pollster’s surveys for the bombastic billionaire.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for President on the Megyn Kelly show Tuesday night. I don’t think she can treat me fairly, I think she’s very biased.
Earlier in the day Trump began polling his fans, asking, “Should I do the GOP debate?” That’s the approach that Fox already took, and you’ll see a lot more of it. It’s possible, then, that this makes Trump look weak and unready.
Trump’s bravado led some on social media to compare the Republican candidate to a pro wrestler psyching out his competition before a big match.
Minutes later, Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told the Washington Post said Trump would “definitely not” participate. What will a Trump-less debate look like?
Update: New York Magazine reported at 9.30 pm. that Trump was rejecting telephone calls from Fox News’ chief Roger Ailes.
His campaign sought to capitalize on the good news, fundraising on Twitter after his inclusion was announced on Fox News.
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Later on Monday, Fox News responded to Mr Trump’s remarks in an e-mailed statement it attributed to a network spokesman.
