Despite describing Donald Trump as “a petty man consumed by resentment and bitterness,” Karl Rove and his American Crossroads donors are the latest members to join Team Trump.
Rove’s defection to the #eventuallytrump crowd further undermines the Republican establishments ineffectual “Never Trump” movement. Trump’s continual stream of personal invective can’t drive away Karl in his desperate search for relevancy and influence.
- Trump On Karl Rove: “We Have To Get Rid Of Him Because His Face Is Just Terrible.” “I think when a guy like Karl Rove says we need a fresh face, he’s absolutely right. We have to get rid of him because his face is just terrible.” [Fox News, Hannity: 4/13/16]
- Trump On Karl Rove, 2015: “A Total Moron — You Can Print That If You Want.” In an interview with Business Insider, Donald Trump said, “Well, today I’m going through a thing with The Wall Street Journal. They did an editorial, on the debate, did you see that? In the debate, I talked about the trade pact [the Trans-Pacific Partnership]. I know more about the trade pact than anybody, considering it’s 6,000 pages, and you know, I’m totally against it. I talk about it all the time. And I say China is going to come in later on, come in through the back door, so they said that I said that China was in, that I didn’t know — they do a big editorial. Then I have Karl Rove, who’s a total moron — you can print that if you want. But the guy’s a total moron, he followed their lead, and he writes over here.” [Business Insider, 11/19/15]
- Trump: “Don’t Invest In Karl Rove. He Doesn’t Have A Clue.” According to a tweet from Donald Trump, “$ave your $. Don’t invest in @KarlRove. He doesn’t have a clue.” [Donald Trump Twitter Account, 1/26/15]
- Trump Said Karl Rove “Is A Loser Who Has No Idea How To Win.” According to a tweet from Donald Trump, “Why do people give @KarlRove contributions when they know he is a loser who has no idea how to win?” [Donald Trump Twitter Account, 1/26/15]
- Trump Said Karl Rove “Is A Total Incompetent Jerk.” I mean, Karl Rove, this guy. He predicted, he still thinks that Mitt Romney won the election. They had to take him off the air in a basket… He couldn’t even hold his breath, he’s like a boiler ready to explode. The hatred, the hatred.It’s the establishment. [MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts, 01/20/15]
- Trump Said Karl Rove “Is A Total Moron. He Is The Worst.” According to Bloomberg, “‘You are never going to win another presidential election listening to Karl Rove,’ GOP frontrunner Donald Trump says of Republican strategist Karl Rove. ‘He is a total moron,’ Trump says. ‘He is the worst’” [Bloomberg, 2/28/16]
- Trump: “Karl Rove Is A Biased Dope.” According to The Hill, “Donald Trump is lashing out at Republican strategist Karl Rove for criticizing the Republican presidential candidate’s performance in the last debate. ‘Karl Rove is a biased dope who wrote falsely about me re: China and TPP,’ Trump tweeted on Thursday, referencing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a major Pacific Rim trade deal. ‘This moron wasted $430 million on political campaigns and lost 100 percent,’ Trump added.” [The Hill, 11/12/15]
Not to be left out of the money-for-influence game, a high-level Koch operative echoed the sentiment that there is “a softening of the anti-Trump position” among big-dollar donors. Despite speculation that the Kochs may sit-out November’s presidential contest, it was never really in question that David and Charles would continue using their checkbook to influence federal politics at the highest level.
Read more from Politico.
Published: Apr 14, 2016