REUTERS/Scott Morgan
Donald Trump.
"I am pleased to announce that I had the Union Leader removed from the upcoming debate," Trump tweeted.
Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, wasn't done there. He fired off other tweets slamming the Union Leader and accusing it of "unethical behavior."
Union Leader publisher Joseph McQuaid released a statement saying he was "amused" that ABC disapproved of his newspaper's endorsement of Trump's Republican presidential rival Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey.
"We will get over being 'severed,'" he said. "We are amused by ABC apparently just discovering that we write editorials and endorse candidates. We have been doing both for decades and it hasn't been an issue for ABC or anyone else."
Trump's Sunday tweets:
If their highly unethical behavior, including begging me for ads, isn't questionable enough, they have endorsed a candidate who can't win.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2016This is really unfair and a conflict for all the other candidates. I said it should not be allowed and ABC agreed.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2016UL has lost all credibility under Joe McQuaid w circulation dropping to record lows. They aren't worthy of representing the great people NH.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2016Union Leader refuses to comment as to why they were kicked out of the ABC News debate like a dog. For starters, try getting a new publisher!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2016Trump declared war on the Union Leader at the end of last year after the newspaper published a front-page editorial criticizing his candidacy.
"He reminds us of the grownup bully 'Biff' in the 'Back to the Future' movie series," McQuaid wrote in an editorial titled, "Trump campaign insults NH voters' intelligence."
"Trump has shown himself to be a crude blowhard with no clear political philosophy and no deeper understanding of the important and serious role of president of the United States than one of the goons he lets rough up protesters in his crowds," he continued.
Trump responded by repeatedly blasting McQuaid on Twitter and in his speeches on the campaign trail. In a series of tweets spanning multiple days, Trump called McQuaid "stinky" and declared that the newspaper was failing:
I'm protesting the @UnionLeader from having anything to do w/ ABC debate. Their unethical record doesn't give them the right to be involved!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2016The failing @UnionLeader newspaper in N.H. just sent The Trump Organization a letter asking that we take ads. How stupid, how desperate!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2016Do you believe that @UnionLeader in NH was demanding ads? Look at enclosed letter from them, just received: https://t.co/NucdHBZAH9
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2016Wow @UnionLeader circulation in NH has dropped from 75,000 to around 10-bad management. No wonder they begged me for ads.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2016I predict that dying @UnionLeader newspaper, which has been run into the ground by publisher "Stinky" Joe McQuaid, will be dead in 2 years!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2015Joe McQuaid (@deucecrew) is desperately trying to sell the @UnionLeader. It's a loser, and my comments haven't helped him much.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2015The dying @UnionLeader newspaper in NH is in turmoil over my comments about them- like a bully that got knocked out!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2015Joe McQuaid (@deucecrew) of the dying Union Leader wanted ads, lunches, donations, speeches from me, and tweets---very unethical.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2015The great people of New Hampshire, who I love, are not properly served by the dying Union Leader newspaper.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2015Shows how dumb Joe McQuaid (@deucecrew) of the dying Union Leader is to put out the letter I wrote saying why I didn't do his failed debate!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2015