A week ago, all anyone could discuss was the Republican Presidential Debate on Fox News. Donald Trump definitely dominated the debate, and I thought he seemed like a trainwreck. I also thought one of the moderators, Megyn Kelly, did a good job. She was the only woman moderator and the only woman on the stage for the big debate. She asked pointed, hard-hitting questions of most nominees, even Trump. Trump did react well though. Following the debate, he waged a campaign against Megyn Kelly personally and Fox News generally. He said insulting things about Kelly, her professionalism and whether or not she was on her period.
Fox News’ CEO Roger Ailes publicly backed Megyn (and she refused to apologize to Trump), but Ailes spoke to Trump privately and basically promised Trump that Fox News would go easier on him. Which led to headlines like “How Roger Ailes Picked Trump, and Fox News’ Audience, Over Megyn Kelly.” Megyn used to be Fox News’ golden girl, their prettiest blonde princess and one of their best on-camera talents. And it does feel like she got shoved under the Trump bus, that her career just took a MAJOR hit in the past week as Trump supporters went HAM on her online and elsewhere.
So Megyn is going on a holiday now. This vacation wasn’t previously announced. On Wednesday night, she declared that she was taking off for two weeks. And the reaction has been… just what you’d expect.
In the hours since Roger Ailes’s star anchor told her 3 million viewers on Wednesday night that she’s taking a break from The Kelly File for the rest of this week and next—a long-scheduled vacation, according to the cable channel—some of the reactions in the Twitterverse have been downright churlish.
One detractor tweeted at the embattled Kelly that “a lousy performance as a so-called moderator can ruin one’s career. Think about that while you’re on vacation, dear.”
Another, apparently mining a sarcastic vein, tweeted: “Glad you’re on vacation! Take an extra week or two!”
And another non-fan opined: “Oh gee, lookie there—ratings dropped & @megynkelly going on an unplanned ‘vacation’ for 1.5 weeks. Being all debatey coinky-dinky n’ stuff.”
Leaving aside the mysterious meaning of “coinky-dinky n’ stuff,” the latter tweeter—courtesy of a compendium of Kelly tweets assembled by the Young Conservatives website—is wrong on two key points: The anchor’s August vacation was locked in well before last Thursday’s debate, and ratings for her 9 p.m. program have spiked on recent nights.
Here’s what Kelly, the mother of three young children, said at the end of Wednesday’s show: “It’s been an interesting week. A long six months, without a vacation for yours truly, do you know that? It’s been six months since I’ve had a vacation. Just ask my assistant. So I’ll be taking the next week and a half off, spending some time with my husband and my kids, trying to relax.”
So was it scheduled ahead of time or not? I don’t think it was. I think Megyn was encouraged to go on vacation by her bosses so they could further negotiate a détente with Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to go to war with Fox News if their coverage of his campaign does not improve. Word is that Roger Ailes even offered Trump the chance to do an exclusive interview with Megyn Kelly, which Trump turned down – Trump wants no part of speaking one-on-one to Megyn Kelly, and that’s a blow to Kelly’s show, not Trump.
And at the end of the day… what if this Trump thing is just a “false flag” campaign to help improve Hillary Clinton’s chances? That’s the real question.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
I just love the chaos Trump causes. They’re all fraidy scared of him.
When he will be the Republican candidate,you will love it less
It scares the hell out of me
I can’t with hearing about Trump non stop. Kelly did a great job IMO.
Given that she was doing her job-and WELL-her forced vacation seems pretty unfair to me. Donald Trump is a petty tyrant (among other things-the list is long); why is anyone taking him seriously?
Gee,I wonder if this Modern Conservative Woman has realized that she got thrown in the Fox Dumpste for ratings? If you lay down with trash you will get treated like trash. Let this circus continue for as long as possible. *Hillary 2016*
If you choose to work at a network like FOX, which is slinen on promoting right wing BS, and you are fine with doing their bidding as Kelly is, you get what you deserve. Frankly, this was the first time she’s ever actually done her job as a real journalist.
We all have a right to our opinion. I did vote for Obama twice but would not vote for Hilary. I don’t think she is honest. I can’t vote for Bernie Sanders because we are a capitalist society which works well and all of his stances on the issues are socialistic. I won’t vote for the socially conservative republicans. That leaves Trump. I think there are a lot of us who feel the same way.
Really?? Trump is what you come up with out of this bloated pool of candidates?? Just admit you like the bloviating pig and be done with it. To say he’s the only remaining option is a bit ridiculous.
“…we are a capitalist society which works well ”
Really????
25% of our children are in poverty (and the bar for poverty is WAY too low)!!!
I could go on listing the BILLIONS of ways our society does not work well for 80-90% of the people in it, but you keep on living in your bubble …
Sanders is a not a socialist, FFS, he’s a social democrat. It bothers me when people call his ideas socialist, they clearly don’t know what the word means.
