Open thread: Trump endorses Romney; Update: Video added; Update: Trump discusses endorsement
posted at 3:33 pm on February 2, 2012 by Allahpundit
It’s set to air any minute now so turn on your cable news net of choice. I can’t stress enough what a letdown it’ll be if this thing doesn’t turn into an utter fiasco on par with the final few Weiner pressers last year. I keep imagining Trump bringing Romney out onstage … and then shocking him by endorsing Newt. Or announcing a third-party run. C’mon. Awesome.
Updates are coming, so stand by.
Update: How much are Democrats enjoying this spectacle? Well, here’s Carney making the obligatory “combover” joke at today’s briefing…
…and, via Greg Hengler, here’s lifelike talking-points robot Debbie Wasserman-Schultz trying out a new class-warfare-themed zinger from the DNC’s writing team…
…and, not to be outdone, here’s the DNC ad team piling on.
Update: A spurned Newt is having fun with Trump’s signature line today too:
While his archrival Mitt Romney was getting an endorsement in the GOP presidential race from real estate mogul Donald Trump, Mr. Gingrich was speaking at Xtreme Manufacturing, a company that makes telescoping forklifts, delivery trucks and cubes that can be used for everything from living space to laboratories. He start off with “some fascinating differences” between himself and Mitt Romney. “Let me say first of all that I like hiring people,” he said, in a dig at the former Massachusetts governor. Mr. Romney made headlines last month for saying he liked “firing people” when talking about health-care companies that fail to provide good service…
“Mitt Romney and Barack Obama seem to believe that a safety net is all the poor need,” Mr. Gingrich said. “What the poor need is a trampoline so they can spring up.”…
Mr. Gingrich, for instance, often says those receiving unemployment assistance should have to enroll in business training programs. Meantime, Mr. Gingrich brushed off reports that Mr. Trump is supporting Mr. Romney. While touring the factory, Mr. Gingrich said he hadn’t expected the endorsement and wondered aloud how the star of reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice” manages to garner so much attention.
Newt is a better fit for Trump, but I guess it was more important to Trump to perpetuate the illusion that he has the midas touch by backing the likely nominee than to throw in with the newly minted populist. Question: Will Newt’s populist turn entice him into hitting Romney on this or is he too exposed from the big money his Super PAC’s getting from billionaire Sheldon Adelson?
Update: And just like that, it’s over after five minutes. I’ll add video when it’s available but the money line from Mitt was, “It means a great deal for me to have the endorsement of Mr. Trump.” Conservatives are grumbling on Twitter that he shouldn’t have stooped to doing this but I don’t think he had a choice. If he refused to kiss the ring, Trump would have spent the next nine months attacking him publicly on oafishly over-the-top populist grounds. There’s a market for that, and with the election likely to be close, Romney probably figured he’d better do whatever he can now to avoid losing any support on his right flank. Special thanks to all the grassroots voters who briefly made Trump the GOP frontrunner last year; without that fleeting benediction of him as some sort of serious political player, this spectacle wouldn’t have happened.
Update: Another line that Romney evidently felt obliged to say: “I spent my life in the private sector — not quite as successful as this guy, but successful nonetheless.”
Update: Here’s the clip via Fox News Insider. Ben Smith of BuzzFeed tweeted that it looked like a hostage tape.
Update: In case you’re hungry for more, here’s Trump with Cavuto immediately after the presser.
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Deflection, its what they do.
rob verdi on April 7, 2013 at 3:37 PM
You do err, Mr. Jazz: it’s the future war.
The ‘kill Romney /Occupy’ strategy will be in effect until the 2014 mid term elections in order to sway the LoFo voters to switch the House to democrat control.
locomotivebreath1901 on April 7, 2013 at 3:37 PM
Why does it have to be a Romney plan? Lots of people won and lost last year, they’ve got plenty to choose from. ^_^
Oxymoron on April 7, 2013 at 3:41 PM
Jobs’ Report? What Jobs’ Report? Hey, Look! Gay Marriage And A Squirrel Playing The Banjo!
Resist We Much on April 7, 2013 at 3:41 PM
So now Romney is the new blamestick? Fine by me, I never want to hear Bush blamed again.
nobar on April 7, 2013 at 3:46 PM
Never assume that Obama wants something good for the USA.
See his dummy capo too.
p.s. Obama is out golfing.
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 3:51 PM
Romney was also responsible for Benghazi!
Because, remember, he tried to assign blame to the Obama Administration pre-emptively. Before the blame was warranted by the slowly-leaked and media-ignored facts.
