It’s not an accident. When it comes to outrageousness, Donald Trump has dialed it back, on purpose. And indications from Trump world are that the new pattern will continue. (An obvious warning: It might not; by the time this article appears, it’s always possible Trump could do or say something so shocking that the campaign is rocked for days.)
Why the change? Ask people knowledgeable about the campaign, and they’ll say the addition of new staff has had a quick effect. Pushed by his children, Trump has expanded his super-tight circle of advisers with the addition of Paul Manafort, and now others, too. The sense is that Trump actually can listen, both to advice on what to say and not to say. The message has evolved; he is a better candidate than than the man who messed up right and left just a few weeks ago. And with his latest crusade against “voterless victory,” Trump is scoring points again, not so much against Ted Cruz directly but against the Republican establishment — always Trump’s most comfortable target. For Trump, Cruz’s vulnerability is not that he is part of the establishment but that he has gotten in bed with the establishment as the only way to win. So the belief is that Trump’s fight against the Republican National Committee and insider campaign rules pays off everywhere — especially if Trump is not making critical unforced errors at the same time.
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