Trump Calls Megyn Kelly Lightweight Reporter Escalates Feud Fox News Video

NEW YORK — On May 1, 2016, Donald Trump ramped up his ongoing battle with Fox News, firing off a sharp insult at anchor Megyn Kelly and calling her a “lightweight reporter.” The real estate mogul and Republican presidential frontrunner made the comments during a campaign event, where he also referenced a video that had surfaced online, further fueling the drama. It was the latest twist in a rivalry that had been simmering for months, drawing plenty of eye rolls from political watchers who were getting used to Trump’s unfiltered style.

Trump’s remarks came as he criticized Kelly’s coverage of his campaign, claiming she wasn’t tough enough or fair in her questioning. He pointed to a previous debate on Fox News where Kelly had grilled him about his past comments on women, something that clearly still irked him. “She’s a lightweight, and everyone knows it,” Trump told reporters, his words quickly spreading across social media and cable news. At the time, this kind of personal attack wasn’t out of character for Trump, who often used his platform to go after critics with blunt force.

The feud traced back to August 2015, when Kelly moderated the first Republican debate and asked Trump about his history of derogatory remarks toward women. He responded by lashing out at her publicly, even suggesting she had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” By May 2016, as the primary season heated up, tensions hadn’t cooled. Fox News defended Kelly, with network executives calling her one of their top talents, but the spat kept Trump’s name in the headlines.

This episode highlighted how Trump’s approach to the media could both energize his base and alienate others. Supporters saw it as him fighting back against a biased press, while critics worried it set a bad tone for political discourse. As the 2016 race marched on, incidents like this one made it clear that Trump’s battles with the media were as much a part of his campaign as his policy promises. In the end, it was just another day in the whirlwind that was the election cycle.