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Trump’s Punching Down Backfires
Townhall.com ^ | August 16, 2018 | Derek Hunter

Posted on 08/16/2018 11:33:03 AM PDT by Kaslin

Democrats haven’t been able to lay a glove on Donald Trump, and neither has the media. Oh, they’ve tried – accused him of just about everything under the sun – but none of it has panned out. Proof, as they say, is in the pudding…and there hasn’t been any pudding. President Trump has been blessed by his enemies and their inability to act rational, even for an hour, making anything they falsely accuse him of seem even more crazy. While his enemies have been one of his greatest assets, he’s been one of his own biggest liabilities.

I don’t have a problem with Trump tweeting, as many others do. It’s a great way to bypass a media that has been out to destroy him since he rode that escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy. But sometimes his tweets keep alive stories that otherwise would have faded or elevated others to a level they could not have attained on their own.

The latest example is the saga of Omarosa Manigault Newman. A profoundly untalented individual who “was the worst hire we ever made,” according to Al Gore’s former office administrator when she worked in the Clinton administration.

Omarosa’s new book, which you can look up yourself because I’m not going to link to it, makes all sorts of unprovable claims that, if they or any other claims of that type had been made about Barack Obama would have elicited a cold shoulder from the media or even hatred, are being sucked up by liberal journalists hoping to get something to stick to Trump. But even Entertainment Weekly described the book in their D+ review of it as “the logical next step in our collective, steep, seemingly endless descent toward disgrace.

The problem for Trump isn’t that this walking dumpster fire wrote a book, or that the media gave it attention, it’s that he can’t just leave it alone and let it die.

The president has tweeted several times about Omarosa, adding fuel to a fire that would have nearly burned out by now. Probably not on CNN, but no one watches CNN.

Omarosa seeks attention like a pig hunts truffles, giving her any is a mistake. The smart move would have been to dismiss her as a sad individual fired from the White House for, as the audio recording she played on national television had General John Kelly explaining, severe ethical issues, that is was a mistake to hire her, and not mention her again.

If Trump had done that, interviewing Omarosa would have been less appealing. There wouldn’t have been a news hook, it would have simply been an exercise in shameless media bias. That wouldn’t have stopped all of it, NBC News and MSNBC will still be NBC News and MSNBC no matter what the news is, but the hype surrounding those interviews would have dissipated quickly. Each of those presidential tweets breathed new life into the story.

Of course, the biggest mistake was hiring an unqualified opportunist in the first place. Trump’s loyalty is laudable, but unhelpful in the White House. You can be loyal to someone without employing them or inviting them into the halls of power; an anchor is an anchor and will try to take you down no matter what you’re moored to.

While everyone with a press credential has been trying to impress their cocktail circuit friends by being the one who takes down the president, the biggest threat to Donald Trump is and has been the man in the mirror. He’s also his best advocate, so it’s a tough call to say he shouldn’t weigh in on something.

With all he’s accomplished, imagine what he could’ve done, what he could still do, if he got out of his own way.

I know President Trump is a fighter, it’s one of the things I like about him, and he never hits first, he hits back – harder. But not all swings are worth taking. There’s no need to go nuclear on a mosquito nipping at your heels. Omarosa is not Kim Jong-Un, she should not warrant the same level of Twitter-attention, or any attention at all.

The president shouldn’t dignify an attention-seeking former subordinate fired for alleged ethical violations with what she craves most. The official White House response should’ve been telling the story of why she was let go and nothing more. It’s too late for this round, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned with President Trump it’s that there’s always some other opportunist desperate for their moment in the crosshairs.

PS: Once (yet) again, I want to encourage you to order a copy of my book, “Outrage, INC: How the Liberal Mob Ruined Science, Journalism, and Hollywood.” It explains the why and how of what the left does in ways that haven’t been before, and it does so with a lot of humor. Don’t take my word for it, take the words of Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, David Limbaugh, Dana Loesch, Dan Bongino, Michelle Malkin, Ben Shapiro, Kurt Schlichter, and countless others. Obviously, I have an interest in selling you a copy of the book, but they don’t. Yet they’ve all endorsed it. And, for reasons I don’t understand but am eternally grateful for, people are still buying it. You’ll love it, trust me. Thanks.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: backfire; omarosa; presidenttrump
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1 posted on 08/16/2018 11:33:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
But sometimes his tweets keep alive stories that otherwise would have faded or elevated others to a level they could not have attained on their own.

Disagree! He is playing the media like a cheap fiddle! he's living rent free in their minds and they're all circling the drain!

2 posted on 08/16/2018 11:35:51 AM PDT by gr8eman (Since God has been banished from our classrooms, Satan has filled the void.)
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To: Kaslin

“While his enemies have been one of his greatest assets, he’s been one of his own biggest liabilities.”

He figures to keep the #neverTrump freaks reading after this — right where I stopped.


