Friday on MSNBC’s “Deadline,” former Clinton adviser and CNN political commentator Paul Begala declared that President Donald Trump was “sucking up” to his “white nationalist base.”
When asked if members of the Military and their families support Trump, Begala said, “He has lost the generals. At least the retired ones. Active ones don’t take a political stance, nor should they. I could add to that General James Clapper, with whom you served, he served in the Bush administration has been targeted by Trump for vicious attacks. It is unprecedented. Trump seems to be drilling down on the white nationalist base. I don’t think that’s a winning strategy. It’s certainly not worthy of a great country. But that is his strategy.”
He continued, “At the same time, he’s sucking up to the white nationalists, he’s trying to call Joe Biden a racist. He doesn’t seem to have much coherent strategy. ”
He added, “It seems to be based on grievance. He really appeals to grievance. I think Democrats need to listen to that pain. There’s a lot of really good people who voted for Donald Trump. A lot of them and they have a lot of pain, they still do. Democrats need to go to them, farm foreclosures are at a record high. Farm bankruptcies are at a record high. Folks who supported Trump thinking he would change things, he would get them this perfect health care plan he promised. Now he’s in court trying to take away their health care. Democrats need to make the case to parts of the Trump coalition. Biden is well suited to do it. He is peeling off some of Trump’s supporters, which I think is great.”
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