Did you watch the disaster that was first presidential debate for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump? A record number of Americans did. MSNBC and NBC host Chuck Todd is predicting that unless Trump turns that disaster around, things are going to get much worse for the party he represents.
On Friday Todd warned that if Trump’s performance doesn’t drastically improve during Sunday night’s second debate, the Republican party might see a public fracture. Todd said that if Trump’s debate performance improves:
“I think if you’re Donald Trump, any normalized debate is going to at least stop Clinton’s momentum a little bit.”
But Todd also warned that if it doesn’t and Trump keeps to his shoot-from-the-hip, truth-bending, insult-throwing ways, the Republican party might revolt:
“But listen to the subtle signals that Congressional Republicans were sending yesterday, a few blind quotes here and there. If Donald Trump doesn’t have a good night on Sunday and it’s similar to the first debate, then you may start seeing the down-ballot exodus in some form.”
Plenty of Republicans have spoken out publicly against Donald Trump’s positions, his racist and xenophobic comments, and denounced his mistreatment of women. Although Trump was chosen as the Republican presidential candidate through the primary system, Chuck Todd is warning that his party mates’ patience is running razor thin with the Donald.
“Is it just candidates proactively running away, whatever it is… You now have the sense that Trump – and we’ve been here before with him — one of these do-or-die moments with the Republican Party. If it’s a debate performance like the first night, it may be unrecoverable… and you may see the party publicly split.”
From your lips to their ears, Mr. Todd. We’ll all be tuning in Sunday to watch the second part of the Trump campaign’s debate train wreck.
Watch Mr. Todd’s comments here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_8wtZc7qE
Feature image via YouTube screengrab.
