Republican rivals say Trump campaign rallies create chaotic environments

Republican presidential rivals jockeying for position behind businessman Donald Trump took the opportunity to hit him over the violence that led to the cancellation of his rally in Chicago Friday night.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who currently has the second most delegates in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, accused the front-runner of inciting the restlessness that was seen inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion.
“Thirty people were arrested today over violence and then the rally was cancelled, protesters took violence into their own hands ...any campaign that disrespects the voters and a campaign that encourages violence and facing allegations against members of the press you create an environment that encourages this,” Cruz said.
Cruz was speaking to reporters at a Republican dinner in Rolling Meadows, Illinois and warned that violence at these rallies weren’t going to stop.
“The candidate urges violence to punch people in the face. This is not going to be the last incident...this is not how our politics should occur.”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio pointed out to reporters that there isn’t violence at his campaign rallies nor are there any incidents for Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“There is only one candidate that has violence at his events. I think potentially some of the rhetoric he has used contributed to this environment and it’s disturbing,” Rubio added.
Kasich piled onto the criticism of Trump’s rallies, saying in a statement that the “seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly.”
He then encouraged Americans to unite and not to fall for those who “try to divide us for personal gain.”
“I urge people to resist that temptation and rise to a higher level,” Kasich added.
Trump defended his decision to cancel his rally Friday, saying he didn’t want to see “people get hurt” after protesters packed into the arena where it was scheduled to take place. Rally-goers and protesters squared off in isolated confrontations creating a chaotic environment.
Speaking later with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, Trump said he had arrived in Chicago two hours earlier and about 25,000 people were trying to enter the area.
After meeting with law enforcement authorities, he said, "I didn't want to see people get hurt (so) I decided to postpone the rally...
"What we did was intelligent," Trump said. "A very good decision…a wise decision."
He also told Van Susteren, "if we had the rally, I think it would not have been a good situation." But, he added, "Our First Amendment rights have been violated."
Trump returned to the First Amendment issue in a later conversation with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "I have the right to speak and they (his supporters) have a right to listen," he said.
He also added that he was "getting a lot of credit for canceling...we did the right thing."
Hours earlier, Trump supporters and opponents stood calmly in a line together waiting to get inside. Police horses and barricades kept the bulk of the demonstrators across the street. Trump opponents were protesting what they called his divisive comments, particularly about Muslims and Mexicans. Dozens of UIC faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally, citing concerns it would create a "hostile and physically dangerous environment."
Tensions outside rose only after news of the cancellation spread
At one point, nearly 20 officers who had been manning barricades suddenly bolted for an intersection across a street bridge over a freeway — where protesters shouted at and jostled with police already there. An officer was seen walking from that intersection with blood on his head. A police spokesman said later that he couldn't provide details.
There were some other isolated physical confrontations among members of the crowd. Five people were arrested overall, Chicago police said.

