I’ve said many times that I’d be happy to see Trump back in the White House. Lately, however, I just have a lot of issues with the way he’s been running his campaign. Despite his substantial lead in the polls, he dumps on his primary opponents like a candidate desperately trying to lob an attack that sticks. After months of ripping Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who for months was his most viable challenger, he went ahead and attacked Nikki Haley after she had a bit of a breakout moment during the last debate.
While the most ardent Trump supporters are as likely to trash DeSantis or Haley, Trump previously highly regarded both candidates. Not only did Trump endorse DeSantis during his first run for governor back in 2018, but he also took credit for his victory. As for Haley, Trump picked her as his ambassador to the U.N.
These days, however, there aren’t enough negative things he can say about either of them. This is sadly ironic because he recently called on House Republicans to stop fighting among themselves and focus on the Democrats and Joe Biden.
“Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?” he said. If only he’d heed his own advice.
Related: Donald Trump Is the Last Person Who Should Comment About GOP Unity
Last week, Trump trashed all his GOP primary opponents, insisting that none of them would make a good running mate, and dismissed them all as “job candidates.”
“They’ll do anything: secretary of something, they even say VP,” Trump said during his trip to Michigan. “Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so.” Does this sound like unity to you?
Trump, who’s so far ahead in the polls, doesn’t need to crap on his opponents this way. Okay, maybe Chris Christie deserves it, but still, everyone knows he’s the frontrunner by a wide margin, and if really wants to be a uniter for the GOP — like he claimed when he said he’d accept the House speakership on a temporary basis — then he should be acting like the de facto leader of the party and acknowledging their strengths, and pointing out who might make a good cabinet secretary, or a governor, or some higher office than they currently have.
Obviously, he can’t offer a position in exchange for endorsement, but he can try to be positive about the future of the party, instead of using his influence to destroy anyone who dared commit the offense of running for president when he wanted an immediate coronation.
Unfortunately, this is who Trump is. There are few people he brought into his administration that he hasn’t dumped on for one reason or another. I can’t imagine how hard it will be to find people willing to serve in his second administration, knowing just how easily Trump will throw them under the bus if they don’t agree with him 100% on everything.
But hey, I guess that will be his problem.
