As news circulated that Fox News contributor George Will left the Republican Party last because of Donald Trump, the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee took to Twitter to attack him.
As I previously wrote, Will told conservatives they should “grit their teeth for four years” and “make sure” Trump loses in November. Even more startlingly, Will said that Trump in the White House would be worse than Hillary Clinton because the Republican leadership looks to be rolling over for Trump. Will is right about that rolling over part.
Today, on Fox News Sunday, Will elaborated.
WILL: I left [the GOP] for the same reason I joined it in 1964 when I voted for Barry Goldwater. I joined it because I was a conservative. I leave for the same reason, that I’m a conservative. To give you a time line, shortly after Trump became the presumptive nominee, he had a summit meeting with Paul Ryan where they stressed their common principles and their vast shared ground, which is much more important than their differences. I thought that was puzzling, doubly so because Paul Ryan still didn’t endorse him. After Trump went after the Mexican judge from northern Indiana, then Paul Ryan endorsed him and I decided that, in fact, this is not my party anymore. I changed my registration to "unaffiliated" 23 days ago. I hardly made an announcement. I just mentioned this in a meeting with the Federalist Society. So the long and the short of it is, as Ronald Reagan said when he changed his registration, I did not leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.
Earlier today, Trump vindictively hit back at Will, tweeting:
“George Will, one of the most overrated political pundits (who lost his way long ago), has left the Republican Party.He’s made many bad calls”
Coming from the guy who started the failed Trump Airlines, Trump Mortage and, of course, Trump University, which is currently facing a class action lawsuit for defrauding its students, I’d say Trump is in no position to be complaining about anyone else making “bad calls.”
But Will had his own comeback:
WILL: He has an advantage on me, because he can say everything he knows about any subject in 140 characters and I can’t.
Watch Will discuss his decision to leave the GOP below, from the June 26 Fox News Sunday, via Media Matters.
George Will, one of the most overrated political pundits (who lost his way long ago), has left the Republican Party.He's made many bad calls
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2016
For forty-plus years (seventy if you include the McCarthy era) , the Republican Party has busily sown the seeds of its own messy demise. Issues be damned, the whole thrust of party strategy has been to drag every group of disgruntled, dissatisfied voters they can reach into the same big tent, then fuel their paranoia about ‘the other’, demonizing anything even vaguely left of centre.
So we finally end up with a ragtag collection of racists, gun freaks, fundamentalist ‘Christians’, xenophobes, misogynists, conspiracy theorists and Ayn Rand fruitcakes completely overwhelming the core Republicans who only ever wanted to preserve their own economic and class privilege against the ravening hordes seeking equality and opportunity.
Donald Trump is the bastard Frankenstein child of the GOP elite’s cynical pandering for power over many decades. He is, by any rational reckoning, the Ugliest American of Them All and it may take decades for the Republican brand to recover, if it does not succumb completely.
Last week Donald Trump released a 35 Page PDF document containing a devastating, supremely well documented, “take down” of arch criminal/“corruptocrat” Internationalist Hillary Clinton.
Click below and download the PDF, check out the facts/links and be convinced that Hillary really is “the most corrupt person to ever run for President.” To elect Hillary would be like electing Al Capone and Meyer Lansky President of the Bank of America.
https://t.co/lfUdXYnsgJ
