Donald Trump wants a do-over. But is that really what America wants? | Opinion
Donald Trump has now been running for president since before some of his voters were born.
It’s been 25 years since Trump first told CNN’s Larry King he would seek the nomination of the Reform Party, which grew out of Texan Ross Perot’s runs for the White House.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump called party front-runner Patrick Buchanan a “Hitler lover.”
Back then, he was not yet the star of “The Apprentice.” He was a wealthy New York developer and media celebrity who would say absolutely anything, and that made him an outspoken ratings bonanza for cable TV news.
Four months later, he quit. “I don’t want to get 20% of the vote,” he told NBC.
He hasn’t changed much in 25 years. And he still draws an audience.
Now, he is a former U.S. president asking for a new term, this time without a global pandemic.
Let’s review the Donald Trump headlines in this space the past 10 years:
▪ July 16, 2015: “Donald Trump is ‘nonsense,’ but [Rick] Perry should ‘take an IQ test’: Is this politics or wrestling?”
▪ Aug. 8, 2015: “Kinky Friedman’s advice for Donald Trump: Don’t be PC, but don’t be petty.”
▪ Sept. 15, 2015: “Trump has a simple message, but Latinos say it’s not that easy.”
▪ Feb. 26, 2016: “To wrestling experts, Donald Trump puts on a familiar show.”
▪ March 12, 2016: “Trump’s ‘fightin’ words’ produced — guess what?”
▪ March 31, 2016: “Trump hats, slurs left Magnolia [Avenue] bar crowd seeing red.”
▪ June 22, 2016: “Trump asks pastors for advice. But will he listen?”
▪ July 30, 2016: “Donald Trump bashed Muslims, ignored Army family’s sacrifice.”
▪ Aug. 26, 2016: “Trump up 6 in Texas — GOP voters say secede if he loses.”
▪ Oct. 1, 2016: “Author of ‘How Would Jesus Vote?’ might not vote for Clinton or Trump.”
▪ Oct. 20, 2016: “[Mark] Cuban: Trump ‘blew it’ — ‘horrible’ if he won’t accept defeat.”
▪ Nov. 8, 2016, the night of his election: “ ‘The voters are finally being heard,’ but what now for split GOP?”
▪ Nov. 12, 2016: “Dreamers fret over place in Trump’s America.”
▪ Feb. 7, 2017: “ ‘Destroying’ a senator? Trump was only kidding — wasn’t he?”
▪ Feb. 28, 2017: “Trump backer’s slurs, foul talk: Is this the ‘Spirit of America’?”
▪ March 21, 2017: “Can a Southern Baptist ethicist criticize Trump? Yes. For now.”
▪ Oct. 12, 2019: “Is Trump helping Texas Republicans or ‘killing us’?”
▪ Dec. 19, 2020, after the 2020 election: “In Texas, evangelical Republicans rally to keep Trump: He’s part of the ‘Divine Plan.’ “
▪ Jan. 7, 2021, after the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot: “In Texas, some tea party Republicans celebrate the riot: It’s ‘taking back OUR HOUSE!’ “
▪ Jan. 16, 2021: “No, MyPillow Guy, the military can’t save Trump. That’s ‘flat out mentally ill.’ “
▪ Jan. 25, 2021: “Fort Worth-area law officers’ emails show past ties to paranoid Oath Keepers militia.”
▪ Jan. 30, 2021: “How a Parker County school trustee helped spread ‘Stop the Steal’ nonsense.”
▪ March 8, 2021: “Trusting QAnon, Dallas actor wanted D.C. riot to bring end-times. Now he faces charges.”
▪ May 14, 2021: “District 6 Republican rejects Trump as a ‘false prophet.’ “
▪ Jan. 6, 2022: “‘Patriot Boys’ charged in Capitol riot also hosted a political rally in Fort Worth.”
▪ July 29, 2022: “In the turn-back-the-clock Texas GOP, even the John Birch Society is making a comeback.”
▪ Dec. 9, 2022: “Karl Rove: Trump is ‘sort of crazy and filled with rage.’ Will Republicans move on?”
▪ Aug. 15, 2023: “Yes. Trump can win again, even with another indictment. It’s even easier than 2016.”
▪ Feb. 2, 2024: “Why the flap over Taylor Swift? Because griping and grievance work for MAGA.”
▪ June 28, 2024, after the first presidential debate: “Did a cold cause [Joe] Biden’s nonsense? Trump won debate, but mostly, it made America sick.”
▪ Sept. 4, 2024: “Donald Trump isn’t so sure about abortion. Will religious Republicans vote for him?”
▪ Sept. 14, 2024: “Another Texan and George W. Bush Republican backs Harris over Trump. Will it matter?”
Election night might bring one final headline.
Or four more years.
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 10:20 AM.
