Donald Trump has a complicated history with Fox News. The Republican frontrunner phoned in to host Greta Van Susteren’s show last night before blasting marquee pundit Bill O’Reilly less than an hour later.
Trump, a frequent “O’Reilly Factor” guest, took issue with the Fox News host’s decision to invite so-called “Trump haters,” conservative commentators Charles Krauthammer, Brit Hume and Rich Lowry on to discuss the campaign’s performance:
I am having a really hard time watching @FoxNews.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
.@RichLowry is truly one of the dumbest of the talking heads – he doesn't have a clue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
.@oreillyfactor, why don't you have some knowledgeable talking heads on your show for a change instead of the same old Trump haters. Boring!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
.@oreillyfactor was very negative to me in refusing to to post the great polls that came out today including NBC. @FoxNews not good for me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
Trump then went back to his familiar habit of retweeting supporters bashing the network — a move he pulled multiple times following his on-again, off-again feud with Megyn Kelly. This time, Trump redoubled his knock on Kelly for good measure, slamming “The Kelly File” as a “terrible show”:
"@diannrr: @megynkelly Do you dream about @realDonaldTrump? He's in your head. Let it go." She is the worst – all anti-Trump! Terrible show.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@JodiL792: @FoxNews I have been since you started running & I noticed Meghan Kelly's attacks. Stopped watching. Only Hannity 4 sure." Yes!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@TheMindWave: @FoxNews Im not sure why u r giving them this much importance, they had wanted to take u down in debate and they failed!!"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@seleti00: @realDonaldTrump @FoxNews They attack you more then CNN or MSNBC combined. Just a bunch of old Bush appointee Rhinos."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@VickyBrush: Do what most of us are doing! Turn off @FoxNews! There is a major boycott going on with them, anyway. Problem solved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@glendabelle_11: @FoxNews Fox has become a supporter of Liberals!They are Not supporting the GOP candidates-especially Trump! Quit watching
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@wallen_jeanine: @realDonaldTrump I can only watch Hannity. I think he is the only one in your corner"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
"@Rbbrkhd: @realDonaldTrump @oreillyfactor @FoxNews The way you have treated @realDonaldTrump is totally unacceptable…CNN has been fair"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2015
For his part, O’Reilly told “Today” host Matt Lauer that Trump lashes out on Twitter to get attention, casually dismissing the social media missive.
“He wants people to like him. When people criticize him, he takes it personally,” O’Reilly said. “You know, this machine, the tweeting thing, that’s like the worst thing you can give Donald Trump is this tweeting thing,” he added laughing. “I just think this is an extension of his reality show ‘The Apprentice,” …this is just theater right now. He gets a lot of attention from the theater.”
O’Reilly admitted that he and Trump attended Yankees and Knicks game together in the past while promoting his new book, “Killing Reagan,” on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” before suggesting that Trump’s resonance with voters was rooted in disaffection with President Obama’s handling of the economy.
“We need to get this country on track, and we need to start to develop this country in a way that puts its dominance back. That’s what Trump is pushing, and that’s why his message is resonating,” O’Reilly argued.
With Lauer, O’Reilly argued that Trump’s popularity is a good thing for American democracy. “I think Trump is good for politics in America. Everybody else is bashing the hell out of Donald Trump. That’s the chic thing to do,” he said. “But he has engaged people. He has forced people to pay attention, and they are paying attention, and that is good for America.”
Watch O’Reilly respond to Trump’s Twitter attacks on NBC’s “Today“:
