How Trump Did It
This gathering of New York’s political class was not held on the eve of Trump’s announcement. It was much earlier than that – 25 months ago, in the weeks before Christmas of 2013
.. Trump nixed that strategy in favor of a June entrance for two reasons. The first was that it would allow him to test the waters long enough to exit the race in time for the fall season of his reality show The Apprentice in case his campaign flopped.The second was that Trump, an astute observer of the television industry, saw a news void he wanted to fill during the summer doldrums of the campaign — when most candidates are busy fundraising and building ground organizations.
.. Trump, according to those who have known him for years, has never relied on scripts, talking points or a teleprompter. During his 14 seasons on The Apprentice, Trump would tell producers, “I don’t work with scripts.”
.. Trump didn’t foresee the furor his Mexico comments would generate
.. Like the Mexican controversy, Trump’s feud with Kelly and Fox was unplanned. But unlike with that first episode, his team was eager for him to walk it back. Lewandowski and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, prepared memos outlining various ways to ease off the Kelly story. But Trump wouldn’t relent; he doesn’t do damage control.
.. “In all these cases, he’ll take the memos people put in his hands and listen to people’s comments, but he’s still going to do his own thing
.. Not apologizing has only bolstered a candidate who appeals to voters fed up with political correctness and establishment niceties. Many of Trump’s most controversial statements and proposals, in fact, have been validated by the polls.
.. Trump saying that Hillary Clinton got “schlonged” in losing the 2008 Democratic primary and his calling her “disgusting” for using the bathroom during a debate that prompted her to call out his “sexism.” That, in turn, is what he cited as his reason for focusing again on Bill Clinton’s sex scandals, which he claimed are “fair game” because Hillary was attacking him.
.. Most campaigns aren’t so secure as to make such declarative statements or shrewd enough to understand where it’s going to go,” said an operative close to the Trump campaign. “If you don’t have the same risk tolerance, he’s got you beat before you’re even in the game because you’re not willing to risk the way he is.