Boycotts Fox News debate for veterans fundraiser and boasts of raising $6 million

Four days before the Iowa caucuses, Trump skipped a Fox News‑hosted Republican debate after feuding with the network and moderator Megyn Kelly and staged his own televised “veterans” fundraiser at Drake University instead, telling supporters he had raised more than $6 million for veterans in a single night, including $1 million of his own money. He framed the stunt as proof that “our vets” were being mistreated while Fox and the political establishment treated him unfairly, turning veterans’ charities into a prop for his brand. Subsequent reporting showed that the fundraising total was inflated and much of the money was not disbursed to veterans’ organizations until months later under press scrutiny, reinforcing a pattern of self‑serving philanthropy.

"Illegal immigrants are treated better in many cases than our vets, and it’s not going to happen any more." — Drake University “veterans” fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 28, 2016, held instead of attending the Fox News Republican primary debate