And now, thanks to that premature designation of culpability to Obama and Hillary, Romney deserves more blame than they do… for blaming them… or something.
profitsbeard on April 7, 2013 at 3:54 PM
He’s a ginger!!1!!!
Blake on April 7, 2013 at 3:55 PM
Wonder if bho’s team gets tired of blaming everyone in the US for krappy policies? They all must be programed to put the blame on everyone else but bho? I know I sure am tired of bho’s pass on blame! You got re-elected bho YOU OWN it now!
L
letget on April 7, 2013 at 3:58 PM
President Sibilant Esses would just as soon forget regular order and issue a royal decree. But now, of course, it’s his focus. Like a laser.
Lest we all forget, compromise means Obama gets whatever he wants and the GOP gets to like it.
Curtiss on April 7, 2013 at 4:01 PM
What expiration date? Everyone knows Bush is actually Emmanuel Goldstein & the eternal personification of right wing fascist evil. There is no expiration date on this Hate Object for the True Believers.
novaculus on April 7, 2013 at 4:06 PM
Oh, and this guy Pfeiffer is the same guy who scolded the Press for quoting stories on Drudge, which is an aggregator of stories written by the Press.
He’s one of Obama’s senior advisors. How old are Obama’s junior advisors?
Curtiss on April 7, 2013 at 4:07 PM
GWB started the Arab’spring’ in Iraq, don’t you know?
Obama owns it, in full!!!
Name one people who are free/freer due to Obama, I triple dare you.
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 4:10 PM
Hey, Danny. The Republicans already did compromise. Were you in a coma 3 months ago when they caved on tax hikes? Obama got his long sought after higher taxes, so now it’s his turn to give a little on spending and entitlements.
Doughboy on April 7, 2013 at 4:12 PM
Illegal immigrant felons.
Curtiss on April 7, 2013 at 4:15 PM
its not america’s duty to free other people.
I’d much rather obama focus on fixing america than worry about liberating some other country.
nonpartisan on April 7, 2013 at 4:17 PM
Yep. Including extra-special treatment for dirtbags Auntie Zetuni and drunk-driving Uncle Omar.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on April 7, 2013 at 4:17 PM
Barky wants to “fix” America like a dog gets fixed. You’re too much, hoping that the anti-American, anti-Western, third-world dog-eating retard wants to help the people he hates with every single one of his 84 IQ points … LOL.
Maybe he’s busy working on those “profit AND earnings ratios” or spending time mucking up health care but “reduc[ing] premiums by 3000%!!” You idiots are too funny. I just wish you would all be funny in some other country that deserves your useless existence.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on April 7, 2013 at 4:20 PM
The only thing Ogabe is fixing, is his eyes on Reggie Love’s chucks.
tom daschle concerned on April 7, 2013 at 4:22 PM
LOL – I am thinking of renouncing my America citizenship – flying to Mexico and then crossing back in as an undocumented Democrat….I would probably be that much further ahead of the gringos…
redguy on April 7, 2013 at 4:29 PM
…”the private sector is doing fine!”
KOOLAID2 on April 7, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Wallace let him get away with selling his strawmen and snake oil on pretty much every point.
Why is that?
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 4:35 PM
Funny. I figured you’d be downright indignant with Pfeiffer, after professing your love for Romney yesterday. Troll.
CycloneCDB on April 7, 2013 at 4:43 PM
Whats wrong with America?
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Why does this adolescent troll interject himself in every single thread with some idiotic statement.
BeachBum on April 7, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Its a way of feeling important. Cleaning the hair out of mom’s bathtub for an allowance and french fry money is bad for the ego.
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 4:48 PM
obama abomination, err I mean administration = everyting political, the country be damned!
losarkos on April 7, 2013 at 5:17 PM
Forgive me but before the guy said a word he was rubbing me the wrong way.
KBird on April 7, 2013 at 5:20 PM
…you trying to induce a brain aneurism on noforeskin?
KOOLAID2 on April 7, 2013 at 5:22 PM
Lon Chaney, the silent film actor, was called The Man of a Thousand Faces. Obama is The Man of a Thousand Excuses” … … and just as many lies.
VorDaj on April 7, 2013 at 5:31 PM
No reply, he replied.
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 5:36 PM
I wonder why this is not getting more press? /sarc
rottenrobbie on April 7, 2013 at 5:44 PM
Some good nuggets in Jazz’s short post yet you post what you posted?
Yes, you’re partisan. You’re nic is a joke.
CW on April 7, 2013 at 5:45 PM
Rhetorical question, right?
AZfederalist on April 7, 2013 at 5:50 PM
Conservative media thats for sure. They continue to stoke the ignorance already inbred in most conservatives.
