DES MOINES, Iowa — GOP frontrunner Donald Trump said that Fox News has been “extremely nice in the last number of hours” when he took the stage to talk to veterans at a fundraiser instead of appearing at the Fox News GOP debate on Thursday night.
“I said, ‘Listen, I’m not going to do the debate out of respect for myself,'” Trump said, adding, “we actually raised close to six [million dollars] to be totally honest.”
Trump said he had to stand up for himself and not attend the debate, “whether we like it or not… that’s what our country has to do.”
Trump didn’t do the debate after Fox News sent out a “wise guy” press statement that Trump said offended him. Trump also said that Megyn Kelly – one of the debate moderators – was unfair to him in a prior debate.
“Fox has been extremely nice in the last number of hours,” he told the audience, saying they kept asking, “How about now? Can you come over?”
Trump said illegal immigrants have been treated better than veterans, but if he is president that’s “not going to happen anymore.”