Byron York: Where Trump went wrong
The view from TrumpWorld was that there would be no second ballot, so all of that county convention stuff was unnecessary. In a number of key states, Trump laid off most or all of his staff almost immediately after the voting was over. Doing so was not an inadvertent mistake; it was a strategic decision.
.. Trump even read the AIPAC address from a prepared text, an apparent first for him. Those in his extended circle who had long wanted to see a more presidential Trump cheered. It was, all in all, a sorta statesmanlike performance, providing at least some evidence to back up Trump’s claim that he could become “presidential” any time he wanted.
.. The next morning brought the Brussels terrorist attacks. Trump’s tough reaction to a previous European terrorist incident, in Paris last November, undoubtedly strengthened his appeal to GOP voters. Brussels could have done the same, especially since President Obama was visiting Cuba, appearing unconcerned during a high-profile trip to a baseball game, while Europe suffered.
It was a big chance for Trump to play President Trump. So what did he do, the very next day? He used Twitter to attack Heidi Cruz, not only changing the subject of the campaign but also reinforcing earlier charges that he does not respect women — all while alienating Republican primary voters at the very moment some of them were coming around to the idea of Trump the nominee.
.. a #NeverTrump activist told me via email. “If Trump had really made the ‘strategic pivot’ that some of his apologists claim he is capable of for the general, he would have done it after his March 15 wins and dispatching of Rubio. Instead, he continued the same controversy-stoking, cable-news baiting behavior as before, creating big questions about his electability and buying time for his opponents to demonstrate that there is a path to beating him.”