Trump on Megyn Kelly controversy: The whole subject was 'fun'

Donald Trump cannot remember the last time he apologized.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Wednesday, Trump reiterated that he has no regrets about comments he has made early in his campaign that have generated significant backlash. From calling some immigrants coming into the country rapists, to saying Arizona Sen. John McCain was “ a war hero because he was captured,” to his unfinished remark that Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly had blood “coming out of her wherever,” Trump does not think he has anything for which he has to be sorry.


“People say, ‘He won’t apologize for anything’ — well, I was right on illegal immigration. McCain blew it because he’s done a poor job of taking care of the veterans. And then the third element so far, you had Megyn Kelly, and I think you’ve seen what happened with that,” Trump said. “I feel quite confident in my position.”

“At the same time,” he qualified, “I believe in apologizing. But to apologize for me is very difficult. I definitely would apologize if I were wrong on something.”

Asked to recall the last thing he apologized for, Trump said that “it was too many years ago to remember,” adding that he has “one of the great memories of all time, but it was too long ago.”

Trump again clarified that his remark that Kelly had blood “coming out of her wherever” during the debate was meant to be “out of the eyes, then the nose and the ears because it’s a very common saying.”

“So to be honest, the whole subject was fun,” he concluded.

Still, Trump said it was “unlikely” he would ever appear on Kelly’s Fox News program, but that “it could happen.” He praised Kelly’s colleagues, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, calling “The O’Reilly Factor” host “a tough cookie” but “so fair.”

Asked whether he needs Fox News to win, Trump said he did not know.

“It’s a great question. I know that CNN has been wild about the whole Trump thing, whatever that is, and MSNBC has been doing it, and “Meet the Press” and George Stephanopoulos and “Face the Nation” — I’ve been doing all of them. I don’t know what has caused this whole thing, but certainly Fox is very important,” he remarked.

Responding to a question about Rupert Murdoch’s tweets that he is “embarrassing,” Trump said the two have been friendly but that “he had some very evil tweets, and now they’ve been nice lately.”

“I don’t understand it, just like I don’t understand how [Fox News Chairman and CEO] Roger [Ailes] could have allowed that first question to be asked” at the Aug. 6 debate, in which moderator Bret Baier asked candidates to raise their hands if they would not commit to supporting the eventual GOP nominee and would not rule out a third-party run. Trump was the only candidate on stage who raised his hand.

Trump, who said he was “friendly” with Ronald Reagan and has a bust of the 40th president in his office, criticized the conservative icon’s stance on North American free trade, as well as “some of the economic policies.”

“But he was a man that I respected and liked, and he liked me,” Trump added.

On whether he would consider any other Republican rival as his vice president, he said it is “too early to say,” but being vice president himself would not be good for him or his running mate, he said.

“It’s a great position, a very important position. I just think in that position, perhaps they could do something different than me. And that’s not to minimalize minimize the position,” he added.

Asked who should play him in the inevitable HBO treatment of the 2016 election (à la “Game Change”), Trump replied: “Somebody really, really handsome. That’s the only thing that matters. I don’t care if he can act well. He’s got to be really, really good-looking, OK?”