Trump Got Trolled
An Internet troll lobs bombshells to get a rise out of the other side, for his own enjoyment, or to get attention, or to make a point.
.. In fact, it’s possible to see Trump’s entire campaign in 2016 as one long troll of respectable opinion. It’s no accident that among his most ardent admirers were fellow practitioners such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.
.. Trump was a troll long before anyone had coined the term. He’s a natural — fearless, shameless, and a genius at identifying and exploiting the psychological and emotional weaknesses of others.
.. How did the hunter become the hunted in the Russian controversy? Trump’s critics stumbled on a couple of his own greatest weaknesses — namely, an extreme sensitivity to slights over his status
.. their focus on Russia has, for all intents and purposes, been an inspired act of trolling.
.. their focus on Russia has, for all intents and purposes, been an inspired act of trolling.
.. The most successful trolls are those that elicit self-damning reactions. E.g., Bret Stephens
.. Trump didn’t realize that an investigation in a highly charged political environment is like quicksand; the more you fight it, the deeper you sink.
.. Now, it doesn’t necessarily matter whether Trump’s campaign colluded with the Russians or not. If Democrats take the House with anything like a comfortable majority, they may well impeach him based on an obstruction case.
.. For now, it looks as though Trump’s handling of the Russia story is his reaction to the inaugural crowd-size controversy last January writ large — a lashing out at a perceived insult that he believes diminishes him and his achievement.