From the December 22 edition of MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes:
On MSNBC, Media Matters' David Brock Calls Out Support For Donald Trump As “Deeply Troubling”
David Brock: “It's Really Deeply Troubling That The Base Of The Party Likes What They're Seeing In Trump”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
Video file
ALEX WAGNER (GUEST HOST): Okay so, it seems pretty clear that the Clinton campaign would like a battle with Donald Trump.
DAVID BROCK: To some extent, sure. I don't see why not.
WAGNER: In large part because he's cartoon character that keeps saying things like this.
BROCK: Yeah, so on one level, I think that's right. On another level, I think that what we're seeing is pretty troubling. And as much as the latest outrage, you may say, well great, it's hurting Republicans. It's really deeply troubling that the base of the party likes what they're seeing in Trump. There's a real desire for a strong man in the base of the party. And I think we're seeing an entirely different Republican Party in this cycle. And Trump is riding that wave. But what's really interesting is not so much Trump as the Trump supporters. And it goes back to the racial appeals of Nixon, to the silent majority, to the Reagan Democrats. And now these people feel manipulated, they feel exploited, they feel used. So they're looking for the guy who isn't the politician. And they've found him in Trump. And I think that's what's going on. And I think the Republican establishment certainly is scared, but, you know, I think it's troubling for the rest of us as well.
WAGNER: Sure. In the big picture, America, the moral arc of the universe, I think there are people that are concerned.
BROCK: Right.
WAGNER: But, to the Clinton question, which seems central to start of this campaign, can she assemble the coalition of the ascendant in the same way that Barack Obama did, young people, millennials, minorities? Donald Trump, if he is the candidate, would seem to be a great way to gin up enthusiasm among that part of the coalition. The fear of a Trump presidency could be a huge motivator to push people to the polls for Clinton.
BROCK: Absolutely. And in fact, in the Chris Matthews special, one thing that was interesting is just reminding people that in this period, when Trump first emerged, it was as a champion of the birther movement. And I think that just tells you a lot about what's underneath this. This is not really an ideological movement, his followers are not especially right-wing. They're angry and they're filled with hate.
WAGNER: I guess I wonder, is this not a double-edged sword, right? So beyond the question about where the country is headed, in a certain segment of America that's deeply disenfranchised, what of the strategies that Donald Trump is ready to deploy at any moment, it seems? I mean, he is friends with someone named Roger Stone who has said all kinds of sort of questionable things about Chelsea's paternity, Clinton scandals of the past, the right-wing conspiracy machine around the Clintons could be easily fired up by Donald Trump.
BROCK: Well, look its what they used to call in the 90s, the Clinton crazies, but its back with a vengeance. And I think, you know, to the extent that some of this is hatred for Obama, and you see in the latest Zogby poll, the majority of Republican voters believe he's Muslim, they don't believe he's Christian. What we're going to see and what we got a taste of last night was the misogynistic attacks on Hillary Clinton, which also had a racial appeal as well. The idea of a black rapist, basically, using the schlong to defeat Hillary, I think that's what it's really about.
[...]
WAGNER: I guess I question, if you truly believe that those were Donald Trump's motivations, I mean, is the Clinton campaign ready to weather whatever else Donald --
BROCK: Sure, they are. But you know, the Republican establishment has spent a lot of money polling on how to attack Hillary Clinton without attacking her as a woman. And it's all undone last night. So yes, the Clinton campaign is prepared to deal with all comers, including Donald Trump, sure.
Previously:
David Brock Calls Out Media For “Playing Donald Trump's Game”