'I hate my opponent': Trump indignant as advisers urge him 'please stick to policy'
Many prominent Republicans, from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Harris and Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), have been urging former President Donald Trump to avoid personal attacks on Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and stick to a policy-driven campaign.
But Trump, during a campaign speech in North Carolina, made it clear that he has no intention of following that advice. In fact, he angrily doubled down on his vow to "get personal."
Trump told the crowd, "You know, they always say, 'Sir, please stick to policy, don't get personal,' but they're getting personal all night, these people…. My advisers are fired."
READ MORE: Ex-GA GOP leader urges 'chaotic and crazy' Republican Party to 'dump Trump' from DNC stage
In an article published by the conservative website The Bulwark on August 22 — the last day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago — journalist Marc A. Caputo stresses that Trump deeply resents being advised to "stick to policy" and has zero desire to take that approach.
Trump, according to Caputo, doesn't think that detailing policy proposals serves him well.
Moreover, Caputo reports, Trump's game plan for the rest of the race is to "stay personal and vicious." And that includes the Trump/Harris debate scheduled for September 10.
"The fate of Trump's campaign could depend on just how tough and personal he'll be onstage during that debate, and how Harris responds to his attacks," Caputo explains. "Trump's early discussions about how to approach his debate with Harris — shared with The Bulwark on condition of anonymity by those who have spoken to him — mark a shift from his successful June 27 debate against Biden. In that encounter, Trump was determined to remain calm, wary of repeating the missteps he made in their 2020 debate when he repeatedly talked over Biden and the moderator, Chris Wallace."
READ MORE: Ex-GA GOP leader urges 'chaotic and crazy' Republican Party to 'dump Trump' from DNC stage
Caputo adds, "Trump succeeded, perhaps too well. Biden imploded so badly that 24 days later, he quit the race under pressure from Democrats."
According to Caputo, Trump privately told an ally, "This is just the way I am. I hate my opponent. I hate my opponents…. Hillary, Joe, Kamala. It doesn't matter. I just hate them."
Trump, Caputo adds, privately told an adviser, "I'm going to be mean."
Another Trump adviser told The Bulwark, "We’re doing not-debate-prep prep. And that keeps him in a better mindset. Getting back to these on a regular basis puts him where he wants to be."
READ MORE: 'Easier to cheat': Georgia GOP leaders urged to sue officials plotting interference
Marc A. Caputo's full report for The Bulwark is available at this link.
