Trump tells Union Leader: No endorsement, no showTrump's saying he won't appear in the forum because he intuits that the Union Leader won't endorse him, but his original reason was that a Union Leader editorial attacked him -- which, GOP, suggests how you might keep him out of future debates, if you're smart.
Donald Trump is still not participating in next Monday’s Voters First Presidential Forum in New Hampshire, but now he says it is because he thinks he is unlikely to get the New Hampshire Union Leader’s endorsement and, besides, he thinks there are too many candidates for one event.
Given a deadline of last Friday, Trump’s office had said he would not participate because of a Union Leader editorial critical of him for questioning U.S. Sen. John McCain’s Vietnam war record....
But Tuesday, in a letter to Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid, Trump wrote: “...knowing you as I do, I feel it is unlikely I will be getting the endorsement from you and the Union Leader. I have made a great fortune based on instinct and that, unfortunately, is my view. Therefore, and for other reasons including the fact that I feel there are too many people onstage to have a proper forum, I will not be attending.”
There will be 14 Republican presidential candidates at the forum, which is being co-sponsored by news media in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, home of the first three GOP primaries and caucuses.
You know all that Trump opposition research you and the candidates are sitting on? All the sleazy, scurrilous stories? Just start leaking them to any news organization planning to sponsor an upcoming debate. Obviously you won't get very far with Fox News, which loves Trump, but maybe you can leak something to CNN before the September 16 debate. Make it nasty and juicy. If Trump gets angry enough, maybe he'll refuse to do the CNN debate. Then move on to the sponsors of subsequent debates.
The guy doesn't like to be attacked, and he enjoys acting as if he can exact vengeance on anyone he thinks is attacking him. So take advantage of that. Hey, it might work.
Trump has notoriously thin skin.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing Trump wants is to share a stage. Offering solutions isn't very high on his list either. His fans really aren't into that complex thought process thing, you know.
ReplyDeleteI have made a great fortune based on instinct and that, unfortunately, is my view.
ReplyDeleteChrist, the man can't let an opportunity go by to brag about himself.
Funny, the wingnuts call Obama "arrogant" and narcissistic - and yet fall all over themselves for this bloviating asshole.
I think it is a smart move- who in Trump's base is going to be sorry they missed him in a debate? The rational exchange of ideas on policy is not really what they are into.
ReplyDeleteWhat they will want to see is Trump projectile vomiting invective all over one or two people on Fox News. So it seems like, to me, it is in his best interest to let the rest of the field weed itself out.