Two Minutes Hate: Kayleigh McEnany Edition
I’m a bit late to this, but I didn’t want the week to end without commenting on it.
There is no one he won’t trash at the first sign of dissent/lack of loyalty pic.twitter.com/UpzRjKXgjn
— Jonathan Salama 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇻🇪 (@JSalama5) May 31, 2023
And no-one who won’t try to score Partisan Points by repeating the slur:
Roy to Kayleigh: The deal hatched this weekend is pretty milquetoast if that word might mean something to you pic.twitter.com/NREWjXs38A
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 31, 2023
Chip Roy, ladies and gentlemen. One of the good ones!
Amazingly, it is having some repercussions:
🚨🚨FOURTH NH STATE REP FLIPS FROM TRUMP TO DESANTIS🚨🚨
"I am officially withdrawing my endorsement, as his most recent attack on @kayleighmcenany is beyond comprehension and explanation." – Rep. James Spillane (R-Deerfield) https://t.co/7YjDpLTGDw
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) June 1, 2023
P.S. Along the lines of the post title, the irony in this bio is just too rich not to pass along.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. AND IT WAS AWESOME!”
That one is going to leave me shaking my head all day.
Patterico (ec119c) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:09 amThe notion that this is the last straw for anyone is a joke, but the withdrawal of an endorsement means at least some people think it won’t be a coronation. That’s a good thing.
Patterico (ec119c) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:24 amBeyond all the sturm and drang, Ms. McEnany had the benefit of being correct about the polling, but that didn’t stop Trump from lying and smearing.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:25 amEven though she was probably Trump’s best Press Secretary, Trump apparently perceived her as “disloyal” (which may go back to when she walked out of the White House on 1/15/2021) so, in his small mind, she’s fair game. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
One thing that I think has been noticed, but not really absorbed into the Zeitgeist this time around — Trump is worse in this campaign. His social media writings seem more unhinged. He nodded and winked at the crazies in 2016. In 2023 he embraces them. In 2016, he alone, could fix the system. In 2023, he isn’t fixing anything — he is instead “your retribution”.
I think DeSantis might be the guy who makes this case, and is starting to make it. You wont be electing the 2016 Trump or the 2020 Trump. You wll be electing a guy who has been broken by January 6 (so bad that he can’t focus on the future). Somebody who is so consumed that he can’t even accord basic respect to all the people who have been loyal to him.
We’ll see. The current strategy of never really criticizing Trump can’t stand, though. Because the rationally inattentive voter will not see any reason to select someone who talks the Trump talk over the guy who originated it — without a solid case on why they should do so. And electability isn’t that strong a reason, to be serious.
Appalled (03e34e) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:29 amOne thing that I think has been noticed, but not really absorbed into the Zeitgeist this time around — Trump is worse in this campaign. His social media writings seem more unhinged. He nodded and winked at the crazies in 2016. In 2023 he embraces them. In 2016, he alone, could fix the system. In 2023, he isn’t fixing anything — he is instead “your retribution”.
I disagree. He will attempt to fix things, but in a bloody-minded and extra-legal way. I expect tanks in the streets.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:35 amWe’ll see. The current strategy of never really criticizing Trump can’t stand, though
Hunh? It’s been the GOP plan since 2015. Why should it change now? Decency?
DeSantis isn’t arguing that Trumpism is bad, just that Trump isn’t the man to do it. It would sound better from a guy who didn’t have a flaming trashcan on his foot, but it’s what he’s got.
No one is going to win a GOP nomination going forward who rejects Trump and all his works. The Democrats do that, but they would even if Trump was good. The ONLY way to a reasonable right-0of-center candidate is a new party.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:41 amKevin M —
There are ways to address Trump without addressing “all his works’. One is noting the difference between Trump 2016 and Trump 2024. (See my post.) For someone like Haley, who has lavished praise on Trump over the years, it may be the only way to make her argument.
But it is hard…and may not be possible. But it seems possible enough that really smart people are willing to invest time and money in the effort, rather than just letting Trump step into the nomination by default.
