Donald Trump debuted a pejorative nickname for a rival presidential candidate, but it’s not new.
Trump told “Fox & Friends” he likes to refer to socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders by the nickname “Crazy Bernie, because he’s not very good.” But the insult appears to have been borrowed from conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh has called Sanders, “Crazy Bernie,” for several months and has offered his advice to the “Crazy Bernie 2016” campaign.
Trump did not attribute the slam to Limbaugh, but Trump acknowledged he hasn’t yet begun unloading on Sanders in the same way he has attacked his GOP primary opponents.
“Probably, beating him would be easier. Who’s going to run against a socialist and lose?” Trump said about Sanders on Fox News. “I’ve never hit him, don’t forget. I haven’t started on him. I haven’t said anything about him. I would start. Maybe I’m going to have to start.”
As Trump assumes the mantle of the GOP’s standard-bearer by becoming its presumptive nominee, his latest putdown may actually be part of his effort to unite the Republican Party. Trump’s decision to copy Limbaugh’s language is likely aimed at promoting Trump’s brand of attitudinal conservatism to Never Trump listeners in Limbaugh’s audience who think Trump’s campaign lacks substance.
The Republican National Committee also appears to be joining the effort to court Limbaugh’s audience for 2016. While interviewing Ted Cruz on Tuesday, Glenn Beck revealed that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus intended to appear on Beck’s program, Sean Hannity’s show, and Rush Limbaugh this week. Priebus canceled on Beck after Cruz’s exit from the 2016 race, according to Beck, and has yet to make an appearance on Limbaugh.
Priebus is preparing to broker a detente with the House Speaker Paul Ryan, the nation’s top-ranking elected Republican, on Thursday. But he may also be looking to sell Limbaugh and his listeners on the Trump brand in the coming days. Whether Priebus and Trump have more success winning over Ryan or Limbaugh remains to be seen.
