On Wednesday, Media Research Center president Brent Bozell hammered Donald Trump during an appearance on Fox Business Network's Varney & Co. Host Stuart Varney asked for his guest's reaction to Trump's decision to not appear at the next Republican presidential debate on sister network, Fox News Channel. Bozell replied, "I don't believe Trump is a conservative...he's also a petulant brat. This is insulting to Fox. It's insulting to Megyn Kelly. Frankly, I think Fox, also, with all due respect, is slightly responsible, because I think it's catered to this man." [video below]
The MRC president added, "All I can think of is, what would happen if he were commander-in-chief and he had to deal with Vladimir Putin? This guy takes everything personally and he sulks. God help the republic if this man is the guy who makes the deals."
Earlier in the segment, Varney asked Bozell about two Washington Post op-eds that went after Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders: "This is a departure. They are raising critical points about both candidates."
The full transcript of Brent Bozell's appearance on the January 27, 2016 edition of Fox Business Network's Varney & Co.:
STUART VARNEY: Come on in. Media Research Center's Brent Bozell. All right. Do I have a point here to pick on the Washington Post, left of center, and they come up with two editorial op-eds on the same day bashing Sanders, bashing Hillary? What's going on?
BRENT BOZELL, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER PRESIDENT: Well, it is interesting, and it is a departure for the Washington Post — and that needs to be pointed out. However, if you look deeply — more deeply into the actual pieces, I think I'd give a slightly different spin. Dana Milbank's piece on — on Bernie Sanders also is a very round, effusive, enthusiastic endorsement of Bernie Sanders's socialist policies. His argument is that, politically, it won't work. Politically, it's not a winner.
On the Hillary Clinton piece — this is more extrapolation, because Kathleen Parker doesn't say this — but the suggestion is, because of her ethical problems, Hillary Clinton isn't winnable. So, one could look at both of these and — and judge this from the standpoint of it being, which one is the most electable Democrat? And look at it through those lenses as well.
VARNEY: Okay. I think you're right, Brent. I think — I think you got me all over again. Here I am looking for signs that the establishment media is maybe getting the message. But, you're right. I know. You're right. Okay, I got it—
BOZELL: Well, but — but, Stuart, you're right, in the sense that this is a departure. They are raising critical points about both candidates.
VARNEY: Yes. I mean, if you've got a major op-ed writer in the Washington Post saying, socialists are not electable — like it or not, they're not electable — that's progress, isn't it?
BOZELL: That's right. That's right. That's right.
VARNEY: Real fast: Donald Trump — he's skipping tomorrow night's Fox News debate, as you know. You're not a Trump fan. What are your thoughts on Trump? Win or — does he win, or does he lose by not going to the debate?
BOZELL: Well, I'm a Ted Cruz supporter. I've got to say that — not just because I don't believe Trump is a conservative, but because he's also a petulant brat. This is — this is insulting to Fox. It's insulting to Megyn Kelly. Frankly, I think Fox, also, with all due respect, is slightly responsible, because I think it's catered to this man. All I can think of is, what would happen if he were commander-in-chief and he had to deal with Vladimir Putin? This guy takes everything personally and he sulks. God help the republic if this man is the — you know, the guy who makes the deals.
VARNEY: So, you say he loses by not being at that debate? Basically, he loses — loses face, if you want to put it like that—
BOZELL: I think so, because he has no right to do this. And I think Ted Cruz is calling him out by challenging him one-on-one.
