Donald Trump is still very much in touch with his inner Trump. Press, pundits and even a few Republican insiders suggested this week that the Republican frontrunner would ramp down his vigorous campaign rhetoric in the name of appearing presidential. But Mr. Trump was in full voice on Saturday, advising an enthusiastic audience at a jumbo rally in Connecticut that his GOP rival Sen. Ted Cruz was “lyin Ted” - and was “straight out of the hills of Canada.”
He had a warning as well.
“The first thing that the Democrats are going to do is sue him on the basis that he’s not a naturalized citizen. That he wasn’t born in this country. I happen to think they’re gonna win, but who knows?” Mr. Trump noted.
In a pivotal moment, the candidate asked his audience, “Isn’t it nice that I’m not one of these teleprompter guys?” adding, “It’s very easy to be presidential.”
Though some press accounts claimed close advisor Paul Manafort was the source of rumors that a kinder, gentler Mr. Trump was emerging, the veteran strategist clarified his position.
“Nowhere was I talking about there being a different Donald Trump. What I was talking about was there being a different environment where different parts of the message would be presented in a way that was different from a campaign rally,” Mr. Manafort told CNN on Saturday. “There would be no reason to change the man who has probably been the most effective communicator in politics certainly since Ronald Reagan.”
Mr. Trump will have an opportunity to exhibit his prowess as a policy wonk on Wednesday when he appears at the National Press Club in the nation’s capital to outline his foreign policy.
Meanwhile, his public outreach is as plainspoken as ever.
“Washington is broken. The truth is, too many politicians are totally controlled by special interests and lobbyists. That’s going to change quickly,” Mr. Trump advises in a new campaign ad. “We’ll cut taxes for the middle class, negotiate new trade deals, bring back jobs, save Social Security and Medicare without cuts, end illegal immigration, build the wall, strengthen our military, knock out ISIS and take care of our great veterans. We’ll make America great again.”
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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