Donald Trump To Bill O’Reilly: Reason NBC Dumped His Beauty Pageants Will Come Out In Litigation
Updated throughout: Hours after suing Univision for $500 million for bailing on its broadcast of Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump indicated he will do same to NBC, telling Bill O’Reilly the reason NBC also cut ties to both pageants “will come out in ligitation.” Trump already had said he may sue NBC as well.
“Why do you think NBC pulled the plug on your beauty pageant. You had already resigned from Celebrity Apprentice,” the FNC star noted during the pre-taped interview that ran on tonight’s The O’Reilly Factor.
“Well, they were very angry at me because I wanted to run for president and I told them I would be running,” Trump explained. The network had hoped to have him in back on the reality series because “We had very good ratings last season and they were not happy when I said ‘I’m running’,” he continued. When he shot up to No. 2 in the polls, Trump said, “‘they see they’re not going to be getting me.”
Trump does not believe his comments about Mexican immigrants are the real reason NBC announced it would not air the Miss USA or Miss Universe Pageants. “I’ve had the same rhetoric for years, you know that,” he told O’Reilly. “I’ve been fighting border security and I’ve been fighting trade more than anybody else I fight trade and not only with Mexico, with China, with everybody –”
“But, why now?” O’Reilly interrupted.” They don’t have you [as on-air talent] Okay. But they could still do business with you. I’m not understanding why they did it. Do you? Did they say to you why they did it?”
“I don’t even think they know themselves,” Trump responded. “I think they are weak and I think they are afraid of the issue at the border.”
Asked with whom he spoke at NBC, Trump responded coyly, “I don’t want to say. It will come out in litigation.” He added, not coincidentally, he’d just followed through on his threat to sue Univision, for $500 million.
“I have a signed contract for 5 years on the pageants they have no right to terminate,” He said, of Univision. “They didn’t even send me a letter, they terminated with a PR statement.”
He blasted both networks for “abandoning” Miss USA competitors.
“We have 50 of the most lovely women you’ve ever seen right now in Louisiana and they have been abandoned by NBC and abandoned by Univision. And I’m going to work it out so that that show goes on, but they have been totally abandoned. Their parents are there, their families are there. These are fabulous young women. And NBC didn’t even think about that when they did it.”
Announcing his candidacy on June 16, Trump vowed to build a wall at the Mexico border: “I would build a Great Wall — and nobody build walls better and I will do it very inexpensively – on our southern border and have Mexico pay for it.” The United States, Trump said, has become a dumping ground for Mexico and other country’s “problems.”
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people who have lots of problems and they’re bringing their problems: drugs,…rapists… and some, I assume are good people,” he said.
“It’s totally accurate,” Trump said tonight when O’Reilly asked him if he regrets the remark. “The border is a disaster, Bill. People are pouring in – and I mean illegal people, illegal immigrants, 300 and some odd thousand are in your state jails right now according to Homeland Security. I have the report right here. Homeland Security – over 300,000 are between the state and federal jails and penitentiaries in terms of rape, this is an amazing statistic, 80% of central American women and girls are raped crossing into the U.S. Now 80%, that’s hard to believe even. This was written by Fusion – it’s owned by Univision.
“I love Mexican people, I have a tremendous relationship. I also respect Mexico but Mexico is doing a tremendous number against the United States – what they’re doing to us in trade. First of all they are killing us at the border, second of all, Bill,… they’re taking our jobs, they’re taking our manufacturing and they’re taking our money. I’m not angry at Mexico because, frankly their representatives and leaders our smarter than ours. I’m angry at our country for having such bad negotiators and such bad leaders.”
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