Donald Trump has just announced that he won’t be joining or signing the letter put together by the other Republican candidates trying to set the terms for future debates. Trump says he’ll be negotiating directly with the networks on his own. On its face it makes perfect sense: banding together with other candidates in single digits to demand niceness and fairness is not at all in line with Trump’s brand. But more than that, the Syndicate’s aims seem heavily focused on propping up or getting more time for Hucks and Bushes in the race who are struggles to crest over 5% support anywhere.
Trump’s lead has definitely been ebbing of late. So he doesn’t carry the same weight he did six weeks ago. I can’t imagine the networks want to negotiate with the Syndicate and Trump.
On the other hand, given Trump’s self-image as alphas di tutti alphas, I wonder if Trump won’t try and perhaps succeed to contrast himself as the real power to dictate with the whiners who make up the rest of the field.
