In the final minute of Inside Politics on CNN this morning, John King raised the possibility of a Trump "Exit Strategy.” It’s simple, plausible, feasible, and decidedly Trumpian. It involves ransom.
Where Trump Is Now
Right now Trump has nothing to lose and everything to gain by staying in the race-- or at least that's what he seems to believe. "He's a wounded animal," says at least one MSNBC pundit, "and he'll do anything he can to stay alive.” Trump has said he will never, ever, abandon his supporters and withdraw from the race. So there you have it; Trump has only one option—to go down with the ship and take the GOP and with him. Cutting off his face to spite his nose, perhaps, but we know Trump is not so strong on logic.
Where the GOP Is Now
Right now the GOP can’t win with Trump. So resigned “realists” within the party now acknowledge that it's a myth to believe one can sell one’s soul to buy whatever one wants--even in the world of politics. To get away from Trump, Governors, Senators, Representatives, military leaders, all are falling all over themselves to condemn, “unendorse,” damn him--whatever! It's a save yourself moment frequently disguised as a save the down ticket movement. It's no longer about the future of the GOP—that ship sailed long ago.
However, as Trump supporters demonstrated in Wisconsin yesterday, (Come on, Paul Ryan, you knew this all along.), without Trump, the GOP is going to be dessimated, up and down ticket! This election! Not some future one. The GOP has already "done", and hindsight is reminding them of the timeless, circular nature of “Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Trumps Strategy Seems to be “Until the Sweet or Bitter End”—But What If??
Perhaps Trump’s late night planning session in his Tower last night was about how to stay in the race or to win the debate, or (however delusional), it could have been about how to prevail and win the White House. However, perhaps, it was about how, now that once again he is "bankrupted," Trump can a negotiate a “winning deal” out of the mess he’s in. And by "winning deal," Tump wouldn't be thinking about a win for the GOP, but his own best exit from the race—one where he recoups apparent losses and in which he "wins” as much as he can out of he deal.
What a Winning Deal Would Look Like
King, citing two unnamed sources close to Trump (one a campaign operative and one a non-political long-time friend), suggested another possible end-game for Trump: He will hold the GOP hostage for ransom. Trump with begin to “deal” for his own withdrawal predicated on the GOP repaying him for all his investments in his own campaign. That's an interesting proposition: Trump withdraws from the race and the GOP reimburses him for his trouble. What leverage would a losing, disgraced Trump have? His Basket of Deplorables, of course! Trump doesn't care about party or country, and he sure doesn't care about his coarse and, largely, working class supporters, but he does care about his brand, his fortune, and his future. If he can salvage anything from his current mess he will apply The Art of the Deal to do so. GOP prepare to buy precisely what you don't want or need (said Basket of Deplorables) to get what you've so far been unable to buy-- even with your souls: the present and/or the future. Come to think of it, the more things change, the more ....