Trump cancels Chicago rally, says he didn't want to see anyone hurt

CHICAGO –  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump canceled one of his signature rallies Friday, saying he didn't want to see "people get hurt" after protesters packed into the Chicago arena where it was to take place.
The announcement that the billionaire businessman would postpone the rally until another day led a large portion of the crowd inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion to break out into raucous cheers. Meanwhile, supporters of the candidate started chanting "We want Trump! We want Trump!"
There were isolated physical confrontations between some members of the crowd after the event was canceled.
Speaking later with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren, Trump said he had arrived in Chicago two hours earlier and about 25,000 people were trying to enter the arena.
After meeting with law enforcement authorities, he said, "I didn't want to see people get hurt (so) I decided to postpone the rally...
"What we did was intelligent," Trump said. "A very good decision…a wise decision."
He also told Van Susteren, "if we had the rally, I think it would not have been a good situation." But, he added, "Our First Amendment rights have been violated."
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, second in delegates to Trump in the GOP race, said late Friday that the billionaire has created "an environment that encourages this sort of nasty discourse."
"When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable consequence of that is that is escalates," Cruz said. "Today is unlikely to be the last such incidence."
Trump returned to the First Amendment issue in a later conversation with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "I have the right to speak and they (his supporters) have a right to listen," he said.
He also added that he was "getting a lot of credit for canceling...we did the right thing."
Ohio Gov. John Kasich also took a shot at Trump. He said in a statement that the seeds of division his campaign had planted finally bore fruit, “and it was ugly.”
“Some let their opposition to his views slip beyond protest into violence, but we can never let that happen. I urge people to resist that temptation and rise to a higher level, “Kasich added.
There was no sign of Trump inside the arena on the college campus, where dozens of UIC faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally. They cited concerns it would create a "hostile and physically dangerous environment" for students.
Before the announcement the event wouldn't take place, a handful of intense verbal clashes took place between Trump supporters and protesters as the crowd waited for his arrival.
For the first time during his White House bid, the crowd appeared to be an equal mix of those eager to cheer on the real estate mogul and those overtly opposed to his candidacy.
When one African-American protester was escorted out before the event started, the crowd erupted into chants of "Let them stay!"
Veronica Kowalkowsky, an 18-year-old Trump supporter, said before the event started that she had no ill will toward the protesters — but didn't think they felt the same way.
"I feel a lot of hate," she said. "I haven't said anything bad to anyone."
Protesters at the rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump rushed the arena floor in jubilant celebration after the announcement that he was calling off the event due to security concerns.
Many jumped up and down, with arms up in the air, shouting "F--- Trump!" ''Bernie! Bernie!" and "We stopped Trump!"
Kamran Siddiqui is a 20-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where the event was to take place.
He says: "Trump represents everything America is not and everything Chicago is not. We came in here and we wanted to shut this down. Because this is a great city and we don't want to let that person in here."
Siddiqui says he's a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He says it "feels amazing" to have stopped Trump from speaking at his own rally.
He adds: "Everybody came together. That's what people can do. Now people got to go out and vote because we have the opportunity to stop Trump."
Hours before the event was scheduled to start, hundreds of people lined up outside the arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago — a civil and immigrant rights organizing hub with large minority student populations. Trump backers were separated from an equally large crowd of anti-Trump protesters by a heavy police presence and barricades.
Some Trump supporters walking into the area chanted, "USA! USA!" and "Illegal is illegal." One demonstrator shouted back, "Racist!"
One protester, 64-year-old Dede Rottman of Chicago, carried a placard that read: "Build a Wall AroundTrump. I'll Pay for it."
However, 19-year-old Rusty Shackleford of Lombard, in line to attend the Trump rally, said he was there to "support the man who wants to make America great again."
Chicago community activist Quo Vadis said hundreds of protesters had positioned themselves in groups around the arena, and that they intend to demonstrate right after Trump takes the stage. Their goal, he said, is "for Donald to take the stage and to completely interrupt him. The plan is to shut Donald Trump all the way down."

Obama Don't Blame Me Cartoon

Finger-pointing: Obama unloads on Trump, GOP and conservative media

President Obama has a simple message when it comes Donald Trump: Don’t blame me.
But then he continues with a not-so-simple message that happens to fit with Democratic campaign themes.
The capital may be buzzing about the visit by Canada’s new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, but at yesterday's White House news conference, the press quickly got to The Donald.
CBS reporter Margaret Brennan asked whether Obama and his administration were “contributing to the rise of someone as provocative as Donald Trump.”
The president seemed bemused, saying: "I have been blamed by Republicans for a lot of things, but being blamed for their primaries and who they’re selecting for their party is novel.”
Embedded in the question, it seems to me, is the implication that the Trump phenomenon is a bad thing and Obama might bear some responsibility—beyond the obvious fact that voters often choose a president who is far different from his predecessor. Commentators have spent all kinds of ink and airtime trying to “blame” the media, the culture, and the Republican Party itself for Trump’s dominance in the primaries so far.
In fact, Obama soon pivoted to faulting the GOP—which happens to be a prime Hillary talking point. And no, I am not shocked that he is trying to help his former secretary of State (who he pretty obviously favors over Bernie Sanders) in the race to succeed him.
Obama accused the Republican Party of “creating an environment where somebody like a Donald Trump can thrive. He’s just doing more of what has been done for the last 7-1/2 years.” Then he zeroed in on immigration: “It’s not as if there’s a massive difference between Mr. Trump’s position on immigration and Mr. Cruz’s position on immigration.  Mr. Trump might just be more provocative in terms of how he says it, but the actual positions aren’t that different.”
In other words, those Republicans, they’re all a little crazy. This, of course, ignores the fact that Cruz and Rubio are aggressively attacking Trump as unqualified for the presidency, and Trump is hitting them back even harder.
And hey,when Obama spoke of a GOP “crackup” and “circus,” some Republicans and conservative commentators have used similar language in ripping Trump’s impact on the party. It’s hardly amazing that a Democrat would pile on.
But Obama also wandered into familiar territory: blaming the conservative media.
He said he regrets the “polarization” and “nasty tone” of politics, and that he does “soul-searching” about how he can better unify the country.
But the president also said—“objectively”--that “the Republican political elites and many of the information outlets -- social media, news outlets, talk radio, television stations -- have been feeding the Republican base for the last seven years a notion that everything I do is to be opposed; that cooperation or compromise somehow is a betrayal; that maximalist, absolutist positions on issues are politically advantageous; that there is a ‘them’ out there and an ‘us,’ and ‘them’ are the folks who are causing whatever problems you’re experiencing.”
Well, some conservatives have worked hard to block Obama, and the Republican Congress hasn’t been very cooperative, with the Senate even ruling out action on a Supreme Court nominee before the president has picked anyone. But that is a two-way street, and Obama and the Democrats have also failed to find common ground.
But on the business about TV and radio and social media outlets: The president of the United States has the biggest megaphone of all. He can drown out any talk show host, blogger or tweeter. He often seems to use media criticism as a crutch to explain away his shortcomings and setbacks.
And now he has a new target in the Republican front-runner who wants his job.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz. 

