Audio: Outspoken radio host corners Donald Trump over 'war on wives'

Updated: Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 15:08 [IST]

Washington, March 28: Republican front-runner Donald Trump on Monday faced a surprise challenge from a popular radio host in Milwaukee during a 17-minute phone interview.

Charlie Sykes, an outspoken conservative, said at the beginning of the interview: "here in Wisconsin we value things like civility, decency and actual conservative principles."

Sykes raised the issue of Trump's unpopular remarks against women and his recent spat with Republican rival Ted Cruz over their wives, and asked him to apologise to Heidi Cruz, wife of Ted. [US losing its shirts to India, China: Donald Trump]

The New York real-estate tycoon created controversy after he posted a picture juxtaposing pictures of Heidi and Melania Trump, his wife and a former model, on Twitter. It all started after an anti-Trump super PAC made an ad ahead of the Utah caucuses featuring a nude image of Melania from a January 2000 GQ magazine pictorial.

Trump lashed out at Ted Cruz on Twitter threatening to spill the beans on Heidi. A war of words soon followed between the two.

During the interview, Trump defended his wife's photo, saying it was an "artsy" picture and blamed Cruz for starting the feud. However, the super PAC that made the ad in Texas was not connected to Ted Cruz, the state's senator.

Sykes said it is expected from a 12-year-old bully on teh background, not somebody who wants the office which was once held by Abraham Lincoln.

He reiterated it later saying: "Remember, we're not on a playground. We're running for president of the United States" when Trump put the blame on Cruz saying the latter had started it.