Trump sex tape comments frustrate GOP supporters

The Hill ^ | 9/30/2016 | Jonathan Easley

[BlackFemaleArmyColonel]

Donald Trump’s middle-of-the-night tweets about a beauty queen sex tape are frustrating Republican supporters, who worry once again that their candidate’s lack of discipline will hamper his campaign.

They say Trump needs to keep his focus on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, prepare for their second debate, on Oct. 9 in St. Louis, and quit taking the bait from Democrats.

“It’s unlikely the Miss Universe flap is hurting Trump with current supporters, but it’s hard to see how it helps grow our vote,” said one GOP lawmaker who supports Trump.

“Maybe it's quaint conventional wisdom. But it seems he would help himself to talk about the real world problems that every day voters face,” the lawmaker said.

Trump has not been able to let go his feud with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.

In a series of tweets beginning at 3:19 a.m. on Friday and ending at 5:30 a.m., the New York billionaire sought to discredit Machado by drawing attention to tawdry details about her past, including allegations — debunked by fact-checkers — that she has filmed a “sex tape.”

Those allegations reignited Democratic attacks against Trump over his treatment of Machado just as the issue seemed ready to peter out.

Clinton already had been doing everything she could to keep the Machado story going, believing Trump’s fat-shaming of the Venezuelan would help her with both women and Hispanic voters.

She responded to Trump’s tweet-storm with her own series of tweets, calling Trump “unhinged.”

“What kind of man stays up all night to smear a woman with lies and conspiracy theories?,” Clinton tweeted.

“When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go,” she said. “This is dangerous for a president. To Donald, women like Alicia are only as valuable as his personal opinion about their looks.”

[Steely Tom]

The problem — as I see it — is that Hillary has made the Alicia Machado matter the centerpiece of her negative campaign against Donald Trump.

We all know what happens when Republicans take the high road and decline to engage an attacker on a given front: the attacker colludes with the MSM to crowd out every other subject under discussion in the town square. The Republican can feel good about not getting down in the mud to wrestle, but can only experience that satisfaction from the sidelines, as a loser.

Trump is obviously unwilling to go that route. He's beaten Hillary's negative attacks back before by mounting a vigorous counterattack (I'm thinking here of his response when Hillary signaled her intention to rev up the "War On Women" attack). He will beat back this attack.

The Gentleman Republican stance wins nothing but the booby prize, as George W. Bush and Mitt Romney have both demonstrated.

[Talisker]

I see that the concern trolls are quite concerned.

No kidding. I'm so sick of this constant carping crap. Dismal here, nag there, criticize here, sorrow there.

Oh shut up!

[WENDLE]

Hillary hired a whore? This macado women is a slut IMO. she is no witness for anything! Stomp her dirty butt is the dirt where it came from. You girls and girly men SHUT UP!!

[plain talk]

“When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go,” she said

Well I can't disagree with that. So now Trump is a tweet battle with a porn star? The man has bigger fish to fry that this.

[Guenevere]

Bingo

[Dr.Deth]

1) Is there a videotape?
2) Is there sex on it?

If the answer to both of these questions is “Yes” then STFU

[Dr.Deth]

1) Is there a videotape?
2) Is there sex on it?

If the answer to both of these questions is “Yes” then STFU about Trump

[ncalburt]

Old Johnny Easily is a Clinton campaign operative at the Dem Hill.

Just Research this fraud Easily name and read all his Dem propaganda pieces .

A true Clinton operative .

Believe nothing from this liar.

[Rastus]

And here’s the Cruzer, turned concern troll. Agreeing with Hillary, no less.

[sport]

Preach it Brother!!!!!!!!!!!

[FR_addict]

In 1997, he called her one of the Most Beautiful Women in the world. That’s on video. She looked happy when he said it.

[lee martell]

Thank you! What happened to the stablizing influence on Kelly Anne Conway? This sounds like the dumb tangle he got caught into with the Khan Family. Wasting time OFF MESSAGE! Times like these, I have to wonder at Trump’s real goal when all is said done and voted for. What is he really trying to set into motion?

[ViLaLuz]

Her sex tape was not debunked. It’s still posted online: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7JNeG2SAM

[TheStickman]

“So now Trump is a tweet battle with a porn star?”

You’er not paying attention. Trump was responding on Twitter to Cankles for a LIE she spoke about him at the debate Monday. If you took the time to read the tweets you would know this & not make such a inaccurate statement. Trump is winning this in so many ways it’s hilarious.

Vote Trump 2016

[ViLaLuz]

Yes: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7JNeG2SAM

[steve86]

Trump would do well to actually put in 70’ feet of vinyl fence like I did today. Maybe he will — right in front of the Border Patrol office and that will be the extent of it. Yes, I am skeptical about the “wall”.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

SLAP! SLAP!

Now sit down and get a grip.

[Jeff Chandler]

Trump needs to blow off these personal attacks. When he responds he looks childish. When he doesn’t, they do.

[nathanbedford]

I see that the concern trolls are quite concerned.

You recommend complacency?

We are in a place where it is not our state of mind which should be called into question, it is the state of mind of the candidate himself that has brought us to this state of concern. We have no place to go except to the polls to pull the lever for Donald Trump but he has an obligation to us to avoid political malpractice and behave as a potential president should!

It is the candidate himself and only the candidate who has the power to relieve us of our well founded concern.

[Frank_2001]

At least we KNOW that President TRUMP will be FULLY FUNCTIONAL when the dreaded “3 AM PHONE CALL” comes through!!!!!