Letting bygones be bygones. Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump finally buried the hatchet in a one-on-one interview, which aired on Megyn Kelly Presents on Tuesday, May 17.
As previously reported, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, 69, and the television personality, 45, had a heated exchange during a Republican debate nine months ago when Kelly asked Trump a question about his treatment of women. After the debate, Trump went on a tirade, attacking Kelly’s character in multiple interviews and on Twitter.
The mogul turned politician made his best attempt at an apology during his pretaped sit-down with Kelly. “I thought it was unfair.… I don’t really blame you because you’re doing your thing. But from my standpoint, I don’t have to like it,” Trump told her. “In a certain way, you did me a favor.… If I can get through those questions, I can get through anything.”
As viewers will recall, Kelly famously asked Trump: “You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.’ Does that sound like the temperament of the man we should elect as president?”
Trump skirted around the question and bluntly told Kelly, “What I say is what I say. And honestly, Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.” Later, he slammed Kelly in the press, saying, “She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. You know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
In addition, the ex–Celebrity Apprentice host reposted hurtful tweets aimed at Kelly that branded her as a “bimbo” or a “bitch.”
Although Trump told Kelly during their interview, “You’ve been called much worse,” he did tell her, “I have great respect for you, that you were able to call me and say, ‘Let’s talk.’ I would not have done that.”
With their sordid past behind them, Kelly and Trump discussed several other topics, including Trump’s attack on his political rival Ted Cruz’s wife Heidi’s looks, the death of his brother Freddy Trump Jr. and his divorces from former wives Ivana Trump and Marla Maples.
When asked about sharing an unflattering meme of Mrs. Cruz in March, Trump said he has regrets. “I could have done without it.… I wish I didn’t do it,” the social media–loving magnate explained. “You know what? I have millions of followers @realdonaldtrump. I have millions of followers. The thing that gets me in trouble is retweets. The retweet is really more of the killer than the tweets. The tweets I seem to do pretty well with.”
“When I’m wounded, I go after people hard. I try and unwound myself,” he added of his characteristic cutting jabs.
The sharp-tongued tycoon also offered a rare glimpse of his emotional side when speaking about his late sibling, Freddy, who passed away from alcoholism in 1981 at age 42.
“Well, he was great. He was the most handsome person. He was a really smart guy, really, really smart guy. He had everything. But at a certain age, he started drinking a little bit and a little more and a little more,” Trump recalled. “And ultimately it was a big problem and he’d say, ‘Don’t ever, ever drink.’ And I’ll tell you what, I’ve never had a glass of alcohol. I have other problems.”
Kelly then pressed The Donald about his past relationships with ex-spouses Maples, 52, and Ivana, 67. She asked the New York resident if putting business before love resulted in the demise of those marriages. “I put so much into my business that I didn’t put enough into the relationship,” he responded. “And I see that and I learned that. I mean, I have learned that. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about that because that’s the way you are.”
Watch the video above.
