Rachel Maddow calls the GOP's Donald Trump love 'a gift from God'


On Wednesday's Late Night, Seth Meyers asked guest Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump's surge in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination. She is a fan, not of Trump but of his success. "I love the idea that this is a stunt, and I love the idea that he's just a celebrity and that this isn't actually a political campaign, but it turns out that Republican voters want Donald Trump more than they want any of the 40 other people running," Maddow said. "That is a gift from God, in terms of having this be my job."
All the other candidates have been drawn in his campaign — governors, senators, they only get coverage when they talk about, or pick a fight with, Trump, she added. And the situation is so perverse that Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) won't even make the cut for the first GOP debate, in Ohio, and will have to watch Trump bloviate from the comfort of the governor's mansion.
If the GOP doesn't want Trump to walk away with the nomination, it should make sure that more than just 10 candidates get to debate, Maddow advised. The party will also have to figure out a way to humble a candidate who seems to get away with saying anything he wants. Seriously, "what's a Donald Trump gaffe?" she asked. "When you cover big-time national politics, there's almost never something totally unpredictable. In this case, that debate's going to happen — like, is he going to pull his pants down? Is he going to pull somebody else's pants down?" Watch the not-ungleeful discussion of Donald Trump 2016 below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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