Channel has been engaged in increasingly bitter feud with Donald Trump who boycotted last night's debate

Fox News agrees she said Voldemort but source claims it wasn't an insult - she was only making the point that he was not being named

Cruz said 'you were joking... it was sort of like Voldemort'

Megyn Kelly called Donald Trump 'Voldemort' off-camera after the Republican debate which the front-runner boycotted - but her channel today claimed it wasn't intended as an insult.

The feud between the Fox anchor and the leading Republican had overshadowed the entire debate on Thursday night.

She had opened the forum by describing him as 'the elephant not in the room', and during the debate Trump himself went on stage at the veterans' rally he had organized after pulling out over his feud with Fox, in part inspired by her presence as moderator.

And after the show, the channel today confirmed, she called him 'Voldemort' - the most evil character in the Harry Potter series, who is frequently referred to in the books as 'He Who Must Not Be Named' in the fictional series about wizards - but said it was not intended as an insult.

The description was first revealed by Ted Cruz, who was interviewed by Kelly after the debate and told her: 'Well, you know, you were joking just before we went on air that it was sort of like Voldermort, he who must not be named.'

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On stage – without Donald:Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and Ohio Governor John Kasich

Real star: Megyn Kelly's extraordinary time in the limelight resumed as she attacked Trump as 'the elephant not in the room'

Unrepentant: 'Fox has been extremely nice the last number of hours,' he told a chuckling audience at Drake University a few miles away, in a standing-room-only auditorium where rivals Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee joined him on stage

Insult: Megyn Kelly called Trump 'Voldemort' off camera to a Republican rival. He was played in the movies by Ralph Fiennes. He embodies evil but the channel claims she was not familiar with the books and only knew that he could not be named - like Trump in the debate

Today Fox News said: 'In an off camera exchange, Megyn asked Senator Ted Cruz about the fact that Donald Trump got very little mention from any of them during the debate.

'She asked him (approximate quote) off camera: "You seem to be treating Trump like Voldermort – 'he who shall not be named' – did you plan that?'"

A source said that Kelly had no intention to insult Trump and 'would never' do so, and said she was 'not familiar' with the Harry Potter series.

The books and their spin-off movies have been a worldwide phenomenon, making their author JK Rowling a billionaire and remain hugely popular.

Kelly had wasted no time going after Trump on air. In her first question of the evening, Kelly prodded Ted Cruz, who replaced Trump at the center of the stage tonight, to declare the GOP front-runner's behavior rude to the people of Iowa.

'Let's address the elephant not in the room,' she told Cruz.

ANOTHER FOX STATEMENT – AND AN ASTONISHING CLAIM TRUMP DEMANDED $5M TO TURN UP Roger Ailes had three brief conversations with Donald Trump today about possibly appearing at the debate – there were not multiple calls placed by Ailes to Trump. In the course of those conversations, we acknowledged his concerns about a satirical observation we made in order to quell the attacks on Megyn Kelly, and prevent her from being smeared any further. Furthermore, Trump offered to appear at the debate upon the condition that FOX News contribute $5 million to his charities. We explained that was not possible and we could not engage in a quid pro quo, nor could any money change hands for any reason. In the last 48 hours, we've kept two issues at the forefront — we would never compromise our journalistic standards and we would always stand by our journalist, Megyn Kelly. We have accomplished those two goals and we are pleased with the outcome. We're very proud to have her on stage as a debate moderator alongside Bret Baier & Chris Wallace Fox News Advertisement

'Donald Trump has chosen not to attend this evening's presidential debate. What message do you think that sends to the voters of Iowa?'

Across town Trump was singing a different tune, however, saying at his own event that her network apologized to him for press releases that mocking his fortitude.

Fox acknowledged the apology in a statement after the debate – but then claimed Trump demanded $5 million in the course of their conversations to show up tonight.

'Fox has been extremely nice the last number of hours,' he told a chuckling audience at Drake University a few miles away, in a standing-room-only auditorium where rivals Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee joined him on stage.

'They've wanted me there,' he said, explaining what he framed as a barrage of calls from the Fox News Channel. asking when he might come to the debate.

