GOP strategist compares Trump's debate performance to an old man 'arguing with himself'
A GOP strategist spent his Wednesday night insulting both Donald Trump and old men who sit in the park and feed squirrels.
After the final presidential debate, Steve Schmidt, an adviser to John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, told MSNBC's Brian Williams he found Trump's refusal to say if he will accept the results of the election "a disqualifying moment. It's a moment of clear and present danger to our constitutional order, to the Republic. It's unprecedented in the history of the country." He called on House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to "exhibit political courage, to put the country first, and to communicate very clearly that we have legitimate elections in this country and that is how we choose our leaders."
Schmidt gave Trump a bit of praise, saying he started off on a decent note, but as the debate went on, Trump was "provoked throughout, he became angrier, he lost control." On national security, he was "incoherent," acting like an "old man in the park feeding squirrels, arguing with himself on the question of Mosul, incoherent on the question of Aleppo, just somebody who has not prepared himself over the course of the campaign on these vital national security issues." Watch the video below. Catherine Garcia
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
