Trump Plays the Bully Again—Attacks Megyn Kelly

Another class move by the thin-skinned Donald Trump. Apparently while I was sleeping (because we are six hours ahead of the U.S.) DJT tweeted out his latest attack on Megyn Kelly, host of the #2 rated news show on cable.

Everybody should boycott the ‪@megynkelly show. Never worth watching. Always a hit on Trump! She is sick, & the most overrated person on tv.

Everybody should boycott the @megynkelly show. Never worth watching. Always a hit on Trump! She is sick, & the most overrated person on tv. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2016

Is she really “the most overrated person on (sic) tv”? And if so, do we need Donald J. Trump to tell us?

This is troubling on at least four levels.

1. He is a presidential candidate calling for the boycotting of news personality. Even President Obama, with his clear disdain for Fox News, never did such a thing. The freedom of the press is a fundamental value in America and while at present he is merely asking people to freely boycott her, which is legal (even if thuggish and unbecoming of someone who wants to lead the country), you can only imagine how a President Trump would react to his detractors. He has already talked about weakening the laws protecting the press if elected. I have never heard a presidential candidate speak of this need. But he will do anything to keep people from resisting him.

2. He is seeking to use his position to intimidate a journalist. It is one thing to say you disagree with her, another thing to rip her to shreds and attack her character. A huge difference between Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump is that she has substance in her reports and he just responds with insults and personal attacks. If he would simply respond to the argument, that would be fine. But he prefers to just label people, “low energy Jeb”, “little Marco” or “l’yin Ted” and hope it sticks. And now it is “Crazy Megyn Kelly”.

Crazy @megynkelly says I don't (won't) go on her show and she still gets good ratings. But almost all of her shows are negative hits on me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 19, 2016

If crazy @megynkelly didn't cover me so much on her terrible show, her ratings would totally tank. She is so average in so many ways! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 19, 2016

The point is that he is a bully. I can’t stand bullies.

3. The reason she is “overrated,” “sick,” and “not worth watching” according to Trump, is because she calls him out: “Always a hit on Trump.” So if she acted like the typical Trump sycophants (Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, Sean Hannity) who are willing to ignore his thuggish ways, because he has “tapped into their anger,” she would be “a great gal,” with a “great future,”… “wonderful, lovely lady.” There would be no end to the positive adjectives.

In other words, his beef with her has nothing to do with her journalistic credentials or her ability to present the news or give an opinion. His only criticism of her is that she doesn’t carry his water.

We see this same sentiment in a statement from Hope Hicks, a Trump Campaign spokeswoman:

“Megyn Kelly is a highly overrated reporter and anchor that constantly disparages Mr. Trump with negative and inaccurate reports.”

Amazingly, several years ago, Trump praised Ms. Kelly’s skills. When she jokingly asked if he could be a better moderate than her, he said, “No, I could never beat you. That wouldn’t even be close, that would be no contest. You have done a great job, by the way, and I mean it.”

But her skills have clearly waned since then in the eyes of Mr. Trump.

She is bad because she “disparages Mr. Trump with negative and inaccurate reports.” Can we get a list of the inaccurate reports? It would appear that Trump thinks inaccurate means unfavorable.

4. Other journalists are terrified to speak against Trump. When you sing his praises, he will sing yours. But you cross and he verbally (or with tiny fingers) castrate you. There is no doubt there are news commentators that have real issues with Trump, but don’t have the backbone confront him. Glenn Beck and Ben Shapiro are a few of the brave ones.

Never in my lifetime has a presidential candidate, republican or democrat, been so vicious in going after journalists who criticize him/her. This should scare you!

I wonder if all those folks who think it is unfair to judge Mr. Trump for his lack of character, multiple affairs, constant lying, will take their champion to task for judging Megyn Kelly.

PS If you want to know why it is urgent and necessary that we do judge Mr. Trump (and every other candidate) read this earlier blog.