Megyn Kelly's First Question To Donald Trump

The first GOP debate after Super Tuesday has been unlike anything the country has ever seen. Just four candidates took the stage at the Fox Theatre in Detroit and it appears that all of them were ready to wage a war on front-runner Donald Trump. Moderators have certainly called many of Trump's policies into question as well, presenting graphics with mathematical proof to the contrary of the Donald's proposed budget cuts. Megyn Kelly's first question to Donald Trump similarly pressed the presidential hopeful for his stances on important issues.

Kelly cited an interview Trump gave with The New York Times in which audio had been recorded but had yet to be released. Likewise, no transcript has surfaced from this reportedly closed meeting. The Fox News journalist cited BuzzFeed, who described the content of that meeting. Kelly continued:

In that interview, you expressed flexibility when it comes to your immigration policy, specifically with respect to your promise to deport the 11 million people now living here illegally. You have suggested that you may have expressed some flexibility when it comes to the size of the wall you want to build but did you tell them specifically that you are flexible when it comes to your deportation plans?

Trump had a rather surprising response, moving from quietly denying his flexibility and potential flip-flopping status and instead focusing on the nature of the meeting itself. The candidate reiterated that he is firmly committed to building a wall between the United States and Mexico, stating that its height would reach 50 feet. According to the Donald, what was said between the candidate and reporters was completely off the record. Trump attempted to clarify his political style, equating it to business negotiations and taking a swipe at fellow candidate Ted Cruz. Trump said:

I think being off the record is a very important thing. I think it's a very, very powerful thing. I will say this: these three gentlemen [Rubio, Cruz, Kasich] have gone off the record with reporters and I think they want to honor it and I would always honor that. I will say though, in terms of immigration and almost anything else, there always has to be some tug and pull and deal and when I watched Ted stand on the senate floor I had great respect for what he did... in the meantime, what came from it? Nothing.

For all the fireworks erupting on stage between candidates and moderators, Kelly's question perhaps provided the greatest insight into what a Trump presidency could look like. Politics and business are grossly different beasts, though Trump has insinuated that he may potentially be interested in unduly compromising his policies in favor of closing a deal. It is worth noting that the exchange between the two was surprisingly civil, pointing to a level of respect by Trump that Kelly most certainly deserves. Hopefully their exchanges to follow will be similarly diplomatic.