WASHINGTON – Donald Trump stole some of the biggest moments of the night in Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate, but his flap with Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly on insulting women may backfire, political observers say.
In the opening, Kelly repeated comments Trump had made about women: “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals” and asked whether that’s the temperament of a president.
Trump brushed them off, joking they were directed at Rosie O’Donnell.
But when Kelly pushed back that Trump had gone “well beyond” the comedian, he said maybe he shouldn’t treat her so nicely.
“Trump’s spat with Megyn Kelly was stomach turning and will haunt Trump in commercials,” said RC Hammond, former spokesman for Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign. “Start the speculation of what the stage would have been like with Carly Fiorina.”
Katie Packer Gage, Mitt Romney’s former deputy campaign manager, said Trump fell short.
“Trump is Trump,” Gage said. “Bloviating blowhard. He’s on defense and isn’t giving solid answers to back up his ideas. Bluster isn’t a plan.”