Cease me in the event you’ve heard this one earlier than:
That is the day Donald Trump actually grew to become president. He is a modified man. He’s had an “existential” shift. He’s now extra religious. He’s going to tear up his unique conference speech to “meet the second.” His financial speech was completely coherent.
For some unfathomable cause, 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 critical method to debate prep.
This was tweeted by a reporter at The Guardian, shortly earlier than Tuesday night time’s presidential debate:
Given Trump’s abysmal efficiency in the course of the debate, it’s very clear he didn’t take prep “unusually significantly.” The truth is, he has benefitted from a lifetime of success with out having to actually 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 this time, polling exhibits 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 & Buddies” and the far-right outlet Newsmax are equal to doing the arduous work of profitable 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 need to work to win. Trump believes his personal narcissistic drivel about being a “very steady genius,” that his ramblings are “sensible,” and that he’s “like, actually good.”
His personal marketing campaign is designed to feed his ego. Right here’s The New York Instances on Aug. 16:
[Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline] Leavitt mentioned the previous president has “confirmed to be top-of-the-line debaters in political historical past as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. He doesn’t want conventional debate prep however will proceed to satisfy with revered coverage advisers and efficient communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who efficiently dominated Kamala Harris on the talk 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 want to organize for debates, and his workforce is beneath directions to make use of the time period ‘coverage time’ to explain their classes.”
However in the event you’re taking the talk significantly, you definitely shouldn’t put Gabbard or Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz in cost—as Trump very a lot did, in keeping with The New York Instances. As our personal Mark Sumner wrote on Monday:
Ever since 2019, Gabbard has been buying and selling on that single trade with Harris, changing into a MAGA star principally based mostly 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 exhibits, 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 workforce 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 marketing campaign official mentioned [Gabbard] had been useful getting Trump to consider the pivot from attacking Harris to highlighting his insurance policies or what he would do in another way. That included speaking by means of the way to take issues one step past the assault strains he provides at rallies into cohesive debate solutions.”
Hoo boy, none of that occurred. Not solely was Trump unable to provide cohesive debate solutions, but additionally he went even additional into la la land by mentioning a debunked, racist hoax about migrants consuming native pets. Was that Gaetz’s position 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 report. It might’ve required him to maintain his composure, interact in fundamental human conduct like his opponent, and provide 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 by means of which she might be fed solutions.
Final night time was a surprising success for Harris. However tarring Gabbard with the blame for Trump’s catastrophic efficiency is the cherry on prime.