What Donald Trump’s Treatment of Megyn Kelly Says About His Toughness and Her Character

Despite (or perhaps because of) breaking every rule of politics, Donald Trump continues to lead the polls for the Republican nomination as the party prepares for its last debate before the Iowa Caucus. True to form, Trump’s constant headline grabbing and media attention, however, is not enough to satisfy his ego, and he has again chosen to throw a hissy fit over one of the moderators for the Fox News debate: Megyn Kelly.

The New York Times reports, “In an interview with CNN on Monday, Mr. Trump again lashed out at Megyn Kelly … ‘Nothing’s 100 percent, I’m not 100 percent,’ Mr. Trump said in the interview. ‘I’ll see. If I think I’m going to be treated unfairly, I’d do something else. I don’t think she can treat me fairly. I think she’s very biased. But doesn’t mean I don’t do the debate. I like doing debates.”

In the nature of full disclosure: I am a big fan of Megyn’s. Not just because she’s excellent at what she does, but because she’s so much more than one of the highest rated cable news anchors. Megyn, like Trump, has broken a lot of rules. She’s a mother of three. She’s a lawyer. She’s not afraid to ask tough questions. Yet, very much unlike Trump, Megyn has also demonstrated restraint. She has not sunk to his level, instead choosing to stay above the fray and remain a classy and accomplished anchor.

Donald Trump’s dislike of Megyn Kelly speaks volumes about his leadership, but what gets me the most is his accusation that her treatment of him is “unfair.”

Trump likes to portray himself as a tough, “can’t hurt my feelings,” kind of guy — in fact, it’s been one of his sharpest lines of attack against Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton — but clearly he’s far from that. Americans have been quick to call things unfair in recent times and Trump has portrayed himself as the type of person to tell someone to toughen up. But when the tables turn, don’t dare tell Trump to toughen up .

Megyn asks tough questions, but not just of Trump. Public figures must accept that fact and understand it’s part of a healthy democracy. Anyone who puts him or herself out there in the public space — particularly politically — is opening himself up to increased criticism in addition to the money and fame. We all know Trump loves the money and fame, but it’s the increased criticism that he can’t seem to stand.

That’s all fine and well if Trump were to remain a celebrity, but as the President of the United States, some thicker skin is required.

For as much as I like Megyn and think she asks good, hard questions, she falls far short of the challenge that international leaders will pose to a President Trump. If he can’t handle the heat of Fox News, what does that say about his ability to handle international negotiations with likes of Vladimir Putin or the dictators in Iran? Will he simply call other world leaders “unfair” and refuse to sit at the table? That’s not what we call leadership.

If his appetite for attention doesn’t change in the next two days, it is a safe bet that Trump will attend Thursday’s debate, even after all the kicking and screaming. He just wants the attention along the way (see three paragraphs up). His treatment of Megyn since the start of this debate season speaks to his immaturity and massive ego. If Megyn were more like Trump, she too would take her impressive audience and large megaphone to create a fuss, but she’s above that, and that’s exactly why I am a fan.