For years now Republicans have voiced some version of the same opinion: “If only Donald Trump could get out of his own way…” things would be going much better for them. In the DC swampland, this usually was followed with some comment about his tweets and personal feuds. Outside, if it came from older voters, it was usually expressed as “I wish he’d just put down the phone sometimes.” And if it came from middle-aged supporters, it was more than once expressed to me that Trump just needs to “stop tripping on his own dick.”
The attitude is ubiquitous among some portions of the president’s base: they just think he’d be better off if he could focus and not give Democrats so much material. But because this hypothetical has never emerged, we never really got to find out if it was true — until now.
Since Joe Biden’s utterly disastrous debate performance, Trump has displayed incredible restraint and focus, not giving any fodder to the media to distract from the Biden White House’s flailing inability to deal with this moment. Democratic commentators have openly complained about the lack of public events from Trump, as if desperate for him to do something, anything to shift the focus. Amid House Democrats’ demoralized caucus meeting, frustrated donor calls and Sorkinesque fantasies about a “convention blitz” of replacement candidates, Democrats and their media allies would love to have anything gifted to them from Trump to talk about instead.
It’s an amazing trend to behold. The left got so used to this happening over the past eight years, they just took it as a given — now they’re practically begging Trump to do something crazy. Could he pretty please say something racist or sexist or start beef with another Republican? The T-Rex is out there in the forest, but he won’t come eat the goat.
Now, this could change. Tonight in Florida Trump will hold his first in person rally since June 28, alongside several of his potential choices for vice president. The White House has to be hoping he announces his choice tonight to pull attention away from the NATO gathering that puts more pressure on Biden than ever. But personally, I think he’ll keep waiting. Trump loves to keep people in suspense anyway — and instead of frustrating Republicans, this time, it’s giving the other side fits.
This disciplined Trump is something we haven’t seen before for any extended period, and it’s working out incredibly well for him, with Biden’s poll numbers sinking after each passing day as Democrats spin in the wind. They want Trump to save them from spending another week talking about the worst thing to happen to their party since 1968 — and he won’t.
Old dog. New trick.