Trump triumphs at GOP debate. Rivals and moderators can't lay a glove on front-runner

A chastened Republican field took the stage Thursday night in Miami, determined to focus on substance and policy without personal attacks or discussion of hand size.
It only benefitted the front-runner.
Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich did their best to underscore their policy acumen and to highlight Donald Trump’s lack of substance.
It backfired.
Neither his opponents on stage nor the debate moderators laid a glove on Trump.  When Trump repeatedly called Putin a “strong leader” without refusing to place a value judgment on his leadership, neither moderator Jake Tapper nor his opponents on stage pressed him.  When Tapper asked Trump about his violence-inciting rhetoric at rallies, none of Trump’s opponents called him out for refusing to disavow it.
There is no bigger indicator that Trump’s opponents on stage were simply going through the motions.  Trump spent the night running down the clock and the remaining candidates spent the night checking the boxes. For at least two of them, this was their last chance to distinguish themselves in advance of what will likely be the most crucial primary day of the cycle next Tuesday.
Rubio, in particular, seemed most chastened by his earlier decision to get in the gutter with Trump. Gone were the snide remarks about genitalia, orange makeup and pants wetting.  Instead, Rubio seemed to be playing for his political legacy by focusing on the issues.  He did not make a particularly solid argument for why he should win the Florida primary next Tuesday but he did make a strong case for salvaging what was left of his reputation as an adult.
This debate was the most substantive of the cycle, even if the substance was often wrong.  But what does it matter when facts are wrong, if everyone played to type?
Did Trump know that it is false to claim, as he did, that “GDP was zero, essentially, for the last two quarters” or is he so ignorant of the facts that he did not realize that GDP had risen during that time period?
Did Rubio know that it would be impossible to balance the federal budget if he were to provide the tax cuts he has promised and increase military spending by the amount he has pledged?
It seemed at times that the debate veered towards what passes for substance because Trump’s opponents had tried every other tool to bring him down and all that remained of the kitchen sink was civility and substance.
Barring all else, Cruz and Rubio took a tool out of the Kasich playbook and tried to kill Trump with kindness. They realized, belatedly, that Trump has dined on their negativity and has been strengthened by their attacks.  But at this late date, with the prospect of Florida and its 99 delegates looming large, their tactics looked more like a Hail Mary pass than a well-thought out plan to stop Trump from the nomination.

