Limbaugh: Trump ‘owns the media’

Beginning Monday night, the national media and political world shifted their focus onto a statement put out by Trump’s presidential campaign that called for the U.S. to ban any Muslim from entering the country “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” The statement came in response to the apparent growing threat of the Islamic State terrorist network against the West.

Several news commentators and political figures, including Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination, condemned Trump’s proposal as bigoted and unworkable. Even so, Trump went on several TV news shows Tuesday morning to defend his position and he did not apologize.

Limbaugh called the uproar a “glittering, glaring example of how [Trump] is playing the media” like a violin.

“He knows exactly what to do and how to do it to own their attention and airtime,” Limbaugh said, praising Trump. “He says things that he knows will drive them crazy. He says things over and over that he knows will drive them insane and then when they go insane, he doubles down on it and drives them even crazier.”

Trump has led the vast majority of both national and early primary state-level polls for the GOP nomination since he launched his campaign in June. In that time, most of the other candidates have struggled to maintain media attention and have been dwarfed by Trump’s showmanship and unfiltered populist rhetoric.

Trump’s uncanny ability to court controversy to his benefit has served to embolden his candidacy and endear his supporters.

“He also knows that his audience is in on what he is doing,” Limbaugh said. “He knows that a lot of Americans agree to a certain extent with things that he says. He also knows that he’s the only one reaching those people. And then he sits back and watches, no doubt with a huge smile, the media cover what he says over and over and over and over again.”