The White House stopped just short of dismissing Donald Trump as a clown Sunday – calling him a “sideshow” act with “zero chance” of becoming president.
Chief Obama adviser David Plouffe unleashed a barrage of stinging comments on Trump, who has recently trafficked in fringe conspiracy theories about Obama’s place of birth while taunting America with hints of a presidential run.
“There is zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people,” President Obama’s chief adviser David Plouffe told ABC’s “This Week with Christiane Amanpour.”
Plouffe noted Trump’s surprise second place showing in a recent poll of New Hampshire voters with glee.
“I saw Donald Trump kind of rising in the polls and given his behavior and spectacle the last couple of weeks, I hope he keeps rising,” Plouffe said.
Trump’s focus on the wingnut obsession by so-called “birthers” with Obama’s birthplace is way out of line with what Americans are really concerned with, Plouffe said.
“There may be a small part of the country that believes these things, but mainstream Americans think it’s a sideshow,” he said. “That’s not leadership, that’s kind of sideshow behavior.”
Trump countered that he represents Obama’s biggest nightmare in the 2012 race and that the White house is running scared.
“I know for a fact that I am the only candidate they are concerned with,” Trump told The Daily News. “They are very concerned because I am challenging him as to whether or not he was born in this country where there is a real doubt.”
“He should focus on properly dealing with the Chinese, the Saudis and all of the other nations that are ripping off the United States instead of making up quotes about Donald Trump,” the “Apprentice” host blustered on. “Barack Obama has done a terrible job as president.”
While Trump is not viewed as having a real chance at winning the presidency, experts say his remarks cut to the core of what irks the White House the most, which explains the hostility behind Plouffe’s diss.
“There is no issue that irritates the White House more than the birther issue,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
“They view it as a symbol for those who refuse to acknowledge Obama as a legitimate president,” he said. “The fact that someone as prominent as Trump is bringing this up is a source of real frustration.”
Sabato predicted that despite the noise Trump is making, he would soon fade away.
“It doesn’t mean a thing,” he said. “Trump may be the only person who believes he is a serious candidate, but it all seems to be some attempt at self-promotion.”
Professional clowns were not offended by the aspersion that Trump was one of them – they say it’s only natural.
“The association between clowns and politics goes back a long way, so we don’t tend to get bothered by it,” said Earl “Orky the Clown” Tempkin, of the World Clown Association.
“Besides, Trump would fit in pretty well – with his hairstyle he wouldn’t need a wig,” Tempkin said. “It’s pretty hard to take a lot of these politicians seriously.”
(Source: NY Daily News)
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18 Responses
Let the games… begin!
This should get interesting.
Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, or Herman Cain for President in 2012! Marco Rubio or David Petraeus for Vice President!
If obama was not concerned about Trump, he would not have had his spokesman respond the way he did.
i say palin and trump for president. At least we know they were both born America and both Love this Great country, contrary to Obama who is proving his promise to destroy this country
“There is zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people,” President Obama’s chief adviser David Plouffe told ABC…
Obama and Co. underestimate how the American people relish a challenge…
It is quite clear that the Obama regime is very concerned about Trump otherwise they would ignore him. He’s got them pinned perfectly!
Although The Donald is not my first choice for the nomination, I am very happy to hear him question the validity of this person as president.
Reelect Obama! Trump and Palin should join a circus.
“There is zero chance that Donald
Trump would ever be hired by the
American people.”
If you would’ve approached me with this statement four years ago, I would’ve nodded in agreement. The 2008 election proved me otherwise. It proved that a media, unions and donations from abroad can do the impossible. They were able to sell a person with no presidential qualities and a questionable agenda to the American public, and they bought their nonsense. Donald Trump at least has a record. He indeed had ups and downs yet remains a successful businessman. The former Obama supporter (yes, Trump supported Obama in 2008!) at least knows how to retract and admit mistakes, unlike the egoist that currently occupies the Oval Office.
David Plouffe is the same guy who said the democrats/liberals would keep the house and he was so wrong. So he’s stam a loud piece of Oblabalama regime.
While Trump has no chance, he is doing the dirty work for the others, and willing to pay millions to do it. So Obama panics and starts the name calling game. Show your birth certifecate and case closed. (or we might see some juicy stuff…..)
i pray every day that palin trump or bachman wins the nomination because that further insures beyond a doubt that obama will win by more electoral votes than the first time around
#2
exactly,
no one responds to a fool, since he was responded to it show legitimacy
#10…lol. But I really wouldn’t want Obama to win because of how quick he is to side with Arab nations & blow off Israel.
I think the fact that Trump pulled himself out of bankruptcy (whether he did things legally or not) show many Americans that he might know how to weasel our country out of it’s deficit.
Anyhow, when I saw the headline for this article, I thought they were going to introduce Chuck Norris into politics again. Guess not.
George Orwell (#10):
If you love our socialist godfather so much, why don’t you daven that he be re-elected on his own merit, as opposed to the alleged ineptness of his opponent?
10.
Can you sound intelligent and tell us EXACTLY what things Obama has done that you like?
Sounds to be like you are part of the 19% who strongly approve of Present Obama.
mark,
everyone knows that polls are a SAMPLE of a group of people so I could sample a bunch of blacks and get Obama a 95% approval rating
Before you all get all tied up in knots about the presidential election of 2012, keep in mind we dont even know who is running!! CHILL OUT!!
Its not Trump its the birth certificate issue that is important and needs to be brought up. From the information available to the public his entire presidency hinges on one witness in Hawaii who claimed it existed. And we know very very little about the background of this one person.
The short form is not enough to reveal given the circumstances and that his own Grandmother clearly said he was born in Kenya. (Until she retracted. But what Grandmother wouldn’t retract after being informed of the damage she had inadvertantly done) And there would be plenty reason for his parents to call in his birth to the paper (not to be President but) because it solidified his citizenship in their minds. They also didn’t want him to be considered a foreigner being that he already belonged to the unusual category of a mixed breed. So Trump ois right to raise the issue. Furthermore Obama and his State Dept clearly and continuously call Jewish settlements that Hashem commanded as illegitimate. Note the word. The midah keneged midah may just be that his illegitimacy will be exposed.
This is a joke there are serious issues that need to be addressed, this is not a movie. We are fighting three wars, have huge federal budget issues, underfunded pensions, we have a complete idiot running national security, the Gov is near a shutdown, many large states might need to be bailed out etc.
Popcorn?