SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Photo: Getty
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this morning, I feeling so sorry for the Republican Party, particularly those down-ballot candidates whose political futures largely depend on the electoral success of one Donald J. Trump.
Republican operatives and likely some figures within Trump’s own circle must be tearing out their hair Friday morning at the candidate, whom they at times have temporarily been able to force staying on message, but whose behavior in the past four days after his disastrous debate performance may have done even further damage to his candidacy and GOP hopes to win the White House.
After Hillary Clinton cited in the debate Trump’s words regarding 1996 Miss Universe Alicia Machado when he called her “Miss Piggy” because of her weight and “Miss Housekeeping” because she is a Latina, Trump appeared blindsided, and ever since then, he has refused to let it go — just the way he kept attacking an Indiana judge of Mexican heritage and the Khans, the Gold Star family who dared to criticize him at the Democratic National Convention.
On Tuesday, he called into “Fox & Friends” to cite the “massive amount of weight that Machado supposedly gained” while holding the Miss Universe title, an tone-deaf accusation that caused an uproar in the media. Trump was back on script and Teleprompter on Wednesday morning and all seemed to be back to (relative) normal. But then Trump went off the rails again that evening when, appearing with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News (naturally), he claimed to be the hero in this affair. Trump said that, by calling her “Miss Piggy,” that prompted Machado to lose the weight, thereby he helped her from being fired. “And this is the thanks I get?” he whined.
The personal attacks against Machado lessened on Thursday, probably thanks for some interventions by handlers. But handlers can only do so much, particularly at 3am on a Friday morning when Trump once again reached for his iPhone and began the Twitter storm that has dominated the headlines all day Friday.
The first tweet was typical Trump vs. the press.
“Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying “sources said,” DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!”
OK, pretty par for the course. Still, from all reports, correspondents from a number of major news outlets had been contacted by members of the Trump campaign, concerned that the word must get out to the candidate that he should become more serious in his prep for the next Presidential debate on October 9. But to Trump, everything in Trump World is apparently going peachy keen!
But around 5am, Trump was back on the iPhone and back to Machado. Why? Because he can’t help himself.
“Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an “angel” without checking her past, which is terrible!”
A Machado attack and Crooked Hillary? A two-for-one. But do go on, Donald.
“Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con.”
But then there’s this…
“Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?”
Did I just read that right? Did the candidate for President from a major party just urge Americans to go out and watch a sex tape? That’s a first. (I had heard rumors that Dwight Eisenhower did the same thing, but I for one don’t believe it.)
Oh, and this supposed sex tape? You probably won’t be shocked to learn that it doesn’t exist. Fact checkers from around the world have been scouring porn sites (now there’s a job!) and have come up absolutely empty. It appears to live only in Donald Trump’s head, right next to the tape he swears he saw of thousands of Muslims in Jersey City cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11. (He must have a fascinating theater of imaginary movies in his head.)
With Republicans screaming at him to get back talking about jobs, Benghazi and Hillary’s e-mails, he’s wasted four days on this nonsense with only 39 left to go before Election Day.
I’m so so sorry, Republicans. (Not really.)
