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Murdoch praises Fox moderators amid Trump complaints

by Elliot Smilowitz - 08/08/15 9:36 AM ET

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox News, tweeted praise for his network’s debate moderators Saturday amid a hailstorm of criticism from Donald Trump.

Moderators Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace and Bret Baier did a great job running Thursday’s GOP presidential debate, Murdoch tweeted, calling their work “fine journalism, no more, no less.”

He added that Trump needs to accept that major presidential candidates face tough questions.

Baier, Kelly, Wallace great job Thursday. Fine journalism, no more, no less. Friend Donald has to learn this is public life.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) August 8, 2015

{mosads}Trump lobbed a series of attacks at the network — and Kelly in particular — on Friday, a day after he had some contentious exchanges with moderators at a Fox News debate for Republican presidential candidates.

Kelly asked the businessman Thursday to answer for incidents where he called women “fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.”

Trump fired back, “If you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.”

The candidate also took issue with a focus group run by pollster Frank Luntz that appeared on Fox News immediately after the debate, where the panelists mostly panned Trump’s performance.

Tags Donald Trump Fox News debate GOP debate Megyn Kelly Rupert Murdoch