Megyn Kelly will interview Donald Trump on her prime-time, hour-long Fox TV broadcast network special to air on May 17.
[ Update: See clip below for Megyn Kelly’s announcement about the Donald Trump interview that will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern time on what she called the “big Fox,” i.e. “the American Idol Fox, the Empire Fox.”]
Landing Trump for a formal interview is considered a “big get” in media industry jargon and will be initially accessible to viewers even if they don’t subscribe to cable.
Clips of the interview from Megyn Kelly Presents, as the special will be called, will also air on The Kelly File on May 18 on the Fox News Channel.
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The one-on-one interview followed a secret sit-down between Kelly and the GOP presidential front-runner/presumptive nominee that occurred on April 13 at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
Discussing the meeting that night on The Kelly File , the FNC anchor said that “The meeting was at my request, and Mr. Trump was gracious enough to agree to it. We met for about an hour, just the two of us, and had a chance to clear the air. Mr. Trump and I discussed the possibility of an interview, and I hope we will have news to announce on that soon…”
Soon turned out to be today, which does fit that definition. Moreover, “clearing the air” allowed the special event to make it to the air.
Today’s cover: Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump have made their peace https://t.co/PTv8nfjoHz pic.twitter.com/yRtAZIEQgG
— New York Post (@nypost) April 14, 2016
The billionaire New York businessman and first-time candidate has been harboring bitter feelings against Kelly since the first GOP debate last August when she essentially accused him of misogyny . He has made his disdain for the “overrated” Kelly and what he has deemed unfair coverage on her show apparent on social media and in various interviews since then. Fox News has been steadfast in its support of Megyn Kelly, one of its most high-profile stars, during the feud and has aggressively defended her against Trump’s complaints.
In January, Trump pulled out of the Iowa Republican debate in part because Kelly again was one of the moderators. During the Fox News presidential debate on March 3 in Michigan, however, the interaction between Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump seemed cordial.
In a statement today, Megyn Kelly explained (again using the word “gracious”) how she and Trump have apparently buried the hatchet.
“Mr. Trump and I sat down together for a meeting earlier this month at my request. He was gracious with his time and I asked him to consider an interview. I am happy to announce he has agreed, and I look forward to a fascinating exchange — our first sit-down interview together in nearly a year.”
According to Deadline Hollywood , Megyn Kelly Presents originally had a May 23 air date “but got moved to May 17 to provide lead-in power to the premiere of Mark Burnett’s new dating series Coupled at 9 PM.” Best known for showrunning Survivor , Burnett is also an executive producer on Trump’s former NBC reality show, the Celebrity Apprentic e.
“ Megyn Kelly Presents is the news anchor’s first prime-time special on Fox News’ broadcaster cousin. The special is being executive produced by Barbara Walters’ longtime producing partner, Bill Geddie. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes is serving as senior executive producer,” Variety explained about the parley which is likely to pull a huge rating.
Donald Trump has agreed to a sit-down interview with Megyn Kelly https://t.co/imkcELYdze pic.twitter.com/UXUm6JY9QZ
— CNN (@CNN) April 25, 2016
“For the first time ever, Kelly will explore how events unfolded with Trump after the August debate as one of the most prominent voices covering the 2016 presidential campaign of the front-runner. She will also examine Trump’s successful campaign for the White House to date and his role in one of the most historic presidential runs in modern times,” Fox News detailed about the upcoming Megyn Kelly prime-time special that will feature Donald Trump and apparently other celebrities.
Fox added that her prime time broadcast special “will showcase Kelly’s renowned journalism skills in interviewing a wide variety of notable guests (to be announced) from the entertainment world and other spheres of human interest.”
After his big win in New York, Donald Trump currently leads the GOP presidential field with 845 convention delegates to Ted Cruz’s 559, as the campaign moves into several perceived Trump-friendly states with tomorrow’s primaries. A total of 1,237 delegates is required for the formal nomination for president on the GOP ticket, which will occur at the RNC convention in Cleveland this July.
Megyn Kelly will presumably address the upcoming Donald Trump interview on tonight’s FNC show, and the video will be added here once it becomes available [ added : see below].
Are you planning to watch Megyn Kelly Presents with Donald Trump on your local Fox TV affiliate?
[Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP]