When it comes to business dealings, Donald Trump is all about the game. Or “the art,” or whatever it takes to make him money. But when it comes to the GOP primary, suddenly anything that doesn’t result in him winning delegates or the nomination is unfair and a violation of the will of the people.
Just look at how Trump is reacting to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz sweeping all of Colorado’s convention delegates. The rules for the Colorado primary process have been known to all campaigns since last August. Cruz’s team knew those rules and worked within them, convincing supporters committed to the senator to run for delegate in the March 1 precinct caucuses so that his supporters would dominate the congressional district and state conventions later.
Trump’s team, by contrast, appears to have ignored the caucuses, instead relying on a last-minute strategy of handing out flyers with incorrect information. On this basis — the fact that he was outmaneuvered — Trump is now accusing Cruz of “stealing” delegates.
No, voters in Colorado didn’t vote for a presidential candidate the way other states have, but that’s not Cruz’s doing. Instead of whining, Trump should have learned the rules of Colorado and done what was necessary to get pro-Trump delegate candidates to local precincts, and convince the elected delegates to side with him. Isn’t that what someone who is good at making deals would have done?
Trump likes to boast about how good he is at making money and doing business deals. He has even boasted about using eminent domain — the state power to confiscate others’ property — to further his own business dealings. When former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush talked about how unfair it was to use eminent domain for private purposes, Trump defended his use of the tactic. Trump said that while he didn’t love eminent domain, it “is something that you need very strongly.”
Michael Reagan — son of the former president — brought up the connection between Trump’s lack of game in Colorado and his use of eminent domain. Trump had taken to Twitter (his main outlet for bleating about election losses) to suggest he had won Colorado according to votes (Colorado residents didn’t vote directly for candidates, they selected delegates) and accused Cruz of offering “all sorts of goodies” in order to win delegates.
Reagan fired back, telling Trump: “It’s also wrong to try and kick a woman out of her home for a parking garage, but its part of the game of business. Grow up.” Reagan illustrated Trump’s schoolyard way of thinking: Anything he can use to benefit himself is fair game, while anything used against him is unfair.
Cruz learned and played by Colorado’s rules and won. Trump didn’t and he lost.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
