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And it was all going so well.
After committing a long series of gaffes last week and seeing his poll numbers plummet, Donald Trump tried to act like a good little candidate this weekend. Whether or not it was prompted by the much-speculated party intervention, Trump on Friday night backtracked and publicly endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and embattled Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) who are struggling in their reelection bids. Trump rarely backtracked during the primary season and the fact that he flipped on such a high-profile issue does indicate that someone (or something) finally got to him.
The good behavior continued through Monday, when he delivered, while reading from a Teleprompter, an address where he laid out a detailed and wide-ranging economic plan. The fact that it made no sense and offered proposals that would only enrich billionaires like Trump is irrelevant to many Trump apologists — he played the role of a serious Presidential candidate very convincingly.
Then came Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday was shaping up to be a bad news day for Trump anyway. The campaign was still in defensive mode after Monday’s release of a letter signed by 50 of the most senior Republican national security officials, many of whom were key operatives in the George W. Bush administration, that stated their belief that Trump “lacks the character, values and experience” to be President and “would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.”
But that was just the start. Warning that Trump would be “the most reckless President in U.S. history,” the security officials questioned Trump’s belief in and knowledge of the Constitution, adding that “Mr. Trump has shown no interest in educating himself.”
And these words are from Republicans.
Then in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, two battleground states in which Trump was doing the best now reveal two small but telling Clinton leads, with Iowa now 41%-37% (Clinton +4%) and Ohio as of today 43-38% (Clinton +5). Yes, these are slight Clinton leads from which Trump could recover, but it reveals two more unexpected fires (among many) that the Trump campaign now has to put out.
Then Trump lost the support of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Yes, Collins is a GOP moderate who might not be expected to be a strong Trump backer, but she is not without influence and respect among her GOP colleagues. Though she made clear that she was definitely not voting for Hillary Clinton, Collins said of Trump “he simply does not have the restraint and the consideration and the judgment and the knowledge to handle those dangerous events with which presidents are inevitably confronted.”
But then came the bombshell.
At a rally on Tuesday afternoon in Wilmington, NC, Trump said this:
“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick judges, nothing you can do, folks. Though with the Second Amendment people, maybe there is.”
You be the judge, but did Trump just suggest that perhaps Hillary Clinton should be assassinated if she is elected in order to keep her from choosing Supreme Court justices?
I’ve never heard anything like this coming from the mouth of a major party Presidential candidate. Ever. GOP spinmeisters worked frantically on Tuesday trying to explain that it was just an innocent remark, arguing that it was simply an encouragement to Second Amendment proponents to work for change within the political system. Others have argued that it was simply just a joke. Can’t you take a joke? I can, but one thing Trump should be made to realize — assassination jokes are never funny. For their part, the U.S. Secret Service has simply commented for now that they are “aware” of Trump’s remarks.
Reaction across the political spectrum was largely condemnatory, with arguably the most potent tweet coming from thorn-in-Trump’s-side Sen. Elizabeth Warren:
“@realDonaldTrump makes death threats because he’s a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl.”
Yipes.
During Trump’s year-long campaign, Trump has said things that could be considered racist, ridiculous, inflammatory, sexist and just plain wrong. But today, he may have crossed a line when he publicly said something that might turn out to be criminal.
