Megyn Kelly urges Donald Trump to RETURN to the Republican debate stage in Alabama because ‘he’s TV gold’ and their dynamic ‘works’ – and slams NBC for not letting Vivek respond to Haley calling him ‘scum’
Megyn Kelly says 'TV gold' Donald Trump would be welcome to return to the Republican debate stage to shake up the momentum among the GOP 2024 candidates after a series of 'frustrating' previous debates.
Kelly moderates with NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday.
She told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that while she has not contacted Trump to directly push for his participation, he knows she would “love” him there.
“Trump is TV gold, not just ratings – yes, that's a given. He is an achiever. He is a born artist. And there's a reason why people can't take their eyes off him when he walks into a room, when he gets in front of a lens… so of course I would love to be part of a television show where he's on the other side. end,” she explained.
Trump has decided to ignore all Republican Party primary debates because he is so far ahead in the polls. But last month, the US Secret Service conducted a security sweep at the site of the next presidential debate in Alabama, teasing a possible Trump return to action.
In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly clashed with Trump during the televised game when asked about his past misogynistic comments.
Nearly eight years later, there's a “charged but respectful but on the edge” dynamic between herself and Trump that works well for television, which is why Kelly “hopes” Trump shows up in Alabama “just for fun.”
In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly famously clashed with Trump during the televised game when asked about his past misogynistic comments.
Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier at the start of the 2016 debate hosted by Fox News
“It would be a gift to the public and to the voters who will be voting in Iowa six weeks later. But I wouldn't put money on it,” she told DailyMail.com.
The stage will be the smallest in the 2024 primaries yet, with qualifiers including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also qualified for the debate at the last minute.
The trio of female moderators plan to differentiate their debate from the previous three by letting the candidates work it out — without interruptions.
Kelly said she plans to have the candidates “really debate” and not just make it a “national television interview.”
She said at the previous debate, hosted by NBC's Lester Holt and Kristen Welker in Miami, “whenever there was a debate on stage, the moderators would shut it down.” Instead of cherishing it, they seemed afraid of it.”
'I don't care what the moderators think is important. I care what the candidates care about,” Kelly added.
Wednesday's moderators will take a different tack after the “incredibly frustrating” final debate.
“If we do our job right and the way we plan, you'll hear a lot more from them than from us.”
In Miami, Ramaswamy brought Haley's daughter into the conversation, noting that she was a TikTok user during a heated debate over whether candidates would ban the Chinese social media app.
“Leave my daughter out of your vote,” Haley said in response. “You're just scum.”
Kelly said Holt and Welker unfortunately “extinguished” that intense moment.
'They didn't give him a chance to respond. And they act like it didn't happen. Who in the history of debate moderation would ignore a moment like that?” she asked.
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Former President Donald Trump has built a nearly 50 percentage point lead in the polls as he skipped the debates that saw him rise to the top of the pack in 2016
NewsNation co-moderator Elizabeth Vargas told DailyMail.com that her goal is to have a debate where viewers don't want to turn off the television — as she says she wants to do during extended periods of crosstalk in the second debate.
“We intend to moderate this debate with a firm and steady hand,” Vargas said in an exclusive look at the preparation for the fourth event. 'People should not talk over each other.'
Kelly also said that Vargas, Johnson and herself plan to include topics previously untouched in previous debates.
It was a “gold mine for us,” she says.
When asked if Kelly would ever consider a return to television, she told DailyMail.com “no.”
'I have had several offers to return to television, but I have turned them all down. I really enjoy what I do now. I am my own boss. There is no one who exercises editorial control over me. And honestly, there wouldn't be anyone who could exercise editorial control over me in a way that I would feel comfortable with.”
She said she feels liberated because she has “no corporate loyalty” and that she can choose the topics of her interviews.