Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a event at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo)
Fox News Channel accused Donald Trump of asking the network for a $5 million donation as a "quid pro quo" in return for Trump's promise to appear in Thursday night's Republican debate, as an extraordinary feud between the right's best-known media platform and the Republican party's presidential front-runner overshadowed the last debate before the Iowa caucuses.
"Roger Ailes had three brief conversations with Donald Trump on Thursday about possibly appearing at the debate - there were not multiple calls placed by Ailes to Trump," Fox News said in a statement released to the media. "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."
In earlier interview on board his private plane, Trump had not mentioned any request for a donation from Fox. Trump said he would make good on his promise to boycott the debate. "No, I'm not doing it," Trump said, after calling reporters to his private plane for a special media availability - in which Trump essentially said that nothing had changed.
He appeared eager to needle Fox News, saying the network's top executives had been calling him every 15 minutes, and that he had spoken to Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox's parent company, News Corp., just minutes before.
"The time to change my mind would have been two days ago," Trump said. He said it was too late now.
In the debate itself, the seven other top GOP candidates sparred with each other about questions of national security, in a sometimes contentious debate about who had been toughest on the Islamic State, and the proper limits on government surveillance.
Moderators pressed Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) - the front-runner in Trump's absence - on his call for "carpet-bombing" of ISIS in Syria, a strategy that has been criticized as both impractical and likely to lead to civilian casualties.
Cruz responded by saying that he'd been singled out for criticism: He said that the past questions to other candidates had boiled down to "Rand, please attack Ted. . .Chris, please attack Ted," and so on, naming Sen. Rand Paul (Kentucky) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
"It is a debate, Sir," moderator Chris Wallace said.
It turned out that Cruz had been setting up a Trump joke: "If you guys ask one more mean question, I may have to leave the stage."
Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida) picked up the same theme. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving the stage, no matter what you asked me," he said.
Despite his lack of physical presence, Trump very much was part of the scene.
"Let's address the elephant not in the room tonight," said Fox News Channel moderator Megyn Kelly, whose removal from the stage Trump had tried - and failed - to secure. In a question to Cruz, Kelly noted that Trump had not shown up: "What message do you think that sends" to Iowans?, Kelly said.
Cruz, who had become the stage's front-runner by default when Trump dropped out, responded with a joke.
"I'm a maniac. And everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly. And Ben, you're a terrible surgeon," Cruz said, meaning retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. "Now that we've gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way. . ." Cruz thanked the others on the stage for having "the respect to show up" and make their case to Iowans in person.
For the seven candidates on stage, this first Trump-less debate offered a new chance to stand out, or to attack the bombastic billionaire who has so far managed to overshadow a stable of better-credentialed politicians. This is the last televised debate before Monday's Iowa caucuses, and it is especially crucial for Cruz, Trump's closest rival in this early-voting state.
The other candidates in the main-event debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who had once challenged Trump for the lead in Iowa but then faded; Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; former Florida governor Jeb Bush; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Many of them, having little chance in Iowa, may be aiming already at the (theoretically) more-moderate, establishment-friendly voters in New Hampshire, although Trump is way ahead of them there, too. The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 9.
Instead of attending the debate, Trump appeared at his own rally in another part of Des Moines, which he said would honor veterans - but would also give Trump a platform to counterprogram the very debate he is skipping. Trump said he had already donated $1 million of his own money to veterans causes and raised a total of $5 million for them.
© 2016 The Washington Post