On Tuesday morning, Paul Ryan, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, went considerably further. “Normally I do not comment on what’s going on in the Presidential election. I will take an exception today,” Ryan told reporters. “This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for. And more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for. Not only are there many Muslims serving in our armed forces, dying for this country, there are Muslims serving right here in the House, working every day to uphold and to defend the Constitution.”
.. I’d go further than that. I’d say that Trump, from his early dust-up with Fox’s Megyn Kelly onward, has been playing the networks like a fiddle. And until now, the networks have generally been happy to be played.
.. But let’s not kid ourselves: commercial factors are also at play. The networks are competing against each other. A Trump interview generates ratings, and ratings generate advertising dollars.
That gives Trump great leverage. When he wants some publicity for his latest wheeze, he can usually have his pick of broadcast venues. When he threatens to boycott a particular show, or even an entire network, as he has done on several occasions, it is a consequential matter for the folks running the networks. Often, they buckle to his demands.