The spat ignited during this week’s ratings-record-smashing primary debate, where the bombastic billionaire felt he was unfairly targeted by the Fox crew.

Donald Trump yesterday insisted he “cherishes” women even as he refused to apologise for appearing to suggest that a female journalist was menstruating during last week’s debate.

Trump maintained that he was not talking about menstruation when he said of Kelly “there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”, when she questioned him at Thursday’s GOP debate.

On Friday night, Trump told CNN that “you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes”. That remark cost Trump a prime-time speaking slot at the RedState Gathering, the Atlanta conference where several other presidential candidates spoke to about 1,000 conservative activists.

“Unless someone points out the emperor has no clothes, he’ll continue to strut about and what we’ll end up with is a reality TV star as the nominee if we’re not careful”, Paul said.

“This wasn’t meant to be much of an insult”, Mr Trump said.

“I apologise when I’m wrong, but I haven’t been wrong”.

At last week’s Republican debate, Kelly asked the leading GOP presidential candidate about his views on women, based on his past negative comments.

“I want to put H&R Block out of business”, the New York real estate tycoon said.

Before the campaign got under way, Republican Party leaders developed a streamlined set of debates and a nomination calendar that aimed to avoid a messy fight.

Erick Erickson, of the website Redstate.com, dropped Trump from his famous Republican candidate event.

Carly Fiorina says there’s a difference between being politically incorrect and insulting.

“Well, I thought the kind of questions she was asking me were inappropriate, and they were the [kind of] questions that somebody-you could make the case…every poll says that I won the debate, but I was given the worst questions of anybody.”

Asked why he’s doing well despite many controversial comments, Trump said voters “like my message” and those in power are “grossly incompetent”.

They are right. There is no excuse for a candidate who demeans half the population while vying to be the standard-bearer of all Republicans.

“In no way do I advocate saying mean things about people“.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have still managed to largely avoid making comments about Trump.

This latest controversy isn’t helping Trump’s run for the White House, but it’s not clear yet whether it’s hurting him in the polls. “I don’t think anything. I really love it”.