Trump: Actually, I May Break My Pledge Not To Go Third Party

Townhall.com ^ | November 23, 2015 | Guy Benson

[Kaslin]

Hey, remember this?

The Pledge #MakeAmericaGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/5OVWdxgLn9 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2015

After routinely flirting with a third-party run, Donald Trump signed an unambiguously-worded pledge in early September, vowing ;forego a third-party presidential bid if he fails to secure the Republican presidential nomination. Having committed his word,Trump averred that he had "no intention" of reconsidering the promise: "I see no circumstances under which I would tear up that pledge," he said, calling the pledge "total." Now he's mad about some opponents and outside groups announcing plans to attack him, so the thin-skinned and erratic Republican frontrunner is once again changing his tune. Surprise:

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump would not rule out making a run for president as an independent despite signing a pledge over the summer saying he would support the eventual GOP nominee instead of running a third-party bid. "I'm going to have to see what happens. I will see what happens. I have to be treated fairly," Trump said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" when asked about a new guerrilla effort by operatives within the Republican Party to derail Trump's candidacy.

But not to worry, conservatives. He'll be totally reliable on all the issues on which he's completely reversed himself in order to pander to you -- from tax increases, to abortion, to gun control, to government-run healthcare (which he still praises), to immigration rhetoric and policy, etc. His longstanding alignment with the Democratic Party and financial support for Hillary Clinton and Harry Reid shouldn't concern you either. Nor should his ongoing left-wing talking points on "fairness," the Koch brothers, "blame Bush," and expanding the federal bureaucracy. And neither should his abysmally low (34/61) favorability rating among the general electorate, much worse than even his dear friend and benefactor Hillary's terrible numbers. He'll never abandon you in pursuit of his own self-serving interests, or for attention. Incidentally, Trump was given yet another opportunity on Sunday to clear up the "media smear" regarding his allegedly nonexistent support for a national registry of Muslims -- including citizens. He took another pass, declining to answer the question asked of him, keeping things nice and hazy:

Here's the full Trump quote, which seems to be about Syrian refugees, not Muslim citizens. pic.twitter.com/jtnE3Xkk5L Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) November 22, 2015

This is more evidence supporting my suspicion that he's deliberately obfuscating. His supporters who insist this is a made-up media hit job can point to his responses focusing on refugees, while other supporters who like the idea of this unconstitutional scheme won't find a denial in there. And then there's this:

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is doubling down on comments that thousands of people in parts of New Jersey with large Arab populations cheered on 9/11. Trump said at a rally on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. that he watched as the World Trade Center "came tumbling down." "And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down," he added. "Thousands of people were cheering." ABC "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos asked Trump on Sunday if he misspoke, noting that "police say that didn't happen and all those rumors have been on the Internet for some time." "It did happen. I saw it, " Trump said. "It was on television. I saw it ... George, it did happen," Trump persisted.

He did not see it, and it was not on television. In fairness to Trump, I distinctly remember hearing rumors about crowds of Muslims in parts of New Jersey openly celebrating on 9/11, but no credible corroborating evidence ever emerged, and local police have strongly refuted the claim. He may have been thinking of this footage showing Palestinians dancing in the streets of Gaza. Conflation is often how false memories form. What's inexcusable, but not surprising, is Trump's reckless, fact-free double-down. But cults of personality will justify and excuse virtually anything. Which helps explain why this vile man still has an approval rating in the low 40's:

Obama: GOP doing the terrorists' work for them; WATCH: https://t.co/bgQyLsQJ2p pic.twitter.com/mMSezkW2UF The Hill (@thehill) November 22, 2015

[heshtesh]

Shades of ross Perot.

He handed the 1992 election to Bill Clinton.

It’s hard not to imagine he knew it would happen that way.

I find it hard to believe Trump is not aware the same would happen again.

[kalee]

Bill Kristol says he will support a third party candidate if Trump wins the nomination.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/14/media/bill-kristol-donald-trump/index.html

[SunkenCiv]

• GOP Consultant Class Heroes Publicly Panhandling in Desperate Bid to Derail Donald Trump
• Anti-Trump Group Wants To Dissuade Supporters 'From Voting Altogether'
• GOP Operative Plans 'Guerrilla Campaign' Against Donald Trump
• A former Scott Walker aide fired off a scorching tweetstorm about why Walker dropped out
• Scott Walker, the gutless wonder of the 2016 presidential race
• Under fire, Walker aide Liz Mair resigns
• Walker aide fires off epic 40-tweet tweetstorm after resigning following just one day on the job
• No Glory in the Hawkeye State
• SCOTT WALKER UNDER FIRE FOR NEW OPEN BORDERS AMNESTY ADVOCATE STAFFER WHO MOCKS IOWA [tr]
• Scott Walker once employed liberal feminazi Liz Mair
• 'Conservative' joins homosexual lobby

[JoSixChip]

Either way, this year we string GOPe up for good. The Republicans are finished as a RINO party, they have lost their base forever.

That is the way I see it. I went unaffiliated last December after a new Congress re-elected bohner and mcconnel. That was after 37 years registered republican. Yes, I voted for Reagan, twice! Let's not talk about the Perot years.

[uncitizen]

Go ahead, Trump. We don’t blame you. We blame them!

[detch]

I agree.

This is some journalist’s/pundit’s wish list...

[Jane Long]

You’re right. How quickly the RINOs here forget.

Q: Is RNC going to hold on to their end of the deal?

[Parley Baer]

The GOPe headed by Karl Rove and his minions are breaking the agreement they had with Trump. They are going to mount unprecedented attacks on him. They never dreamed he will have done as well as he has. They are b@stards.

[sparklite2]

Yeah.  I was a Perot voter.  GHWB, he of the "L"-shaped
economic recovery whose "read my lips" was jettisoned in
the arrogance of his high post-Iraq popularity ratings, made
it easy to vote for  conservatism that wasn't compassionate.

[ground_fog]

“vile man” lol

[WENDLE]

Where are the other candidates signed pledges? What is this?

[Seaplaner]

Trump is a Dem, posing to the right of us conservatives in order to do the 2016 equivalent of Ross Perot.

I tried to convince fellow conservatives about Perot, to no avail. (I was right, of course.)

Now, I try to convince you fine FRiends.

Trump is a Dem, posing to the right of us conservatives in order to hand the election to Hillary.

BTW, if it helps to qualify my opinion, I neither respect, nor support Jeb, Marco, or any of the GOPe creeps.

.

[JoSixChip]

Shades of ross Perot. He handed the 1992 election to Bill Clinton.

That's mindless BS! Bush is why clinton was elected.

[WENDLE]

Go TRUMP. SEND THEM TO THIRD PARTY!! Screw those Gope bastards.

[ifinnegan]

To give Gay Benson the benefit of the doubt we can say he is being one-sided and intellectually dishonest.

That’s being nice.

[Gene Eric]

Trump would be a fool to concede one inch of Republican real estate.

It’s time to punt the squatting, elitist scumbags to the curb. The Republican Party is our investment.

[Lumper20]

This guy is queer as hell.

wrihttp://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/a-fox-news-contributor-on-being-gay-the-gop-and-religious-li#.xw23aVnq2tes

I wonder why one finds this crap?

[Boojum]

Trump will dump so much sh*t on the GOPe nominee that he’ll have to drop out in shame.

Trump has the truth on his side.

[Fungi]

Guy Benson, the same guy who claims to be a Christian and a homosexual at the same time? 1 Corinthians 6:18: Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. I can only guess that does not apply to homosexuals.

[Liberty Valance]

Oy vey!