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Trump aide Dan Scavino makes apparent threat against Megyn Kelly after on-air tiff

A top aide to Donald Trump made an apparent threat against Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly over a contentious interview with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, drawing more attention to the Republican presidential candidate's troubles with women.

Dan Scavino, a senior aide to the Trump campaign, attacked Kelly late on Tuesday after she sparred with Gingrich in a primetime interview regarding news coverage of allegations made by women against Trump - and whether it compares fairly to stories about the ongoing release of hacked emails from top aides to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

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Gingrich says news anchor 'fascinated with sex'

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and Donald Trump adviser Newt Gingrich has accused TV host Megyn Kelly of bias against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as well as a "fascination with sex".

"That is worth covering," Kelly said of the Clinton campaign emails. "And we did."

Gingrich persisted: "I mean, you want to go back through the tapes of your show recently, you are fascinated with sex, and you don't care about public policy."

"Me? Really?" she said.

"Well, that's what I get out of watching you tonight," Gingrich replied.

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"You know what, Mr. Speaker, I'm not fascinated by sex," Kelly said. "But I am fascinated by the protection of women."

Moments later, Scavino tweeted that Kelly "made a total fool out of herself tonight- attacking @realDonaldTrump. Watch what happens to her after this election is over."

Daniel Scavino director for social media for Donald Trump.
Daniel Scavino director for social media for Donald Trump. Photo: AP

He has not yet specified what Kelly could face.

Megyn Kelly in New York.
Megyn Kelly in New York.  Photo: AP

Gingrich dismissed the allegations against Trump during the interview, but repeatedly referred to former president Bill Clinton as a "sexual predator" - citing allegations by several women against the 42nd president dating back to the 1970s. Gingrich led Republican congressional investigations of Bill Clinton in the 1990s that resulted in his impeachment. But the Clinton inquests also brought subsequent GOP losses in congressional races that forced Gingrich to step down as speaker.

Trump, who has sparred with Kelly in the past, did not immediately weigh in on the interview. Trump attended the official opening of his family's new downtown Washington hotel on Wednesday morning - one of several visits to the property in recent months.

Showdown: Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly.
Showdown: Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly. Photo: Supplied

Trump's Washington visit came amid reports that he has asked aides to set aside work on his presidential transition in order to help him win the election as many polls shows him trailing badly.

The team, led by New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, has scaled back plans to identify potential Cabinet secretaries, according to Reuters.

Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly  Photo: AP

Trump's campaign said Tuesday that it has scheduled no more big-money fundraising events to benefit the Republican Party, a serious blow to the party's get-out-the-vote operations with less than two weeks to go until Election Day.

The consequences of halting major fundraisers will compound the challenges facing a candidate and a party already straining to match Clinton's much larger and better-financed operation. Unlike Clinton, who has an extensive turnout operation of her own, Trump and many other GOP candidates down the ballot are relying heavily on the Republican National Committee to bring voters to the polls.

Washington Post