Like I said, we all have opinions. This is a great country with a ton of opportunity. If you don’t think Bernie is socialistic read his voting record on the big issues.
http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/bernie_sanders.htm#Tax_Reform
Bell,
You aren’t paying any attention if you think a capitalist society is working well for us,
Love,
The 99%
Wow–if you think Trump is the best option, you have drunk the Kool-Aid and don’t care at all about what is best for you OR this country.
Some of the best, greatest programs that have helped make this the greatest country in the world (yeah, for all our flaws I believe this to be true) would match most definitions of socialist. It is a part of our national fabric–seriously, hang together instead of separately is NOT a Capitalist notion!
Sanders would be a social democrat in my country and and the social democrats used to rule for quite some time without turning m country into a failed state. More like the leading nation of Europe.
all I have out of this is SINCERE SHOCK AND SURPRISE this woman is Raising actual Human (probably Blondie Aryan Lite) Children… I receive this with Utter. Shock
Agree! That Duggar interview… how could any mother?
With all due respect, she is blonde, her children may also be blonde. Genetics are genetics. I am blonde, but I don’t have to be described as ‘Aryan’ because I am blonde, do I? I don’t quite get your point, but it doesn’t seem fair (no pun intended) or accurate.
I believe this man has a real chance on the white house. I’m not even an American and I find this very troubling.
Well, if he gets in it will not longer be the White House. It’ll be the Trump House in Trump, D.C. in the United States of Trump.
It will look so different in gold, won’t it?
God if they are traumatised by those questions they should avoid replays of the British election debates.
In one of them members of the audience were allowed to ask questions. It was fun.
Political journos are a lot tougher too. Only fair.
In an ironic twist, the main British opposition party (Labour) is poised to elect as its leader a real, old school socialist (Jeremy Corbyn), who would like to bring back such things as a clause in the party’s constitution that advocates state ownership of the means of production. Thereby guaranteeing a Conservative government for the foreseeable future, in much the same way as Trump may well guarantee a Democratic president in 2016.
I’m just sitting back kind of enjoying this pat-in-the-head-now-run-along-little-girl thing she is getting. If she hasn’t had the brains to figure out that’s what Fox News thinks of women in general, I don’t feel badly for her.
I’ve heard that theory about Donald doing this to help Clinton. I don’t know, but it’s interesting. The Fox network has a problem on their hands. The public, for whatever reason are responding to Trump. Trump has his own money so he can say whatever the F*ck he wants to say, clearly. So it’s funny to see that even FOX has a limit to how much crap they’re will to take from their own party.
Watching this GOP primary, I feel like I’m watching a mass audition for either a FOX News show host gig or a Koch-funded think tank fellowship. I do not see people who are committed to public service.
I think public service went out the window long ago. It’s all power and money.
You know, good for her. She’s probably stressed and getting poop from all sides – work isn’t worth it, and I hope she has a great vacation recharging with her loved ones!
“Coinky-dink” was a saying of my mom’s – it means coincidence. (Ko-in-kee-dink).
You mean Fox News isn’t a completely unbiased organization that only reports the truth and stands by its own employees?
SHOCKER. SAID NO ONE EVER.
Exactly! !
+1
Yup!
Pretty much called this one like a damn psychic.
Trump has the once loyal Republican loonies (the ones that believe Sandy Hook was fake) on his side and the fact is they’re the ones who give the advertising dollars to Fox. Without them you’re facing a network so ridiculous that anyone who watches it comes away shocked and confused.
The wealthier Republicans are one thing but the lower-income more prone to fits of delusions are the ones Ailes needs to fill his piggybank. Megyn is completely and totally replaceable and the only people who really came out in full force for her after Trump’s comments were independents and liberals. Of course Ms. Santa Is White doesn’t need those people, she needs Fox and they’re currently trying to massage her into a non-issue.
The question ended up backfiring on her because at least among the group that watches and adores Fox regularly Trump is a godsend. Considering on her chosen network she’s getting up there in years I imagine there’s another pretty young news anchor just waiting on the wings to smile and repeat. When it comes to Fox Ailes isn’t willing to destroy decades of manipulation and cajoling on Trump’s pyre, gotta smooth it over, apologize, and regroup.
IMO the most interesting thing about all of this is that even FOX is not conservative enough for the farthest right wing of the Republican party AND add to that the fact that not all Trump’s supporters are Republicans. He may have gotten into this for self promotion but it’s taken on a life of its own and he’s stuck with the radicals who want to put him in the oval office. All I can say is WATCH OUT WORLD! A pissy, whiny, name calling narcissist is getting very close to having his finger on the button. Trump has Fox News and the Republican Party held in a vice grip. He holds all the power, at least until next month’s debate on CNN. Then Trump’s army of angry supporters will find fault with something they do.
I am a fiscal conservative, voted for Clinton back in the day, don’t trust Hilary, and am appalled that ‘the Donald’ is being taken seriously. Crazy right wing Repubs are as bad as crazy left wing Dems. Moderation is good.
