When Donald Trump took to Twitter on May 17 to encourage his 8.28 million followers to tune into Fox News that evening for his interview with political pundit Megyn Kelly, most of us had an inkling that the highly-anticipated interview more than likely went well.
Donald Trump advertised the highly-anticipated interview prior to its airing.
An astute observer could decipher from the above Tweet that, at the very least, Donald walked away from the interview confident, as he is want to do.
The potential for combustion was certainly there, developing at a speed on par with gas-leaking stove, as Kelly and Trump have exchanged blows and insults for the better part of four months.
Since the feud between the Fox News correspondent and host of “The Kelly File” flared up during the GOP debates in March, tension has been high. In a move that surprised some but confirmed what many more saw coming, the two have seemingly buried the proverbial hatchet for good.
Some may have considered the meeting between the two “boring.” Insults were kept to a minimum and Trump’s policies were, as a whole, avoided by Kelly. But what did emerge from the metaphorical “wreckage” of what was thought by some to have the potential for high-energy debate between the two wasn’t Donald’s polling numbers, political policies or gravitas, but his personality.
Trump spoke to his alcoholic brother’s death, something to which not every political fanatic–Democrat or Republican–may have been privy. As Kelly continued to lob softball questions Trump’s way, focusing primarily on his “tone,” his Twitter account, and his treatment of minorities and women, he handled most with poise and grace that we haven’t been accustomed to seeing.
Through Kelly’s pointed questions, Trump was able to show the slightly more “personable” side of a man many consider to be hateful and bigoted due to his policies. He even went so far as to compliment Kelly on reaching out to schedule the interview, saying he likely wouldn’t have done the deed himself.
As the battleground for the nomination has recently shifted its focus to the woman-vote, Trump’s admiration for powerful women could help him win over a few of the undecided female population come November.
During the interview, Trump repeatedly expressed his all-or-nothing mentality towards November’s election.
“If I don’t go all the way and if I don’t win, I will consider it to be a total and complete waste of time, energy, and money,” he said to Kelly. This statement encapsulates the forward approach that Trump has taken in his campaign, placing the Presidential nomination on a plateau that comes in stark contrast to the attitudes of some of his competition.
And according to recently released polling data, the top of that plateau just got all the more reachable. A Fox News poll released May 18 puts the presumptive Republican nominee ahead of Hillary Clinton in national polling 45-42. This comes on the heels of an April poll that saw Clinton with a 7-point advantage.
As the gap between the two likely nominees continues to grow more and more narrow, it becomes increasingly evident that the United State’s borders are not the only thing that Donald Trump is intent on closing.
Watch the full Donald Trump – Megyn Kelly interview below: