Mitt Romney is garnering headlines for throwing barbs at Donald Trump, but the Republican establishment is in real trouble if they think he is their best chance at dislodging this troublesome billionaire. If anything, Romney will drive anti-establishment voters to Trump, because Romney – with his slick hair, pressed suits and Ken doll smile – represents the worst side of the Republican party’s mainstream.
But conservatives have a secret weapon in Megyn Kelly. The popular Fox News host is the new face of conservatism, and she’s tough as nails.
The last time Trump was on the Fox debate stage, Kelly confronted him about a string of sexist remarks he’d made over his reality TV career. She didn’t back down, yet Trump came away looking like a little whiny baby. Trump complained about being treated unfairly by Kelly because she had the audacity to confront him with his own past remarks. Novel idea.
So novel that Cruz and Rubio have started using the tactic, and have released a string of attack ads highlighting things like Trump’s past support for abortion. But the two young senators have failed to make a dent into Trump’s growing support.
In last week’s debate the two tried to meet Trump on his own level. It ended poorly for everyone. They ended up embarrassing the entire party and themselves. Rubio’s stump speeches even momentarily devolved into schoolyard humor – accusing Trump of wetting himself – which only gave credence to accusations he’s too juvenile to sit in the Oval Office.
That’s why, during Thursday night’s Republican debate, the senators need to leave the heavy hitting to Megyn Kelly. She’d be wise to try and avoid the fireworks that erupted in the last round. But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t use her intelligence and wit to confront the absurdity that is Trump.
Trump has been given a pass by the media thus far. They’ve allowed him to rewrite the rules of the game. He hasn’t laid out policy proposals, yet cable news replays his soaring fantasies – “I’ll build a wall and Mexico will pay for it” – as if any president has the power to turn myth into reality.
Trump also hasn’t been pressed on the fact that he isn’t really a Republican. Sure, he’s one now out of political – or, more likely, personal – convenience. But he’s anti free trade, pro-abortion (at least in the past and likely in the near future, once he locks up the Republican nomination and is able to pivot to the center) and has no understanding of the military or global affairs.
Jake Tapper was able to unsettle Trump last weekend by merely asking him about the support of David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. The most revealing part of the exchange was that when confronted with something as repugnant as the support of the KKK, Trump melted down.
Trump’s not Teflon. His ego needs constant affirmation. He can’t handle being questioned; it annoys his billionaire sense of reality: if he thinks or says something then that’s the way it is in Trump world. But we’re not in Trump world. We live in reality. Kelly will be given another chance tonight to pull the veil back on Trump’s world and expose millions of viewers to what is evident: that the emperor has no clothes. In fact, he’s no emperor at all.