3 posted on 08/16/2018 11:36:07 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs
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To: Kaslin

Repeat. My vote for Trump was the nest thing I’ve done for my country


4 posted on 08/16/2018 11:37:29 AM PDT by rrrod (just an old guy with a gun in his pocket)
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To: Kaslin
I think these tweets allow Trump to blow off some steam.

This also may be Trump's way to keep the MSM busy, there isn't much reporting on the SC nominee going on.

5 posted on 08/16/2018 11:37:51 AM PDT by fortheDeclaration
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To: gr8eman

He sure does play the media like a cheap fiddle and they don’t even get it.


6 posted on 08/16/2018 11:38:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Do you want him to “punch” at his level? To attack Kim Jung Un, Vladimir Putin or the East German chancellor? Didn’t Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton start enough wars?


7 posted on 08/16/2018 11:38:07 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: treetopsandroofs

“If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him.”


8 posted on 08/16/2018 11:39:35 AM PDT by gr8eman (Since God has been banished from our classrooms, Satan has filled the void.)
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To: Kaslin
The problem for Trump isn’t that this walking dumpster fire wrote a book, or that the media gave it attention, it’s that he can’t just leave it alone and let it die.

I disagree. Trump should draw attention to it - draw in all the liberals (like flies are drawn to shiite) - and then blow it up.

If you ignore it, like "Dubya" Bush did, then people believe it's true. I say: Go on attack. Make the Liberals defend their lies. It will blow up in their faces.

9 posted on 08/16/2018 11:42:50 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob ("Other People's Money" = The life blood of Liberalism)
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To: fortheDeclaration

It also bolsters the morale of those patriots who just do their job in service to their country every day and don’t have time for this self-serving moon-battery.


10 posted on 08/16/2018 11:43:38 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Kaslin

The millionth time someone moans about Trump fighting back.

Guess he really misses George W who never fought back about anything. Fighters gonna fight, dude. Relax.


11 posted on 08/16/2018 11:44:52 AM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
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To: treetopsandroofs

I think the author makes a salient point. Trump is doing a magnificent job as POTUS. I admit, a lot of his Twitter stuff and off script rants are cringy to me. I am not comfortable with that style. But it works out for him, far better than I or anyone else would have imagined. I don’t see him ever winning a Nobel Peace Prize for uniting democrats, republicans and the media. But he certainly has exposed the rabid, radical liberal base of the democrat party and their media friends in spectacular fashion.

Trump controls the news cycles. I now believe he does it on purpose. But I also think he over-does it on issues that would otherwise be little bites and not big deals.


12 posted on 08/16/2018 11:46:36 AM PDT by Tenacious 1
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To: Kaslin

Tweeting and rallies are now Trump goes around the media and gets straight to the public.


13 posted on 08/16/2018 11:47:56 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Kaslin
Omarosa seeks attention like a pig hunts truffles, giving her any is a mistake.

When Trump "punches down" to Amarosa, he isn't engaging just Amarosa, he is engaging the entire Democrat Party and the Fake News Media, too. They can respond with several options:

1. Ignore Trump. They can't,because the text is too gossipy, and it looks like a story. Also ignoring means Trump gets the last word.
2. Back her and side her to the hilt. Default course. That allows Trump to pick his opponents. Same reason why he responds to Maxine Waters and Pocahontas.
3. Attack Trump without backing Amarosa. Takes too long for a CNN crawl, and too subtle for most casual readers/watchers. That stays with the NR crowd.
4. Proclaim that Trump is actually innocent, and that even a blind squirrel finds an acorn ... Bwahh-haha!

Trump sets himself up for the win. It is beautiful to watch.
14 posted on 08/16/2018 11:50:09 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: Kaslin

Well, Trump prevailed over 16 highly experienced republicans in primaries, and defeated the smartest woman in America (in minds of liberals) in general.

And Trump has achieved more results for prosperity in 18 months than Reagan did in in his first 4 years.

And Mueller is shooting blanks. Winning!


15 posted on 08/16/2018 11:50:29 AM PDT by entropy12 (Trump/Pence 2020)
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To: Kaslin
"walking dumpster fire wrote a book"


Ouch!

16 posted on 08/16/2018 11:51:35 AM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
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To: Kaslin
If Trump had done that, interviewing Omarosa would have been less appealing.

And if they were not going after Trump on this potential scandal they would be going after Brett Kavanaugh looking for anyone to say they found a pubic hair on their Starbuck's paper straw.

Trump is redirecting fire toward him and away from the SC and other issues which will be the most important accomplishments of this year.

17 posted on 08/16/2018 11:55:26 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Cowboy Bob

Very well put......


18 posted on 08/16/2018 11:56:04 AM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC....PATRIOTICALLY CORRECT!!!!)
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To: Kaslin

Omlette LaRussa has moved not a single soul into the anti-Trump camp.


19 posted on 08/16/2018 11:57:06 AM PDT by dead
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To: Kaslin

Omlette LaRussa has moved not a single soul into the anti-Trump camp.


20 posted on 08/16/2018 11:57:07 AM PDT by dead
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