''How bout now?' he mimed a call. 'They called me a few minutes ago and I said, 'Hasn't it already started?''

Pointing to the back of the hall where the media were assembled, he needled the debate organizers: 'We're actually told we have more cameras than they do, by quite a bit.'

He also said he got a personal mea culpa from the network on Thursday: 'They did apologize.'

But Trump insisted on continuing with his own competing event, where he said more than $5 million had already been raised for his personal foundation, all of which will benefit veterans groups.

'Once this started, and it was for our vets, there was nothing I could do,' he said, speculating about what skipping the last debate before the Iowa Caucuses might mean for his presidential aspirations.

'Will it be a good thing? Will it be a bad thing? Will I get more votes? Will I get less votes? Who the hell knows!' Trump mused.

'But we raised over $5 million in one day!

'Once this ball started rolling, we couldn't stop it,' he said of proposals that he come to the debate and abandon his much-publicized fundraiser.

'Out of respect for myself, I won't do it, because it would just be wrong.'

Fox said the conversations went down a little differently but affirmed that it tried to convince Trump to come.

'Roger Ailes had three brief conversations with Donald Trump today about possibly appearing at the debate – there were not multiple calls placed by Ailes to Trump,' the network said.

TRUMP BASHING: The other GOP candidates took aim at Trump in his absense. 'He's the greatest show on earth,' Rubio told the crowd

And Jeb Bush jokingly said: 'I kind of miss Donald Trump. He was a little Teddy Bear to me. We always had such a loving relationship'

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WHAT THE CANDIDATES WERE SAYING ABOUT 'HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED' 'I'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly, and Ben you're a terrible surgeon. Now that we've got the Donald Trump portion out of the way, I want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of Iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country why each of us would be the best commander in chief.' – Ted Cruz 'I kind of miss Donald Trump. He was a little Teddy Bear to me. We always had such a loving relationship during these debates, and in between, and the tweets, I kind of miss him, I wish he was here.' – Jeb Bush 'Let's be clear about what this campaign is all about, he's an entertaining guys, he's the greatest show on earth. This campaign is about the greatest country in the world and a president who has systematically destroyed things that made America special.' – Marco Rubio 'Disparaging women, disparaging Hispanics, that's not a sign of strength. Making fun of disabled people We're never going to win elections if we don't have a more broader unifying message.' – Jeb Bush 'Well, let me be clear, if Donald engages in insults or anybody else, I don't intend to reciprocate. I have not insulted Donald personally and I don't intend to. I am glad Donald is running. I'm glad he has produced enormous enthusiasm, and, every Donald Trump voter or potential voter, I hope to earn your support. I know everyone else on this stage hopes to earn your support. Now, there is a difference between personal insults and attacks -- between going into the mud with ad hominems and focusing on issues and substance.' – Ted Cruz Advertisement

'We acknowledged his concerns about a satirical observation we made in order to quell the attacks on Megyn Kelly, and prevent her from being smeared any further.'

Then came the claim that could start a new battle with Trump. Fox says he 'offered to appear at the debate upon the condition that FOX News contribute $5 million to his charities. We explained that was not possible and we could not engage in a quid pro quo, nor could any money change hands for any reason.'

'In the last 48 hours, we've kept two issues at the forefront — we would never compromise our journalistic standards and we would always stand by our journalist, Megyn Kelly. We have accomplished those two goals and we are pleased with the outcome.

'We're very proud to have her on stage as a debate moderator alongside Bret Baier & Chris Wallace,' it said in conclusion.

At the debate, Cruz was the first candidate to poke Trump and told Kelly, 'I'm a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid fat and ugly and Ben, you're a terrible surgeon.

'Now that we've got the Donald Trump portion out of the way, I want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of Iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country why each of us would be the best commander in chief,' Cruz said.

Once friendly rivals, the arguing between the U.S. senator and Trump has turned personal, the latter calling his opponent a 'nasty guy' and arguing that he's legally unable to hold the office of president because he was born abroad.

