For perspective, the first GOP primary debate four years ago, also on Fox, attracted 3.2 million viewers.
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On Sunday, Trump stuck to his assertion that only “a deviant” would interpret his comment beyond a harmless barb.
Donald Trump’s caustic confrontation with Fox News Channel presenter Megyn Kelly at Thursday’s Republican presidential debate couldn’t have come at a less opportune time for a party trying to increase its appeal to women voters.
“Perhaps one of the biggest factors in Thursday’s viewership was the participation of the outspoken Donald Trump, who Obama-Clinton-each-other-in-first-2016-debate-Trump-takes-spotlight/3441438917501/?spt=sec∨tn” target=”_blank”>delivered numerous barbs during the debate. The real estate mogul has been leading in the polls amid several controversies.
Scoring a Nielsen rating of 16.0, the long-awaited contest was easily the most watched primary debate in history. “I’ve said some dumb things in my life, then I’ve apologized for them”, said Erickson, adding that the Trump campaign declined to apologize or clarify the remark when he reached out to them Friday night.
Trump was busy doing damage control on Friday, telling ABC’s Good Morning America that he didn’t agree with Kelly’s assertions and calling her questions “unfair”.
I think there is no way to otherwise interpret Mr. Trump’s comment.
Baier asked Trump to reconcile his past support of single-payer health care with his opposition to President Obama’s health plan, and what he felt he received in return for past political donations to Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. In the early hours of Friday morning, he also republished a tweet that referred to Kelly as a “bimbo”.
“Make no mistakes, his popularity may even go up slightly, but the negativity around him – because in the end you still have to be liked by the majority of Republicans to get the nomination”, Luntz said.
After Thursday night’s debate, a long haul is what the Republicans appear to be in for.
“For a guy from New Jersey, it is a relief to be in a red state, I guarantee it”, said candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Rosie is disgusting. Reporter: And “New York times” columnist said, he sent me a copy with my picture circled.
He got the debate off to a contentious start when he was the only candidate present who refused to pledge to endorse the eventual Republican nominee. Ted Cruz, tea party favorite Ben Carson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, to try to make a splash.
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Florida Sen. Rubio delivered well-crafted, solidly conservative answers to every question he was asked, cementing his position as an attractive establishment alternative to the stolid Jeb Bush. Lindsey Graham can respond to any question – what did you have for breakfast? – with a call for all-out war in the Middle East. Only former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina showed enough novel appeal to suggest she might receive a little bump in the polls from her performance.
