Donald Trump is reigniting his war with Fox News.
As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker dominates the news cycle after announcing he was dropping out of the Republican presidential race, the party front-runner and billionaire business mogul lashed out at the conservative television network for what he argued was unfair coverage of himself.
“I am having a really hard time watching @FoxNews,” Trump tweeted.
He took particular aim on Twitter at hosts Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly, in addition to some of the network’s guests—name checking in particular Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, who had appeared on Kelly’s show.
O’Reilly, Trump argued, was “very negative to me in refusing to post the great polls that came out today including NBC. @Fox News not good for me!” and later, “.@OReillyfactor, why don’t you have some knowledgable talking heads on your show for a change instead of the same old Trump haters. Boring!”
He called Lowry – who has criticized Trump for not going into detail about his plans for the country — “one of the dumbest talking heads—he doesn’t have a clue!” and said of Kelly, “She is the worst—all anti-Trump! Terrible show.” Trump then re-posted more than a dozen tweets from Trump fans who also criticized the network.
The biting style of attack, of course, is nothing new for the reality host, who frequently takes to Twitter to feud with the media and his GOP rivals – emphasizing to voters that he’s an outsider who doesn’t care what others think of him.
The war of words with Fox News first began after the first GOP debate in early August when Kelly questioned Trump about past, disparaging remarks about women. After, Trump said Kelly treated him unfairly (and did himself no favors in the aftermath by suggesting she was menstruating). Eventually, Fox News CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes called for Trump to apologize (which he did not do) for his “unprovoked attack” on Kelly, which included Trump retweeting a tweet calling the host a “bimbo.”
While Trump has been surging so far in the election cycle, a new CNN poll—the first major survey since the second GOP debate—showed Trump still ahead with 24% support, but down eight points from early September. Meanwhile, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina surged into second place with 15% support—up 12 points. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was in third with 14%, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 11% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 9%.
