In the case of Donald Trump, it’s a matter of keeping your friends close, and your extremely problematic loyalists closer — at least according to new reports about the former president’s debate preparation team.
As the presidential debate nears, reports have indicated that the Republican candidate has enlisted a team including names that have attracted less than flattering headlines, like Florida representative and apparent botox queen Matt Gaetz.
That’s right, Trump has reportedly tapped the man who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use for assistance in his debate prep. I’m no political expert, but seeking the help of a man with such a tarnished reputation isn’t the best look, especially since Trump will be up against a woman whose interrogation tactics have deservedly gone viral online.
According to sources detailed by ABC, Gaetz has been preparing Trump by firing questions at him around contentious issues like his endless legal troubles, his indictments on election interference, and his stance on abortion. It bears reiterating that this supposed debate help is coming from someone who allegedly attended drug and sex-filled parties, and who was investigated for having relations with an underage girl.
ABC also reports that Trump’s debate prep has included briefings on Harris’ previous debates, including the one where a rogue fly planted itself on her opponent’s head and she uttered the words that will live on in political canon; “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.” Also part of Trump’s debate team is Tulsi Gabbard, who is a notable choice given that she once challenged Vice President Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019.
That debate saw Harris and Gabbard go toe-to-toe on issues around criminal justice. The contentious moment included Gabbard delivering a stinging critique of Harris’ prosecutorial record, which was met with raucous applause from the audience. While Harris offered a forceful response of her own, NBC reports that Trump nonetheless considers Gabbard verbal combat experience with the vice president to be valuable to the debate prep team.
All these reports of Trump’s pre-debate prep (I imagine it involves lots of shouting and regular breaks for McDonald’s) fly in the face of comments made by Trump officials. One anonymous source close to the campaign said “the idea that [Trump] has to ‘prepare for a debate’ is absurd,” even though this is the man who is just milliseconds away from tangenting into bizarre topics like bacon, sharks, batteries, and Hannibal Lecter.
It’s far from the only time that Trump has chosen to keep controversial figures like Gaetz in his close circle (he’s great buddies with Elon Musk, after all). In 2022, the former president was pictured dining with white supremacist Nick Feuntes and anti-semite Kanye West, so tapping someone accused of sexual misconduct is simply par for the course. Heck, that’s something he has been accused of too, so I guess if you can’t beat them, join them.
Anyway, we’ll see exactly how Gaetz’s assistance informs the potential Roast of Trump when the presidential debate airs on ABC on September 10.
Published: Sep 10, 2024 03:57 am