The ongoing feud between Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly is over, the former Fox News host said Monday.
Kelly said on her podcast that she and Trump agreed to bury the hatchet during a private meeting over the weekend at the Turning Point USA gathering, saying their differences were “nonsense between us" and they were now "under the bridge.”
Their dispute began when Kelly asked the then-candidate about his treatment of women in public statements during a 2016 GOP presidential debate.
“Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don't use a politician's filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women,” Kelly asked Trump during the August, 2015 debate, adding “You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.”
Trump initially responded saying, “only Rosie O’Donnell,” before pivoting to a political correctness argument.
“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct," he said. "I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either."
Trump, following the debate, made disparaging comments about Kelly during a CNN interview with Don Lemon in which he called the Fox anchor a “lightweight."
Kelly hit back later that year, mocking Trump for avoiding tough interviews and instead appearing in safe spaces such as Sean Hannity’s show.
“Donald Trump, with all due respect to my friend at 10:00, will go on Hannity and pretty much only Hannity and will not venture out to the unsafe spaces these days," Kelly snarked, adding, "Which doesn’t exactly expand the tent.”
Kelly said Monday on "The Megan Kelly Show" that the one-on-one meeting with Trump was their first in years.
“It was, frankly, great to see him,” Kelly said. “You know, all that nonsense between us is under the bridge, and he could not have been more magnanimous.”
Kelly continued to sing Trump’s praises.
“The thing about Trump is he commands a room he walks in, and it's not just because he’s the former president, because I knew him before then, there’s just something about it, it's just like an aura that sort of takes over the room. There's only one person you can look at. I remember when he was doing Celebrity Apprentice, and Geraldo (Rivera) was on it and (country singer) John Rich was on it, and John Rich I think it was, invited me to an event for Celebrity Apprentice and you went there and same thing, Trump walks in and like the whole room turns Donald Trump. Well even more so now,” she said.
“He could not have been nicer or more generous and had some interesting thoughts about the debates, whether he's going to attend,” she said.
Kelly said Trump offered some insights into his plans for the upcoming presidential debates.
“I wouldn't bet on it. I would not bet on him attending at least that first Fox News debate. If I had to put money on it, you know, it's true. I wish I could change his mind. But that was my feeling and having talked to him in one way or the other.”
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