The pair have had a public feud after the debate in which she criticised his record against women. Picture: Screengrab CNN
FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly says she has met privately with Donald Trump to “clear the air” after enduring months of attacks from the Republican frontrunner.
Trump has been taking potshots at Kelly since she moderated the very first presidential debate last year - and dared to bring up his long history of insulting women.
Trump labelled her a “lightweight” reporter, retweeted comments calling her a “bimbo” and infamously implied she’d only confronted him at the debate because she was menstruating.
“I just don’t respect her as a journalist,” he said. “I have no respect for her, I don’t think she’s very good, I think she’s highly overrated.
“She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions, and you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.Source:Supplied
Trump boycotted Fox’s second debate on the eve of the Iowa caucuses after failing to get Kelly removed as a moderator, and skipped a town hall forum she hosted in February, which every other candidate attended.
Then, in March, he escalated the feud, repeatedly criticising “biased”, “unwatchable”, “crazy Megyn” on Twitter.
Fox News hit back in support of Kelly, a former corporate lawyer who joined the network as a reporter in 2004 and went on to become America’s most-watched female news anchor.
“Donald Trump’s vitriolic attacks against Megyn Kelly and his extreme, sick obsession with her are beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate,” Fox said.
“Megyn is an exemplary journalist and one of the leading anchors in America. We’re extremely proud of her phenomenal work and continue to fully support her throughout every day of Trump’s endless barrage of crude and sexist verbal attacks.”
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
Highly overrated & crazy @megynkelly is always complaining about Trump and yet she devotes her shows to me. Focus on others Megyn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2016
But a truce appears to have been called at last. Kelly says she met Trump for about an hour on Wednesday at Trump Tower in New York. Speaking on her show on Wednesday night, she gave no details of the conversation, other than to say they discussed a potential interview and that “we hope to have news on that soon”.
“Yes, the doormen appeared stunned when I walked in,” Kelly said.
Trump confirmed the meeting during an hour-long interview on Fox’s Sean Hannity show, where a gathered audience at a Pittsburgh auditorium booed at the mention of her name.
“She was very, very nice,” Trump said, noting that Fox had requested the meeting.
He offered no details of what was discussed.
“I give her a lot of credit for doing what she did,” he said. “Let’s see what happens.”
Trump has called the lawyer-turned-anchor a lightweight and urged people to boycott her show. Picture: Evan AgostiniSource:AP
While Kelly recently criticised both CNN and her Fox colleague Bill O’Reilly for not being more supportive after Trump pulled out of the debate, she said Trump is welcome on her show.
Fox said that its chief executive, Roger Ailes, has been trying to get Trump to appear on a prime-time special Kelly is hosting on the Fox broadcasting network on May 23.
