Columnist Charles Krauthammer declined to respond to Donald Trump’s criticisms of him, maintaining Trump is “repeating himself” and that talking about him is a “waste of time,” while arguing Jeb Bush speaks about conservatives like they’re an “alien body” even though “that’s not who he is” on Wednesday’s “Special Report” on the Fox News Channel.
Krauthammer, when asked if he would respond to Trump calling him “totally overrated” who “doesn’t know what he’s doing” and has it out for Trump personally, said Trump was “repeating himself” and that while Trump was he would be “breathing fresh air” while Trump decides to “suck oxygen.” He also joked about Trump referring to frequent “Special Report” panelist Jonah Goldberg as “a guy that can’t buy a pair of pants,” urging the audience to crowdsource in order to buy Goldberg pants since “it’s disgraceful the way he comes to the show.” Later, in the discussion, after the rest of the panel debated Trump, he said enough time had been spent on Trump and that further discussion would be a “waste of time.” He further stated, “The idea that these issues were not raised, immigration was not an issue until Trump came along is preposterous.”
Later, Krauthammer addressed Jeb Bush’s comments in an interview with the show’s host, Bret Baier that “at some point, we have to start campaigning in a way that’s beyond the base. I think you have to be respectful of conservatives, and you have to campaign hard, convince them that you’re the right guy to unite the party. But there also always ought to be an eye on the ball of the next group of people that actually decide who the president’s going to be.” Krauthammer said, “You know, I don’t understand how somebody as experienced as him could actually say you have to be respectful of conservatives, as if they are some kind of alien body. He respects them, but it’s not him. I thought his idea was to campaign and say, ‘I governed as a conservative.’ In fact, he did, for many years, In Florida. ‘ ‘I am a conservative. I also want to appeal to independents and others,’ which is the way he would present himself, I think if he had it right. But there’s always a tinge where he plays into the idea that, in fact, deep down he’s not a conservative and that he’s going to pretend to be or appease them or appeal to them, but that’s not who he is.” He added, “I don’t think it reflects who he is, I don’t think it reflects his record. I think he ought to clean up his rhetoric and understand how do you appeal without even subconsciously alienating people.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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