For Trump, Low-Brow Keeps Working

Here, in microcosm, is the dysfunction plaguing the GOP presidential field, thanks to the Trumpian captivity. 

As with most Trumpian pronouncements, there’s no policy and no principle to be found—other than the insinuation that Trump is courageous and his opponents are cowards. Ron DeSantis gets the text—he’s “chicken”—Haley the subtext: She’s simply following the Alpha Dog’s “lead,” as if the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador wouldn’t have had the fortitude to do a CNN townhall without the benefit of Trump’s pathbreaking courage.

For what it’s worth, the only thing that Haley’s Sunday night CNN townhall had in common with Trump’s performance last month is that they were on the same network. Haley was generally polite, polished, and coherent.