Cruz told the debate audience that he was 'glad' that Trump was running and additionally 'glad' that he's produced so much enthusiasm for the Republican race.

He then explained why his attacks on the front-runner were fair game.

'Now there is a difference between personal insults and attacks, between going into the mud with ad hominems and focusing on issues and substance,' he said. 'I think issues and substance, policy and vision and record should be the meat of politics, that's fair game.'

Cruz said, 'That's where I'm going to focus, that is how I've focused since the beginning of the campaign, that's how I continue going forward.'

Other Republican rivals quipped about Trump, too.

There was Rubio who called the former reality television star 'an entertaining guy.'

'He's the greatest show on earth,' Rubio told the crowd and then pivoted.

'This campaign is about the greatest country in the world and a president who has systematically destroyed things that made America special,' Rubio added.

Jeb Bush dissed his rivals and said they were in the witness protection program while he waged early attacks on Trump – earning him the 'low energy' label that has systematically derailed his campaign.

'I kind of miss Donald Trump. He was a little Teddy Bear to me. We always had such a loving relationship,' Bush said.

He also unabashedly defended the establishment side of the Republican party.

'Look I'm an establishment because my dad, the greatest man alive, was president of the United States, and my brother, who I adore, as well, as a fantastic brother, was president, fine I'll take it,' Bush said, fully embracing his last name.

'I guess I'm part of the establishment because Barbara Bush is my mom,' he said. 'I'll take that too.'

Trump wasn't the only target of the GOP candidates tonight, though. The leading Democratic candidates came under fire, as well.

At an earlier debate, for lower polling candidates, Carly Fiorina whacked Hillary Clinton and said, 'She's escaped prosecution more times than El Chapo – perhaps Sean Penn should interview her.'

Later in the evening Chris Christie declared, 'The days for the Clintons in public housing are over.'

'I know why the Republican Party will want to take a chance on me, because they know that Hillary Clinton will never be prosecuted by this Justice Department and they'll want to put a former federal prosecutor on the stage to prosecute her next September.'

Promoting himself, Christie said 'no one' else on the stage was 'better prepared to prosecute the case against Hillary Clinton.'

'I will be ready, I will take her on and when I take her on I guarantee to you one thing: She will never get within 10 miles of the White House,' he said, repeating a jab at her he made in the last debate.

Rand Paul also invoked Hillary and her husband Bill, a former president, and said if any one else in America had an affair with an intern at their place of business, 'they would be fired, they would never be hired again ... and probably shunned in their community.'

'She can't be a champion of women's rights at the same time she's got this that is always lurking out there, this type of behavior.'

Late in the evening Chris Christie declared, 'The days of the Clintons in public housing are over,' as he attacked Hillary Clinton over her ongoing email scandal

Trump wasn't the only target of the GOP candidates tonight, though. The leading Democratic candidates came under fire, as well, Hillary Clinton in particular

Rubio hit Democrats' other top candidate, Bernie Sanders, as he answered a question about a February 2013 Time magazine cover that branded him 'The Republican Savior.'

'Let me be clear, there is only one savior and it's not me, it's Jesus Christ who came down to earth and died for our sins and so, and I've always made that clear about that cover story,' the U.S. senator, who is openly Catholic, said.

He then said of Iowa voters, 'You'll be the first Americans who get to answer the fundamental question what comes next for this country after seven disastrous years of Barack Obama and let me tell you what the answer better not be – it better not be Bernie Sanders.'

'Bernie Sanders is a socialist. I think Bernie Sanders is a good candidate for president – of Sweden,' he said to laughter. 'We don't want to be Sweden. We want to be the United States of America.'

And he said, 'Hillary Clinton is disqualified from being commander in chief of the United States.

'In fact one of her first acts as president may very well be to pardon herself. Because Hillary Clinton stores classified information on her private server and Hillary Clinton lied to the families of those four brave Americans who lost their lives in Benghazi.'

Chris Christie likewise said Clinton is 'completely unqualified to be commander in chief' because of the way she handled the attack on U.S. personnel in Libya.

'This is another one of those places where Hillary Clinton has so much to answer for,' he said.

