Cease me in the event you’ve heard this one earlier than:
That is the day Donald Trump really grew to become president. He is a modified man. He’s had an “existential” shift. He’s now extra non secular. He’s going to tear up his authentic conference speech to “meet the moment.” His financial speech was completely coherent.
For some unfathomable motive, the political press likes to take Trump’s bullshit at face worth, regardless of being confirmed time and time once more that he’s solely himself—a bitter, silly, indignant, and bigoted demagogue who won’t ever change. And the identical was true when it got here to the press’ tales about Trump’s supposedly severe method to debate prep.
This was tweeted by a reporter at The Guardian, shortly earlier than Tuesday evening’s presidential debate:
Given Trump’s abysmal efficiency throughout the debate, it’s very clear he didn’t take prep “unusually seriously.” In truth, he has benefitted from a lifetime of success with out having to essentially work for any of it. In 2016, Hillary Clinton trounced Trump in all their debates, and what did it matter ultimately? He actually made enjoyable of Clinton for getting ready for these debates, calling her prep “resting,” which betrayed his dismissive attitudes towards learning up.
At the moment, polling reveals that the race is primarily a coin flip, regardless of Trump’s lazy marketing campaign path schedule and refusal to have interaction in fundamental message self-discipline, advert spending, or marketing campaign constructing. He appears to assume that calling into “Fox & Friends” and the far-right outlet Newsmax are equal to doing the exhausting work of successful votes. On the debate, he admitted he doesn’t speak to his working mate about some key points.
The world has constantly rewarded his laziness and lack of preparation. And President Joe Biden’s painful efficiency of their first (and solely) debate, on June 27, additional persuaded Trump that he didn’t should work to win. Trump believes his personal narcissistic drivel about being a “very stable genius,” that his ramblings are “brilliant,” and that he’s “like, really smart.”
His personal marketing campaign is designed to feed his ego. Right here’s The New York Occasions on Aug. 16:
[Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline] Leavitt stated the previous president has “proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. He does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisers and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2020.”
His marketing campaign was actually saying he didn’t want debate prep!
The article additional famous that “Mr. Trump likes to say he doesn’t need to prepare for debates, and his team is under instructions to use the term ‘policy time’ to describe their sessions.”
However in the event you’re taking the controversy significantly, you actually shouldn’t put Gabbard or Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz in cost—as Trump very a lot did, in response to The New York Occasions. As our personal Mark Sumner wrote on Monday:
Ever since 2019, Gabbard has been buying and selling on that single change with Harris, turning into a MAGA star principally primarily based on having “bested” Harris in a debate. It’s been extraordinarily rewarding for her. She has not simply continued as a repeat visitor on right-wing reveals, she has additionally been a featured speaker on the final two Conservative Political Motion Convention gatherings and gone on tour with Nazi-loving Tucker Carlson. Trump has positioned Gabbard on the head of his transition crew alongside conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Maybe Trump’s advisors thought Gabbard may speak some sense into Trump? NBC Information reported on Monday that “a Trump campaign official said [Gabbard] had been helpful getting Trump to think about the pivot from attacking Harris to highlighting his policies or what he would do differently. That included talking through how to take things one step beyond the attack lines he gives at rallies into cohesive debate answers.”
Hoo boy, none of that occurred. Not solely was Trump unable to provide cohesive debate solutions, but in addition he went even additional into la la land by citing a debunked, racist hoax about migrants consuming native pets. Was that Gaetz’s function in that debate prep? To get Trump to speak about even crazier issues?
The truth is there isn’t an individual on this world who may’ve gotten Trump to do the work to satisfy the second. On the naked minimal, it might’ve included ignoring Harris’ jabs on the dimension of his crowds or his COVID-19 document. It will’ve required him to maintain his composure, interact in fundamental human conduct like his opponent, and supply concise, coherent solutions to questions. Harris did all of that—and made it look really easy that conservatives are falsely claiming her earrings had been earpieces via which she could possibly be fed solutions.
Final evening was a shocking success for Harris. However tarring Gabbard with the blame for Trump’s catastrophic efficiency is the cherry on prime.
