Getty Images, APDon't expect an apology from Donald Trump. In fact, he ssaid Wednesday that Univision's Jorge Ramos was "totally out of line" at Tuesday's press conference in Iowa, and that's why he had the anchor temporarily removed from the event.
"Sit down! You weren't called. Go back to Univision," Trump said as the Mexican-American journalist tried to ask a question that the Republican presidential candidate deemed out of turn. As a result, security escorted Ramos out of the pressroom. The Spanish-speaking newsman later returned to ask two questions.
"He was totally out of line last night. I was asking and being asked a question from another reporter. I would have gotten to him very quickly," Trump told NBC Today's Matt Lauer via phone Wednesday. "He stood up and started ranting and raving like a madman, and frankly, he was out of line. Most people—in fact most newspaper reports—said I handled it very well. He was totally, absolutely out of line."
Lauer then asked Trump why, 19 days after Megyn Kelly co-moderated the first GOP debate, he decided to attack her on Twitter Monday. Kelly, who did not respond to Trump's insults, had returned to The Kelly File after a 10-day family trip.
Trump said Kelly was "off her game" and that her show would be better off without her. He retweeted comments criticizing her appearance and calling her a "bimbo."
In a statement to E! News Tuesday, Fox News chairman CEO Roger Ailes called Trump's comments about Kelly "unacceptable and disturbing." Ailes also said the business magnate should also "apologize," adding, "We have never been deterred by politicians or anyone else attacking us for doing our job, much less allowed ourselves to be bullied by anyone and we're certainly not going to start now."
Lauer asked Trump why he let Kelly get under his skin.
"I haven't," Trump protested. "You tweet a few tweets, or retweets in this case; that's not getting under your skin. I personally am not a fan. I don't think she does a good job. I don't think she's a very good professional. I think frankly the show's better without her, but that's up to them and they can do whatever they want. I respect Roger Ailes; he can do whatever he wants. I don't care." In regard to Ailes' statement, Lauer asked, "Do you embrace the term bullied, Donald, when it comes to your dealings with the press?" Trump disagreed with that assessment, telling the NBC newsman, "I'm not a bully. In fact, I think it's just the opposite way. I'm not a bully. You saw last night. This man just gets up and starts ranting and raving and screaming. It was honestly very disrespectful to all the other reporters. We had a packed house...And he gets up and just starts ranting and raving. Very disrespectful to all the other reporters that had questions also."
As for Kelly, Lauer said Trump seems like a "guy with a schoolyard crush."
"Trust me, there is no crush, that I can tell you,'' Trump said in defense of his attacks on Kelly. "As far as I was concerned, during the debate, she asked me questions that were totally inappropriate. Other people were asked nice questions about jobs, about God, about other things, and she hits me with questions that were totally inappropriate. A lot of people said that. Many people agreed with me. She knows it better than anybody, because she...you talk about Twitter! They were going after Fox big leagues because of the kinds of questions I was asked. Despite that, every poll of the debate had me winning...But I was not asked fair questions."
(E! and NBC are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)