Appalled (92a5ed) — 6/2/2023 @ 9:47 amPatterico (ec119c) — 6/2/2023 @ 8:24 am
I don’t watch TV, so this is the first I have heard of this. WOW! I have never witnessed a bull-fight, but I understand that it is essential for the Picadores to enrage and weaken the beast to get greatest show for the audience. Trump is about ready for the Matador.
felipe (70468a) — 6/2/2023 @ 9:55 amDJT is just a colossal pile of butt-hurt.
JVW (3dc835) — 6/2/2023 @ 9:58 amThis would be a winning strategy to employ. Good observation. I’m sending you idea to Tim Scott.
Vote for Tim Scott!
felipe (70468a) — 6/2/2023 @ 10:00 amTrump being petulant and ungrateful is a good thing. Makes DeSantis look like a bigger statesman and leader by comparison. I’m all for it.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 6/2/2023 @ 10:23 amGood point, Rob.
DRJ (fd3827) — 6/2/2023 @ 11:02 amBut I am afraid Trump knows his primary voters better than anyone, and he knows they want petulant and blind loyalty.
DRJ (fd3827) — 6/2/2023 @ 11:03 amDRJ
I know Trump loyalists who are having more and more second, third, fourth, thoughts and feel it will be best to change course.
My mountain bike partner and I are a rare breed here because we both voted for Trump. My buddy is more pro Trump than I am, and the other day while chugging up the hill, he brought up how Trump couldn’t control himself, enough to keep to John McCain’s politics, but took that awful swipe at McCain being captured. My friend would rather see someone else win the primary and lets move on. My friend is still upset Fox let Tucker Carlson go, if that gives any insight as to where he normally sits.
I probably will talk about this McEnany issue today, because we both felt she was a good Press Secretary, very well prepared with the binder of facts, seemed very firm but not nasty.
Trump is being nasty to someone who worked hard and did a good job for him. As far as status, power goes, he is punching down which is always a bad look. That said, McEnany is light years smarter than Trump so she would be punching down intellectually and also, her emotional IQ is exponentially higher as well, though that is a very low bar. My guess is she is disappointed in Trump, but not bitter. Trump almost always brings the bitter when disappointed, plus his disappointment scale is extraordinarily petty. 10 points difference in a meaningless mid 2023 poll? A normal person would barely care, if at all.
Cheer up DRJ, Trump support is eroding slowly but steadily down to the small core group of mostly male supporters who think it is OK to be nasty to a woman who did a great job for him.
Onto Chip Roy, man that was low. If I were her husband, I’d be more offended about Roy than about Trump. If I met him at a cocktail party I’d tell him ‘not going to be fake and shake your hand, what you said to my wife was out of line, but you have a nice evening” I’d also accept an attempt at apology but tell him to go give it to my wife, I’ll walk you over.
steveg (f5d755) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:15 pmOne note about NH legislators: There are 200 Republicans in the lower house. DeSantis now has 4 of them.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:48 pmBut I am afraid Trump knows his primary voters better than anyone, and he knows they want petulant and blind loyalty.
They probably mortgage their houses to give him money.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:49 pmBut it is hard…and may not be possible. But it seems possible enough that really smart people are willing to invest time and money in the effort, rather than just letting Trump step into the nomination by default.
Yeah. BTW, I disagree that Haley and Scott are running for VP. They’re running for 2028, when Trump presumably won’t be a candidate.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:52 pmBut there is still no way forward in 2024 as long as Trump is a candidate. IF he is out, somehow, then maybe Tim Scott can upset DeSantis. If Trump is out late, after winning a lot of primaries, it will be like Chicago 1968.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:54 pmDJT is just a colossal pile of butt-hurt.
And, for once, the man is willing to share.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 12:55 pmIt seems this is the plan:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-desantis-in-open-warfare-as-they-hit-the-trail-in-early-states/ar-AA1c0Qvk
I like DeSantis. He fights!
Kevin M (2d6744) — 6/2/2023 @ 1:00 pmMean old Kayleigh did not give Donnie a cookie.
Somebody should tell Chip that yes, yes, he does desperately need a testosterone boost, but he’s not going to get it from what he’s sucking.
nk (80abcf) — 6/2/2023 @ 3:05 pm