Ben Carson to endorse Trump

Ben Carson, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race just last week, will endorse front-runner Donald Trump on Friday.
Trump confirmed the endorsement during the Republican presidential debate Thursday night.
The retired neurosurgeon plans to hold a press conference at 9 a.m. ET Friday to announce his support, sources told Fox News.
The backing from the outsider ex-candidate, who captivated conservative voters with his unconventional campaign, could give Trump a boost as the candidates charge into critical primaries next Tuesday in Florida, Ohio and three other states.
It also serves as a potential counterweight as other ex-candidates weigh in against him. Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina endorsed Ted Cruz earlier this week, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is meeting with Trump’s rivals, though it’s unclear whether he might endorse someone before Tuesday.
The Washington Post first reported on Carson’s expected endorsement. Sources told the Post that Carson agreed to the endorsement after a meeting with Trump at the billionaire's Mar-a-Lago luxury home in Palm Beach, Fla.
As Trump builds his delegate lead with a string of recent primary wins, the GOP candidates also faced off at a debate Thursday night in Miami.
Earlier on Thursday, Carson said he was "certainly leaning" toward endorsing Trump over Texas Sen. Cruz, during an interview with Fox News Radio's John Gibson.
"There are two Donald Trumps," Carson told Gibson. "There's the Donald Trump that you see on television and who gets out in front of big audiences, and there's the Donald Trump behind the scenes. They're not the same person."
He said the other Donald Trump is “actually a thinking individual” and “someone you can reason with very easily.”

Rubio shifts tactics; Trump sticks to themes, seeks unity at subdued GOP debate

Marco Rubio, needing a breakout performance going into Tuesday's Florida primary, changed tactics and used substance during Thursday night's GOP debate to attack Donald Trump on several fronts – while Trump, subdued and trying to look more presidential, held steady to the campaign-tested themes that have made him the front-runner.
At the end of the two-hour debate, Trump — coming off a string of primary wins — summed up the reality that Rubio and rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich face: that only “two of us” can get the delegates to win – meaning Trump and Cruz — and “two of us” cannot, referring to Rubio and Kasich.
“That is not meant to be a criticism … that’s just a mathematical fact,” Trump said, urging the party to “be smart and unify.”
The reminder amounted to just about the toughest criticism of the night, at a debate where personal attacks were replaced by more substantive policy discussion.
But Rubio, in particular, who drastically changed his campaign approach in recent weeks to turn up the heat on Trump and even mock his physical appearance, dialed all that back onstage Thursday – after having said he regrets some of those personal insults.
Instead, he hit Trump on his defense of his “Islam hates us" remarks, Trump's suggestion he'd do a deal with the Palestinians and his vow that he wouldn't touch Social Security — despite warnings it would start running out of money in two decades.
Trump's rivals, though, did not criticize him after he was asked about whether his tone is encouraging violence at his rallies, a reference to a recent incident where a protester was punched.
“I hope not, I truly hope not," Trump said, saying he does not "condone" violence but also that some protesters are "bad dudes." 
One of the most pointed debate clashes came over the diplomatic thaw with Cuba — a huge issue in Florida, host of the CNN debate and next week’s critical primary. Trump tangled with his rivals as he claimed he’s “in the middle” on the issue.
Trump said “something” should take place after a decades-long freeze, but, “I want to get a much better deal.”
“Here’s a good deal,” Florida Sen. Rubio snapped back. “Cuba has free elections. Cuba stops putting people in jail.”
Whether Rubio’s performance is enough is the big question. Pressure was already mounting on him to drop out, and Texas Sen. Cruz added to that pressure Thursday night.
“There are only two of us who have a path to winning the nomination -- Donald and myself,” Cruz said, while also jokingly referring to Trump as the “son of a businessman.”