President Trump?? God help us all!
She’s a pretty news reader. You act as though she wrote those questions or thought them up on the fly. Any dope can sit and read from the sheet of paper in front of them or read a teleprompter. As far as I’m concerned she showed her true colors with the Duggar interviews. Oh and boo hoo, she hasn’t had a vacation in SIX months. Now I really feel sorry for her. She should shut up, read the news and take her huge check from Fox. Legitimate journalist, no way.
Amen.
I should’ve read this before posting. I know I should care, but, Lord help me, I don’t feel anything approaching sympathy for Santa Baby on anything other than a philosophical basis and barely that, I’m afraid. That the network is bending to him, to any candidate, that’s the really galling part. Fox News viewers, well, they’re *passionate* about the ones they like.
Trump thought she was an Upstanding Lady until she dared to question him. Then she became a bitch (and most likely a ho too). Ice Cube and Dr. Dre would agree.
I’m not saying that what’s happening to her, in the fashion in which it’s happening, is just, but:
– Doesn’t feel so good on the other side, does it, White Jesus?
– Vacation from what, ‘doing good journalism’? (nice 7th grade speak) She’s been on vacation from that for a while now*. Oh, what’s that, Duggar Nation?
– This false flag crap is nonsense. Tell me how his racially-discriminatory housing and employment history makes him some kind of undercover progressive. Have any of the mental featherweights who have been heavily pushing this idea made themselves even remotely familiar with this man’s history? He’s been planning this for decades, then? I know how I sound, but it’s just silly beyond imagining that people who think they oppose him are effectively coddling him and bailing him out of accountability. That’s how a businessman with four bankruptcies on his resumes gets the stones to think he should be President of anything more than a Lee Iacoca fan club.
You created a monster, now it’s terrorizing the countryside: don’t look so shocked. They’re all awful. Happy?
Freudian Slip Notice: I first wrote ‘a white now’, heh, heh.
bwahhahahahahhahaah White Now.. I wanna make sweet succulent love to the entirety of this comment
I can’t believe I’m defending Megyn but I find it disgusting that the NEWS is backing down to a candidate. This is exactly what is wrong with all American news outlets. It is their job to evicerate the government and candidates. Trust no one and seek the truth. I get my American news from the BBC – they don’t appear to have a dog in the fight.
things will never get better.
They have backed down off the email situation with Clinton too! This works both ways. Are we really naive enough to believe there has been any true investigating into her thousands of missing emails? Come on. She is definitely being protected and the media shies away from saying anything negative about her.
Donald Trump should not be held accountable for his tweets but Obama can be held accountable for his own birth by Donald Trump. Pretty much sums up the Obama years.
Wow this is so stupid. Why are these people going after her for doing her job? Also shame on Trump. So you got asked an honest to goodness question that you don’t like? And you cry like a baby? I guess gone are the days that politicians just sucked it up and dealt with it.
This vacation looks like nothing except a punishhment. The only reason I can think of to “punish” her is to appease Trump. Disgusting. Regarding of your politics, if you are a woman, this should horrify you. A women called out a candidate for sexism in a legitimate manner. The candidate lashed out against the femal journalist with some of the most disgusting and sexists attacks I have ever seen. The female journalist responds with grass and class. The female journalist is punished. I don’t have the words for how much this disgusts me.
“grace” not “grass”. I sound like I love Meghan and I really don’t. I was irritated with her Dugar interview. This just, as a woman, makes me want to vomit.
I get what you’re saying and I feel the same way. Trust me, this lady grates my last nerve but since I do consider myself a feminist or better yet an Equalist, that side of me is pissed off that this happened to her simply because she is a woman and of less value to Fox than DT. It’s gross and even though I hate everything she stands for, I hate this treatment of her even more.
But maybe it’s a good lesson for her, she now feels the same way as many women who are denied equal pay, respect, medical coverage etc. I also wonder how she feels that the very liberals and feminists she mocks are the ones fiercely coming to her defense.
Feminism is equalism.
Yeah, she’s repellant, but so is pitching her under the bus. In what world should a candidate – an unhinged one, at that – be sided with?
What’s worse: no one seems to recognize that Fox is completely through the looking glass.
LOL. She actually vacations in my area. I could deal with that sort of punishment, being banished to the beach for 2 weeks.
It is pretty gross that her own company backstabbed her for that clown Trump. I’m no fan of her or Fox News, but I don’t see that she did anything wrong asking those questions in the debate, and his response was grotesque. But as others have said, this is the culture that Fox News helped create.
So true. I would likely feel humiliated and devalued if I were her.
Everybody better start being concerned about the real issues and believe this country is at stake. I would say, figure out who George Soros supports and you know who the next President will be. He and Trump may be in cahoots or Soros will be behind Hillary is my guess. Those are the ones working on the demise of this country. Forget Trump and his beef with Megyn.