Trump, O'Reilly Get Testy Over Fox Debate

Bill O'Reilly tries to convince him to show up, to no avail
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2016 2:00 AM CST
Updated Jan 28, 2016 7:02 AM CST

It's GOP debate night, and the million-dollar question is whether Donald Trump will show. It turns out there's also a 1.5 million-dollar question on the table. The latest:

  • In a Wednesday night interview with Bill O'Reilly, Trump didn't come close to budging. The Hill recounts the many ways O'Reilly tried to convince him: He said "turn the other cheek," and Trump replied, "Eye for an eye."
  • O'Reilly ended the interview by asking Trump a question that the two had apparently agreed wasn't to be asked, per Politico.
  • If he does indeed skip, the New York Times reports he might not be the only one.
  • Still not using the word "bimbo" himself, Politico notes that Trump retweeted a follower's shot at Megyn Kelly over a provocative GQ photo shoot she did: "And this is the bimbo that’s asking presidential questions?"

  • Ted Cruz apparently didn't spend Wednesday fighting zombies. Politico reports he hunkered down for debate prep, aware that if Trump is out, the target is on his back.
  • Cruz also turned up the heat on his "mano a mano" debate invite to Trump, reports the Guardian. Cruz has named a place, time, and potential facilitators and "sweetened the deal" by noting two super PAC donors will hand $1.5 million to veterans charities if Trump shows.
  • What the Trump camp had to say about the money, to Tom Llamas of ABC: "desperate," "dirty."
  • At the New York Times, Maggie Haberman has the "most intriguing possible explanation" for Trump's planned no-show: He knows he's ahead in Iowa and "wants to play out the clock" rather than face tough questions.
  • The Times references the "furious discussions" going on about all this, including a conversation between Trump's daughter Ivanka and Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.
(More Donald Trump stories.)

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