Christie said he was miffed that Clinton didn't take any responsibility for what happened in Benghazi when asked about it at a Democratic debate hosted by ABC News.

'Three times she refused to answer the question because she refuses to be held accountable for anything that goes wrong.'

The New Jersey governor said, 'If it had gone right, believe me, she'd have been runnin' around to be able to take credit for it.'

Cruz commanded the stage on Thursday evening – but not always to his benefit.

At point in the debate, he rebuffed Fox News host and debate moderator Chris Wallace and said, 'I would note that that the last four questions have been, "Rand, please attack Ted. Marco, please attack Ted. Chris, please attack Ted. Jeb, please attack Ted...'

Wallace frankly told him, 'It is a debate, sir.

Cruz disagreed. 'Well, no, no. A debate actually is a policy issue, but I will say this. Gosh, if you guys ask one more mean question I may have to leave the stage.'

The line earned him applause but it didn't endear him to the Wallace, who said, 'I think the questions were about issues' and asked Rubio if he'd like to give it a go instead.

After a bit of back and forth on stage, Rubio finally got his turn and teased, 'Don't worry, I'm not leaving the stage no matter what you ask me.'

With Trump out of the picture, Cruz also became an easier target for his opponents who were on stage.

Rand Paul, whose father Ron Paul is revered as the leader of the modern libertarian movement, bluntly told Cruz, who has been trying to tap into that network for support, 'I don't think they're necessarily going to go for Ted.'

Rubio accused his Senate colleague Cruz of being disingenuous on military might: 'I mean, obviously, as already has been pointed out, the only budget that Ted has ever voted for is a budget that Rand Paul sponsored that brags about cutting defense spending,' he said. 'And I think that's a bad idea'

Cruz is a fair-weather friend to the movement he said, pointing out that Cruz missed a vote on the audit the Fed legislation his father championed.

That was 'the biggest thing my dad had been advocating for, for 30 years,' he said. 'Ted didn't have time to show up. He was the only Republican that didn't show up for it.'

'And so I think really that vote is going to stay in the Paul household. I think more of it is coming and it's going to grow,' Paul said of the group that his 'father brought to the Republican Party.'

Also at issue tonight was Cruz's fiery rhetoric on ISIS. He's said he'd 'carpet bomb' the group into oblivion, leading to charges of hypocrisy – he opposed military intervention in Syria – and recklessness from his critics.

'Well, Chris, I will apologize to nobody for the vigorousness with which I will fight terrorism, go after ISIS, hunt them down wherever they are, and utterly and completely destroy ISIS,' he told Wallace.

Rubio accused his Senate colleague of being disingenuous. 'I mean, obviously, as already has been pointed out, the only budget that Ted has ever voted for is a budget that Rand Paul sponsored that brags about cutting defense spending,' he said. 'And I think that's a bad idea.'

The Florida senator didn't emerge unscathed, either though, taking artillery fire from Jeb Bush on the topic of immigration

Bush contended that Rubio, once his political ally and close friend, turned his back on bipartisan immigration reform when it didn't come to pass in Congress.

'You should stick with it and that's exactly what happened. He cut and run. And that's a tragedy,' Bush charged.

BACK OFF: Rand Paul, whose father Ron Paul is revered as the leader of the modern libertarian movement, bluntly told Cruz, who has been trying to tap into that network for support, 'I don't think they're necessarily going to go for Ted'

Rubio, Cruz and Paul – the three senators in the race – also traded barbs over the issue, with Cruz again saying he was against amnesty no matter how his colleagues are trying to paint his position now.

The back and forth exasperated Chris Christie, who is running on the Washington outsider mantle, and he said, 'I feel like I need a Washington to English dictionary converter, right?

'I mean, I heard what they both said, I saw it on the video. And the fact is this is what makes a difference, when you're a governor, you can change your mind. Ted can change his mind. Marco can change his mind. It's perfectly legal in this country to change your mind.

'But when you're a governor, you have to admit it. You can't hide behind parliamentary tricks. That's the difference, and that's the kind of leader we need in the White House.

He added, 'Stop the Washington bull and let's get things done.'