Rubio entered the debate clinging to life in the GOP primary race after a string of losses. He depends on winning his home state of Florida on Tuesday – but polls show Trump well ahead there, and even if Rubio wins Florida, it’s still unclear whether he would have any path to the nomination.
But he – along with his rivals – did their best Thursday to draw distinctions between them and Trump.
Oftentimes, Trump seemed to lean on his “art of the deal” to explain his approach to global challenges. But it earned him criticism from the others on stage.
Cruz hammered Trump for suggesting he’d be able to re-negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.
“I will rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” Cruz countered.
Trump also took heat from Rubio and others as he defended his claim that “Islam hates us.”
The Republican front-runner said there’s “tremendous hatred” in the Muslim world and called for new laws to confront the threat.
“We better expand our laws or we’re being a bunch of suckers, and they are laughing at us,” Trump said.
But Rubio and Cruz both said “of course” they would not want to allow the targeting of family members of terror targets, as Trump has called for. And they chided him for his remarks.
“The answer is not scream all Muslims bad,” Cruz said.
“The problem is presidents can’t just say whatever they want,” Rubio said. “I’m not interested in being politically correct. … I’m interested in being correct.”
Trump’s rivals noted America must work with other Muslim nations to confront the ISIS threat.
Trump also took heat for saying he’d try to do a deal with the Palestinians, as well as the Israelis.
For the most part, Trump and his three Republican presidential rivals held their personal fire Thursday night during their last debate before next Tuesday's primary in Florida – which votes alongside four other states.
Trump even remarked on the subdued tone: “So far I cannot believe how civil it’s been up here.”
"I think it was good that we had a substantive debate," Cruz told Fox News' Megyn Kelly late Wednesday. "The last two debates were pretty ridiculous [and] I was glad to see that nonsense ending."
Ohio Gov. Kasich also stressed at the debate that he’s run an “unwavering positive campaign” all along.
But on the domestic front, they did battle on the best way to save Social Security -- with Trump breaking from his competition by saying he'd leave it alone despite warnings it would start running out of money in two decades.
“I will do everything in my power not to touch Social Security,” Trump said. He said he’d instead get rid of waste, fraud and abuse — including by ensuring the government bids out contracts.
Rubio, though, said, “You’re still going to have hundreds of billions of dollars of deficit that you’re going to have to make up.” He called for gradually raising the retirement age to 70.
Cruz echoed that call, saying the program is “careening toward insolvency.”
“We need to see political courage to take this on and save and strengthen Social Security,” he said.
Kasich also called for changes, though not necessarily to the retirement age.
Trump, meanwhile, openly discussed his plan to hit pause on green cards.
“I would say a minimum of one year, maybe two years,” Trump said.
As Trump consolidates support and builds his delegate lead, though, he kicked off the debate with a pointed message to the so-called “Republican establishment,” effectively telling them to get on board with his campaign.
He started his opening statement by claiming his campaign is bringing in Democrats, independents and others in huge numbers to the polls.
“The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what’s happening,” he said, addressing tension between his campaign and senior GOP leaders. “We are going to beat the Democrats.”
The candidates faced off ahead of next week’s critical primaries in five states – including the valuable contests in Ohio and Florida, where the winner of each will take home all delegates at stake. Front-runner Trump is riding high after notching three more victories this past Tuesday, and is threatening to sideline his remaining rivals next week.
Pressure is highest on Rubio and Kasich, who each have vowed to win their home states; doing so widely is seen as essential for them to stay in the race. Meanwhile, Cruz is positioning himself as the best Trump alternative and the only candidate who could still defeat him.
He was buoyed Wednesday by the endorsement of former candidate Carly Fiorina.
Trump, though, is set to receive a significant endorsement of his own from an ex-candidate, Ben Carson – who, according to sources, plans to announce his support for Trump on Friday.