HotAirLib on April 7, 2013 at 5:59 PM
Yeah…’spose so.
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 6:11 PM
Er, um, who was President while Romney was running for the job? I don’t recall Mitt being given any of the policy or executive authority of the President while he was campaigning. Did I miss something?
ss396 on April 7, 2013 at 6:12 PM
There’s no information in that.
Can you provide the examples that was the basis of that reply?
Thanks.
Mimzey on April 7, 2013 at 6:12 PM
Just for HAL
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 6:17 PM
Too bad that there isn’t some parallel universe where Obama could do his ‘royal decree’ thing, while we sit back and watch. It would be downright hilarious to watch him scamper from decree to decree, frantically trying to contain the massive Unintended Consequences that would result. (But, oh, those poor folks in that alternate universe.)
ss396 on April 7, 2013 at 6:19 PM
American Pie
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 6:21 PM
Coming soon
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 6:22 PM
This venomous little toad is not worthy of acknowledgement.
pat on April 7, 2013 at 6:22 PM
nonpartisan = nobrain, the 40% unempl. black youth, the 50 million on real and faux disability, the unemployed, all 90 million of them…they R calling on you, you scum.
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 6:24 PM
But MSNBC is cool, go figure.
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 6:26 PM
PFEIFFER: Well, there are a couple of things here, George. First is, the House has passed a budget, the Senate passed a budget. The hope is that the House and Senate can come together and work to try to find a compromise. The president’s focus, in addition to the regular order process that members of Congress say they want, is to try to find a caucus of common sense, folks who are willing to compromise, that don’t think compromise is a dirty word, and try to get something done. And – but if Speaker Boehner’s position, as he said it in that statement, remains his position, then we will not make progress, because what this president will not do is come in, right after getting reelected, and enact a Romney economic plan, which is what the Republicans in the House are proposing.
Elections. Consequences.
Key West Reader on April 7, 2013 at 6:28 PM
HAL’s middle name IS vacuous.
CW on April 7, 2013 at 6:29 PM
Heh. I hope Glenn Reynolds picks this up.
Key West Reader on April 7, 2013 at 6:30 PM
Fixed, unfortunately.
The One does not “give”. He “decrees”, and “takes”, as he sees is his just due.
His definition of “compromise” is “I get what I want- you give it to me.” Period. He is utterly incapable of conceiving that anyone who disagrees with him might have a point. And he is utterly devoted to the principle of “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs- as I define both.”
Reason and compromise are not part of this man’s makeup. All that is there is power lust, and hatred of anyone and anything he perceives as different from himself.
He makes Marat look almost rational. And Lysenko look almost intelligent.
clear ether
eon
eon on April 7, 2013 at 6:59 PM
I always wonder why more isn’t made of the way Obama whistles when he talks. I keep googling “Obama Parselmouth” but come up empty.
PortlandJon on April 7, 2013 at 7:30 PM
The Obama administration, and Hillary, are to BLAME FOR the attack in Benghazi! They BOTH PROMOTED that attack by apologizing for FREEDOM of speech in the USA! Once the Islamists in Benghazi heard that, they scheduled their attack as they saw Obama’s words as a direct concession.
Which is EXACTLY why Romney stated it was BAD POLICY to APOLOGIZE for FREEDOM of speech!
These FACTS were totally twisted up by the propagandists in the media. Their assult started on the very first day before the truth could get in front of their lies!
I wonder when the 350+ BILLION in TAX INCREASES implemented this year will be identified as an economic MISTAKE? Will this take as long to ‘identify’ as Roosevelt’s economically incompetant tax increases of 1937 did? We already have a media that is blaming a cut in increased spending, that has yet to be implemented, for the economic failure that these higher taxes are leading us into.
Freddy on April 7, 2013 at 7:43 PM
Who the hell would take this child seriously, given his dress?
Your suit sucks bad, kid…and you need lessons on neckties.
Looks like a 15 yr. old who busted into Dad’s closet for some Student Body President campaign.
Effin’ amateurs from the ground up.
a5minmajor on April 7, 2013 at 9:53 PM
Drug cartel gangmembers? Illegal aliens? Muslim Brotherhood?
Midas on April 7, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Drug cartel gangmembers? Illegal aliens? Muslim Brotherhood?
Midas on April 7, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Plus the others, you forgot the Black Panthers and the union capos. I already know about these groups.
Next time I’ll be more specific and say “nation people”.
Schadenfreude on April 7, 2013 at 10:23 PM
So Preezy and staff is blaming Romney’s shadow illuminati gubmint…
Forward!
workingclass artist on April 8, 2013 at 12:38 AM