Yesterday, Donald Trump said, “President Obama has mass-deported vast numbers of people — the most ever — and it’s never reported. I think people are going to find that I have not only the best policies, but I will have the biggest heart of anybody.” He added that he himself would not go in for “mass deportations.”
So, will Trump fans now call for the repeal of the Twenty-second Amendment and work for the election of Obama to a third term?
Trump is big on this “heart” business. When Ted Cruz proposed conservative health-care reform, Trump declared that his rival had “no heart” and would let people “die in the streets.”
That’s what the Democrats have said about conservative reformers for years and years. Now the Republicans are nominating such a Democrat (who, true, made the shrewd decision to run in the Republican party).
Many have noted that there is a great overlap between Bernie Sanders and his fans, and Trump’s and his. On trade, foreign policy, etc. Trump himself has taken note of this. Today, I had a Trumper tweet at me, “There’s no more liberals and conservatives, it’s just globalists and nationalists.” Ah.
For months, I have been amazed at the inability of Trump fans to be insulted — by their candidate, I mean. He said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters.” Does that offend no Trumper?
He kind of laughed about them to the New York Times. (To the New York Times, of all papers!) Talking about his standard stadium act, he said, “You know, if it gets a little boring, if I see people starting to sort of, maybe thinking about leaving, I can sort of tell the audience, I just say, ‘We will build the wall!’ and they go nuts.”
Uh-huh. They go nuts.
In a Republican debate, Trump said that he had to hire foreign workers at his club in Florida because “it’s almost impossible to get help.” You just “can’t get American people.”
Once upon a time, Trump types hated that talk. Hated the suggestion, or declaration, that there are “jobs Americans won’t do.” But when they hear it from their leader — they are unbudgeable in their reverence.
Remember how they used to hate Chris Christie? As a liberal Northeast squishy Obama-hugging “cuck”? Then he went Trumpite, and all was cool.
George Will has left the Republican party (as I did, when Trump cinched the nomination. For a piece I wrote about this, go here). Trump fans are celebrating on Twitter, and everywhere else, I’m sure. In all likelihood, a Donald Trump will always be more popular than a George Will.
A Trump tells people, “You have been betrayed by fancy-pants elites. Foreigners are responsible for your problems. I’m gonna kick ’em out. (Except when I’m not.) And I’m gonna keep out trade. And then we’re gonna win. We’re gonna be strong, not weak. And we’re gonna win. Win and win and win. We’re gonna win so much, you’re gonna be sick of winning.”
The crowd goes nuts (as Trump said).
A George Will says, “Self-rule is hard. Personal responsibility is hard. A free economy is beneficent, but it is also dislocating.” Etc.
The crowd does not go nuts.
I suspect that conservative views will be in the wilderness for a while. That they will have to endure a season — maybe a long season — of unpopularity. But people will sooner or later turn to them, because they are true and effective.