Bernie and Hillary Cartoon

Clinton, Sanders join in vow not to deport illegal kids, non-criminals at latest Dem debate

hypocrites?

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders staked their ground Wednesday night in Florida as both vowing not to deport children and illegal immigrants with a clean criminal record.
Their comments set up a showdown with Republican candidates Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who both have vowed to clamp down on illegal immigrants in the country.
Trump and Cruz, along with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich will get their opportunity to address the thorny topic Thursday when they debate in the Sunshine State.
Clinton and Sanders squared off in their eighth debate Wednesday night held at Miami Dade College in Florida. The Univision/CNN debate is the final one scheduled this month between the candidates in the running for the 2016 Democratic nomination.
During the debate, both Clinton and Sanders vowed to push for immigration reform if elected president.
“The essence of what we are trying to do is to unite families, not to divide families,” Sanders said.
Clinton says she will extend President Obama’s executive orders shielding some illegal immigrants from deportation.
Clinton called the New York businessman “un-American” and said he traffics in “prejudice and paranoia.”
 “You don’t make America great again by getting rid of everything that made America great,” Clinton said, referencing Trump’s campaign slogan.
Sanders said voters would “never elect” a candidate like Trump.
Clinton also slammed Trump’s plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“As I understand, he’s talking about a tall wall. A beautiful, tall wall,” Clinton said, adding that Trump’s plan to keep out immigrants and his claim he’ll get Mexico to pay for it is “a fantasy.”
Clinton then turned her sights on Sanders, accusing him of supporting legislation that would have led to indefinite detention of people facing deportation, and for standing with Minutemen vigilantes.
Sanders refuted the notion, which he called "ridiculous" and "absurd," and accused Clinton of picking small pieces out of big legislative packages to distort his voting record.
"No, I do not support vigilantes and that is a horrific statement and an unfair statement to make," he said, adding: "I will match my record against yours any day of the week."
Clinton also dodged early debate questions about ongoing investigations into her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. When debate moderator Jorge Ramos of Univision asked her if she would drop out of the race if indicted over the handling of her email while secretary of state she replied,"Oh for goodness sake, that is not going to happen. I'm not even answering that question."
The FBI is investigation the possibility of mishandling of sensitive information that passed through Clinton's private email server.
Sanders, as he has in the past, declined to bite on the issue, saying, "The process will take its course." He said he'd rather talk about the issues of wealth and income inequality.
Clinton also defended her role in the deadly 2012 attack on the American mission in Benghazi, Libya.
She said Wednesday that her shifting explanations for the crisis in the early hours were because of changing dynamics and new information.
Clinton also said the investigation has been politicized by Republicans seeking to score points against her campaign.
"This was fog of war," she said, saying that she regrets the lives lost in the crisis.
She added: "I wish there could be an easy answer at the time but we learned a lot."
Sanders came into Wednesday night’s debate after a surprise primary win in Michigan Tuesday, where he had been trailing by more than 20 points in the polls.
Clinton vowed to keep fighting Wednesday, saying, “It was a very close race. I’ve won some and I’ve lost some.”
Sanders campaign officials made the case Tuesday night that the Vermont senator’s attacks on Clinton’s support for free trade deals had an impact in the Michigan race, and likely will be effective in upcoming contests in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri.
The Sanders camp maintains Clinton’s advantage in the South will go away after next Tuesday, as rural voters in other states take a closer look at their candidate.
Clinton, though she maintains a healthy lead overall, needs Florida’s 99 delegates up for grabs March 15 to help clinch the nomination.

Trump train still rolling as detractors desperately try to slow him down

What does it take to stop this guy?
That has got to be the lament within the wreckage of the Republican establishment after Donald Trump won Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii after enduring nearly two weeks of political carpet-bombing.
There was criticism by everyone from Romney to Ryan, harsh rhetoric from his rivals and Super PAC attack ads, along with comparisons to Nixon and David Duke from the #NeverTrump wing of the media. And yet Trump still rolled to victory in three of the four states voting Tuesday.
Ted Cruz managed to win the Idaho caucuses, Marco Rubio had another terrible night as he ponders a last stand in Florida, and John Kasich had a respectable finish in Michigan that he hopes to parlay into a win in Ohio.
But politicians winning their home states is a pittance compared to what Trump, against all odds, is managing to pull off. To carry his first industrial Midwest state, while also winning easily in a Deep South state, shows the breadth of his appeal.
The media chatter heading into Tuesday was all about whether Trump had peaked. The attacks were changing the tone of the campaign, the national polls were tightening, and he lost two out of four states to Cruz over the weekend (both caucus states, where the senator’s superior organization gives him an edge).
More pundits started writing about how Trump would fall short of the required 1,237 delegates and how the party could snatch away the nomination in Cleveland.
So why did Trump do so well?
As he noted at his news conference, advertising has never mattered less than in this campaign cycle. Jeb Bush’s PAC spent $100 million and he went nowhere. People are tired of negative ads, viewing them as politics as usual. (Trump airs them as well, but doesn’t spend much of his fortune doing so.)
Trump’s critics believe that if there could just be more exposes, more digging, more focus on his past liberal views or current shifting of positions, his candidacy would collapse of its own weight.
But Trump’s appeal is not tied to policy specifics. It’s the image of strength he projects, the force of his personality and the notion that his business success shows he can shake up Washington.
Of course he benefits from enormous media attention, but look at how he does it. The three cable news networks carried his 45-minute presser, blowing off Hillary’s speech, because it was anything but a canned political address. He took reporters’ questions, parried criticism of his companies, talked up his vodka and steaks—it was a show. And yesterday he did a round of morning shows, taking still more questions and getting into a tiff with George Stephanopoulos over why the ABC anchor focused on the negative by bringing up late deciders who seemed to break against him.
Maybe there is some kryptonite that can weaken this guy. But as he runs roughshod over the Republican Party, no one has been able to find it.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.