Donald Trump has always been somewhat unorthodox, using methods that are anything but traditional in order to garner attention. But his latest “calculated” risk backfired and shows why he would be ill-suited for the challenges all presidents face during their presidencies.
His decision to forego the Republican debate, in part because of his extreme distaste for moderator Megyn Kelly, gave other candidates the opportunity to shine — a ramification that may account for Marco Rubio’s strong showing at the Iowa Caucus.
Trump’s dislike for Kelly stems from a few questions she asked him during a Republican debate regarding past “offensive comments denigrating women.” FOX started a flame war claiming they “had learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president” and that “Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist and the entire network stands behind her.” Trump insisted that the questions Kelly asked were unfair. He ultimately responded with the now-infamous comment, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes — blood coming out of her wherever.” His decision to skip the debate put his lack of presidential ability — and his vindictive temperament and immaturity — front and center, reaffirming his position as a political hothead and as somebody ill-suited for the oval office.
A less spiteful and more mature candidate would have attended the debate. Not only did Trump storm off, he tried to throw a wrench in the process on his way. He specifically said, “Let them have the debate. Let’s see how they do with the ratings.” This suggests he left the debate to cause harm to the network. In essence, his absence was nothing more than a tantrum.
The point might have been made that Trump really was singled out by Kelly and that he was right to avoid the debate. But he was not singled out. Kelly asked tough or, in Trump’s view, “unfair” questions to all candidates. He was asked that particular question about women because he had actually made those disparaging comments — none of the other candidates had made such negative comments regarding women.
In addition, contrary to his opinion, the questions Kelly asked were entirely legitimate: Past comments show how commenters feel about certain subjects or groups and how they will behave in the future. In this case, Trump’s offensive comments regarding women probably indicate that he has little regard for issues women face. It is part of the moderator’s job to ask questions that illuminate candidates’ attitudes toward various groups, another reason Kelly’s actions were legitimate.
Maturity and the ability to discuss matters without resorting to name-calling are characteristics any president must possess. If a candidate does not have these traits, it’s safe to say they will not be able to interact with dignitaries from other countries or politicians from the other side of the aisle successfully. A president with the inability to compromise is the last thing this radically polarized country needs. Couple these undesirable characteristics with a person who has a tendency to make ridiculous proclamations and rash decisions, and one has a recipe for disaster. Trump’s latest ill-advised decision was simply a harbinger of things to come if Trump is elected president.