Trump Tests the Waters of Moderation
After his decisive victory in Iowa, Trump briefly struck a reconciliatory tone that caught attention. However, he has since returned to attack mode. Does Trump fear his internal party competition more than he admits?
Even for outspoken Trump detractors, this choice of words was refreshing: “I truly believe that now is the time for all of us, for our country, to come together,” Trump said on the evening of his surprisingly clear victory in Iowa. “We want to come together, Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives!”
Some couldn’t believe their ears, especially when Trump reached out to his most dangerous competitors: “I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together. Both have fought valiantly.” Back to His Old Self
It quickly became clear, however, that this was winner’s rhetoric, conciliation from someone who no longer has anything to fear. Knowing that the triumph in Iowa does not secure his candidacy, Trump quickly returned to his old self this week. Especially since the third-place finisher in Iowa, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, did not hold back: she announced that she would not participate in any more debates unless Trump is also present. ABC and CNN then canceled their previously scheduled TV debates.
Repeating Obama’s Tactics
“Voting for Haley next Tuesday means voting for Biden,” Trump said during his campaign in New Hampshire. And not only that: on social media, Trump did what he had already tried with Barack Obama: he cast doubt on whether Haley, due to her background, is even eligible to run for president. Haley’s parents, who immigrated from India, were not yet US citizens when their daughter was born on American soil in 1972. “I am proud to have been born in Bamberg, South Carolina,” Haley felt compelled to clarify.
Trump also used Haley’s Indian first name, Nimarata (misspelled as Nimrada), in his derogatory post in order to make her sound as un-American as possible. Haley countered, “Regarding the insults, I will say this: I know President Trump well. He does this when he feels threatened and insecure.”
A “Sign of Weakness”?
Other Trump critics in the Republican Party, like former governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, also found the change in tone to be less than sovereign. “A sign of weakness,” Hogan said on CNN. “Trump knows how competent and campaign-savvy Haley is.”
And what about Ron DeSantis, who performed better in Iowa than the former governor of South Carolina? He deliberately stayed out of it: “Trump is solely responsible for his choice of words and behavior,” Florida’s governor deflected. It seems DeSantis hopes that when two candidates argue, the third benefits.
But what makes Trump’s challengers nervous are the endorsements for Trump that are now coming from more and more dropped-out competitors. After Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott – also from South Carolina – has now called for a Trump vote. The calculation, that a united front against Trump could form as the candidate field shrinks, does not seem to be working.