Trump on Fox: 'I'm Back, It Feels Good'
Greg Richter
Donald Trump returned to Fox News Channel Tuesday night, sharing some of his platform and admitting some of his statements haven't been exactly presidential.
"I'm back. It feels good," Trump told Bill O'Reilly, host of "The O'Reilly Factor."
Trump's scheduled interview with O'Reilly last Thursday was canceled by Fox after Trump started a new round of criticism of Fox coverage of him on Monday – including calling out O'Reilly, who had two critics of Trump as guests that night.
Trump said he was suspending his appearances on the network for the "foreseeable future."
"You have always been fair to me, Bill. I haven't had a problem with you. You have treated me with respect and fairly and I have always appreciated it. You know that," Trump told O'Reilly, who is a personal friend, on Monday.
Trump appeared on camera by remote from Trump Tower, appearing for two segments.
In the first, he discussed his agenda, including his just-released tax plan, that would cut taxes for most working Americans and raise them on hedge-fund managers.
He also said he would cut the Department of Education, leaving school decisions to state and local governments.
O'Reilly challenged him on his statement that the United States shouldn't concern itself with Russia intervening on behalf of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"Once Putin gets in and fights ISIS on behalf of Assad, Putin runs Syria. He owns it. He will never get out. Ever," O'Reilly said.
"OK, fine. We can be in Syria. Do you want to run Syria? Do you want to own Syria?" Trump responded.
O'Reilly told Trump that the mainstream media will never be fair to him, but that doesn't excuse some of his behavior, which O'Reilly described as "unpresidential."
"Am I fair to say that in order for you to win the Republican nomination that you are going to have to change your style and be a bit kindler and more mature?" O'Reilly asked.
"Well, I think it's fair. I think the word mature is not appropriate," Trump responded.
He did admit, though, that it might not be presidential to have called his rival Sen. Marco Rubio a "clown." Still, Trump said, Rubio attacked him first.
"He hit me very viciously," Trump said.
"But on policy," O'Reilly said.
At the end of the interview, O'Reilly asked whether Trump believed he had been treated fairly.
"You were very fair. You are always fair," Trump responded – then added, "Almost."