Apparently, this has all been just an act
(AP) Donald Trump’s chief lieutenants told skeptical Republican leaders Thursday that the GOP front-runner has been “projecting an image” so far in the 2016 primary season and “the part that he’s been playing is now evolving” in a way that will improve his standing among general election voters.
The message, delivered behind closed doors in a private briefing, is part of the campaign’s intensifying effort to convince party leaders Trump will moderate his tone in the coming months to help deliver big electoral gains this fall, despite his contentious ways. (snip)
Trump’s newly hired senior aide, Paul Manafort, made the case to Republican National Committee members that Trump has two personalities: one in private and one onstage.
“When he’s out on the stage, when he’s talking about the kinds of things he’s talking about on the stump, he’s projecting an image that’s for that purpose,” Manafort said in a private briefing.
“You’ll start to see more depth of the person, the real person. You’ll see a real different guy,” he said.
Huh. As William Jacobson notes
I fully appreciate that support for Trump has become a cult of personality.
Nothing can sway those who refuse to see that Trump is conning them. He doesn’t respect you. He doesn’t like you. He is manipulating you to get what he wants.
It’s all a show.
And that show has been about demonizing other Republicans, those that are not supporting him. It’s been about insulting them, about going after the so-called Establishment, about trashing those who support other candidates or are just against Trump. And the show has apparently been a scripted act, duping his supporters.
Trump isn’t trustworthy, and he never has been. Now he’s using that untrustworthiness as a selling point. That’s clever – it’s worked throughout the campaign actually, since he’s used his corrupt quasi-bribery of public officials as evidence that he knows how to work the system but can’t be bought himself. But it also demonstrates that all those who thought Trump authentic got played. Either that or those who think that Trump will fulfill promises to change now are getting played.
But, hey, when we need him to be strong this way and take on the Democratic Party and it’s candidate, who will most likely be Hillary Clinton, Donald plans to soften his image and stop the attacks? Really? One has to wonder if Trump’s anger and venom is only aimed at the GOP, the party he proports to represent. Will he go easy on Hillary? Will he ditch his new phrase “crooked Hillary”? Will the campaign be all lollipops and unicorns? Will he tank the general election for Hillary, something many conspiracy theorists have wondered about?
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Hey boss just a note re. sharing with twitter button above
It’s now labeling the tweet with ‘via @twittercomWilliamTeach’ for some reason
FWIW