When it was announced that Fox News host Megyn Kelly would appear as a moderator at this Thursday's Republican debate, front runner Donald Trump decided to pull out. Announcing he would hold a fundraiser for American veterans during the same time as the debate, criticism soon followed, which escalated in various news outlets on Jan. 28.
Debate back story
During the first GOP primary debate last August, Kelly hit Trump with a controversial, yet fair question, right out of the gate. Referencing his past comments about women, Kelly said to Trump, "You call women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals." Initially laughing off the comment, Trump would go on rants about the popular Fox News host in the months that followed.
Often referring to her as "overrated" and a "bimbo," the Republican front runner has made it a common theme to attack Kelly during interviews and on his official Twitter page. Trump's decision to ditch the upcoming debate comes at a time when the all important Iowa caucus is less than a week away.
Trump's hypocrisy
Calling for an event to benefit veterans, Trump will put the spotlight on America's wounded warriors in an attempt to score political points. Despite this, Mediaite pointed out on Thursday that Trump has had a questionable history when it comes to veterans.
On at least two different occasions, dating back to as far as 1991, Trump has called on officials to remove homeless and disabled veterans from Fifth Avenue where Trump Tower resides.
Writing a letter to the Assembly in 1991, the former host of "The Apprentice" pushed for disabled veterans to be removed from the premises. "While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?"
In 2004, Trump once again petitioned to have homeless and disabled veterans removed from outside his famous building, citing their panhandling that could ruin the city's image.
In a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Trump stated, "Whether they are veterans or not, they should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street...The image of New York City will suffer...I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late."
