Donald Trump adviser Paul Manafort told members of the Republican National Committee last week that Trump was playing a “part” and would soon become more “presidential.” Trump, however, is eschewing this advice.
“Did you see him? He has the news conference all the time when he’s eating. I have never seen a human being eat in such a disgusting fashion,” Trump said Monday about rival Ohio Gov. John Kasich. This was classic Trump speaking informally while attacking an opponent.
Manafort told RNC members Thursday, “the part that [Trump’s] been playing is evolving into the part that now you’ve been expecting, but he wasn’t ready for, because he had first to complete the first phase. The negatives will come down. The image is going to change.”
The New York businessman has reportedly rejected this notion presented by Manafort. An operative on the campaign told Politico, “that’s Trump. If you try to force him into a box, he’s going to climb out of the box just to prove it to you. If you say he’s going to be more presidential, all you did is make him less presidential.”
Trump’s brashness on the campaign trail has certainly been a part of his success and softening his tone would represent an unknown. His outspokenness has allowed him to run a low-cost campaign, as Trump relies on earned media. Trump is questioning Manafort’s advice by, “saying I can get on every show I want for free and you’re telling me not to do that and that I should pay for my advertising? That doesn’t pass the smell test to me,” Politico reports.
Trump has been open about suggestions from within his campaign that he be more presidential. He said at a rally over the weekend, “Paul was down in Florida said he said, ‘you know, Donald might be changing a little bit over a period of time and he, maybe he’ll tone it down, maybe he won’t but who knows what happens.'” Trump added, “I sort of don’t like toning it down.”
This certainly will please his biggest fan, Ann Coulter.
I wish Trump would go back to retweeting juvenile photos of Heidi Cruz. I hate the new Manafort & Black Trump.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) April 22, 2016