Joe Trippi: GOP ‘Has Underestimated’ Trump ‘from the Beginning’
[rush transcript]
BROWNE: “So let me bring in, Joe Trippi, former campaign manager for Howard Dean and a Fox News contributor and Brad Blakeman, a former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush. Thank you both for joining us. So former Congressman Allen West said on Greta show ‘On the Record’ last night, ‘when you look at top six now, in the polling, you see Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina. People are looking for those folks that are coming from the outside. And you see also Ted Cruz. They are looking for individuals who will stand up against what they see is the political elite class, the status quos and we'll fight back.’ Do you agree with that? And, Brad, if so, how does Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio campaign against that?”
BLAKEMAN: “Well, you know, it’s tough because the American people are fed up with the status quo, they are fed up with inaction in Washington and kicking the can down the road and moving from crisis to crisis. Such refreshing to have somebody unfiltered diagnoses our problems and then give us hope that we can find solutions. So Donald Trump is definitely hit the nerve, the problem with Donald Trump is his tone and not acting presidential, not acting as it would be expected to act. And I think, that’s why he is getting kind of earn media he is getting. The problem With Donald Trump too, is where is the money for his campaign. We know you are rich, by where of your segregated money out, by the way, now it's time to show us your policies.”
BROWNE: “Well, yes to that point, Brad, many people saying they want to hear more specifics from Trump. Let’s hear what he have to say about that.”
[clip starts]
TRUMP: “We are going to be announcing over the next two weeks numbers and specifics, knowing I want to just said is right. You really have to be flexible on jobs and everything else. But will be and I am going to speaking about it later, we are going to be take jobs outside. We are going to be taking them away from China, away from all these countries that is stealing from us.”
[clip ends]
BROWNE: “And Trump said on Hannity last night, he's ready to spend all of his money to continue his campaign if he's doing well. Joe Trippi, what do you make of Trump?”
TRIPPI: “He’s somebody that the establishment and the GOP has underestimated from the beginning. You can’t do that, insurgents like Donald Trump right now, in this environment where people want to just throw everybody in Washington out and start over, that's what he's tapping into. It’s not just happening in the Republican Party, you also see it with Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. Both party establishments don't understand how vulnerable they are to a candidacy like Donald Trump's. He is much stronger than – and it's actually the tone -- the fact that they don't like that he doesn't act or talk like a president. People see that and they want something different. That’s what helps him stand out. That doesn't mean he will get the nomination but -- and he may well get the nomination. But he is going to be very disruptive to this race and he could surprise everybody. I wouldn't count anybody out on either side right now.”
