Donald Trump ally Newt Gingrich clashes with Fox News' host Megyn Kelly in bizarre interview

Republican accuses presenter of being 'fascinated with sex'

Prominent Donald Trump supporter and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has clashed with Fox News anchor Fox News presenter Megyn Kelly during a bizarre TV interview.

Mr Gingrich, citing the network’s coverage of Mr Trump’s alleged sexual assaults, said Ms Kelly was “fascinated with sex”. She responded by suggesting he spend time working on his “anger issues”.

The exchange between the two conservative figures has been said to reflect the deep rifts currently gripping the US Republican party.

The Trump faction and Ms Kelly have had a history of animosity. The Republican candidate was widely criticised after saying she had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever," during an interview.

In what began as a discussion on the poll lead Hillary Clinton has opened up on Mr Trump, conversation soon turned to the allegations of sexual harassment surrounding the Republican candidate.

In response, Mr Gingrich said: “I’m sick and tired of people like you using language that’s inflammatory that’s not true!"

He continued: “I think that is exactly the bias that people are upset by!”

Ms Kelly replied: “I think that your defensiveness on this may speak volumes, sir. What I said is…if Donald Trump is a sexual predator, then it’s a big story. And what we saw on that tape was Trump himself saying that he likes to grab women by the genitals and kiss them against their will.

“That’s what we saw. Then we saw 10 women come forward after he actually denied doing it at a debate, to say: ‘That was untrue; he did it to me; he did it to me.’

"We saw reporters, we saw people who had worked with him, people from Apprentice, and so on and so forth. He denies it it all, which is his right – we don’t know what the truth is.”

Ms Kelly said despite it being unknown if the women’s allegations were true, the claims had to be reported as a news story.

In response, Mr Gingrich accused Ms Kelly’s programme, Kellyfile, of dedicating more airtime to anti-Trump stories, and not paying enough attention to scrutinising Ms Clinton.

“You are fascinated with sex and you don’t care about public policy,” he told Ms Kelly.

Ms Kelly replied: “You know what Mr Speaker, I’m not fascinated by sex, but I am fascinated by the protection of women and understanding what we’re getting in the Oval Office and I think the American voters would like to know.”

The sexual history of former President Bill Clinton was alluded to by Mr Gingrich, who called him a “sexual predator” who would also end up back in the Whitehouse - albeit in the residential East Wing - if Ms Clinton was elected.

But of Mr Clinton, Ms Kelly said: “He’s not on the ticket. The polls also show the American public is less interested in the deeds of Hillary Clinton’s husband than they are in the deeds of the man who asks us to make him president, Donald Trump.”

Ms Kelly closed the interview by saying to Mr Gingrich: “You can take your anger issues and spend some time working on them, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for being here.”

“And you too,” he said.