# Donald Trump's 2016 General Election Campaign

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [May 4, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901 "2016-05-04T02:37:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 262

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### Author: ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5223 "2016-08-26T03:57:13Z")

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> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> What Minnesota law says they must be selected by vote? Isn’t it a party decision?

The one I quoted just a few posts above you. Here it is again:

> [@](#):
>
> 208.03 NOMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS AND ALTERNATES.  
> Presidential electors and alternates for the major political parties of this state shall be nominated by delegate conventions called and held under the supervision of the respective state central committees of the parties of this state.

You can see it in full here:  
[https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=208.03](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=208.03)

Instead, at least five alternate electors are telling Mike Brodkorb that they were appointed recently, rather than voted on at the delegate convention. Now maybe it will come out that Brodkorb’s lying, but he’s using the real names of people he personally knows, so it’d be a pretty stupid lie.

Brodkorb is also saying that he’s heard from at least one attendee of the delegate convention who says that he never voted on these alternate electors.

Again - I don’t really doubt that Trump will be on the ballot, of course he will, but this certainly sounds like a potential hairball and not just some dude’s imagined CT. Too many real names have been named for this Brodkorb’s assertions to be completely unreal.

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### Author: ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5224 "2016-08-26T12:00:34Z")

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I see that right cunt Nigel Farage has joined Trump this week. All I can say to that is that scum seeks and finds it’s own level.

> **[Donald Trump can beat polls, UKIP's Nigel Farage tells rally](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37177938)**
>
> Outgoing UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage tells supporters of Donald Trump to get out and campaign for the Republican presidential candidate.

Farage is exactly right that this is an analogue to the Brexit vote, but not in the way he says. It’s an analogue in that Brexit was lead by populists who used race baiting, outright lies and fear of immigrants to win and then promptly all ran away rather than actually follow through on the consequences of their actions. Both Farage and arch twit Boris Johnson were too cowardly to actually lead the country through what they had been campaigning for, because they never actually intended to win, only to use a close defeat to further their own careers.

However in the UK the remain opposition was divided and weak and ran a terrible campaign. Clinton seems to be doing a much better job so I have every hope the US won’t make the same mistake.

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### Author: ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5225 "2016-08-26T14:17:12Z")

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On NBC’s _Today_ this morning, Chuck Todd [made a good point](http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/08/26/nbcs-chuck-todd-silence-republicans-after-clintons-speech-tying-trump-alt-right-stunning/212688). After Clinton spent 30 minutes yesterday call Trump a racist, **no Republican officials came to his defense.**

> [@Chuck Todd](#):
>
> Hillary Clinton called the Republican nominee [Donald Trump] a racist, and all these Republicans decided to come and say, “Oh my gosh you” – not a word. No Republicans outside the campaign said, “How dare you, Hillary Clinton, call the Republican nominee a racist.” The sound of silence among mainstream Republican elected officials yesterday is stunning

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### Author: ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5226 "2016-08-26T14:25:34Z")

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There are some reports this morning that Trump’s new campaign manager may be [illegally claiming an abandoned Florida property](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/08/26/stephen_bannon_may_be_committing_voter_fraud_with_illegal_florida_registration.html) as his residence (and registering to vote there) when he is really a California resident.

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### Author: ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5227 "2016-08-26T14:29:27Z")

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> [@JohnT](#):
>
> [Texas Elector wavering on voting Trump, may vote HRC regardless](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-electoral-college-texas-chris-suprun-227422)

Not the first time this has been reported. I have to wonder if these electors are simply trying to save face by repudiating Trump. If they truly wanted to be faithless because they thought it was the right thing to do, wouldn’t they want to keep their mouths shut until after the electoral votes are cast?

Publicly announcing that you may vote against the will of your state is a great way to get replaced before the electors vote in December. Texas doesn’t have any laws against faithless electors that I know of, so I don’t see much benefit to giving the EC a heads up other than a sense of obligation.

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### Author: ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5228 "2016-08-26T14:31:08Z")

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> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#):
>
> There are some reports this morning that Trump’s new campaign manager may be [illegally claiming an abandoned Florida property](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/08/26/stephen_bannon_may_be_committing_voter_fraud_with_illegal_florida_registration.html) as his residence (and registering to vote there) when he is really a California resident.

I’ve moved a bunch of times and always registered at my new residence, but I’ve never called the previous place and told them I’d moved. I wonder if/how voter rolls are updated when people move (and if I’m still registered in St. Louis City, New York, Cincinnati, Columbia MO… Was I supposed to tell them?) Maybe Bannon is registered in California and the Florida registration is just vestigial?

Which is not to defend Bannon. By all accounts he’s a horrible horrible person, and I hope he gets raked over the coals and ousted from Trump’s scampaign. I’m just wondering if this is a major issue or just a common gap in rolls being updated.

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### Author: ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5229 "2016-08-26T14:49:16Z")

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> [@JohnT](#):
>
> Where are the Republicans speaking out in Trump’s defense after Hillary’s speech today?

> [@Bayard](#):
>
> On NBC’s _Today_ this morning, Chuck Todd [made a good point](http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/08/26/nbcs-chuck-todd-silence-republicans-after-clintons-speech-tying-trump-alt-right-stunning/212688). After Clinton spent 30 minutes yesterday call Trump a racist, **no Republican officials came to his defense.**

He sure did! I wonder if he reads the Dope? 😉

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### Author: ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5230 "2016-08-26T14:52:11Z")

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> [@Bayard](#):
>
> Which is not to defend Bannon. By all accounts he’s a horrible horrible person, and I hope he gets raked over the coals and ousted from Trump’s scampaign. I’m just wondering if this is a major issue or just a common gap in rolls being updated.

According to the more in-depth [Guardian piece](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump), the issue seems to be that he’s been a California resident the whole time, but transferred his official residence and voter registration to Florida in 2014 despite never actually living there. If true, this would be more serious than simply not informing his former jurisdiction that he moved, but there may end up being more to the story. For someone so all-consumed about voter fraud and election rigging, it’s still pretty bad.

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### Author: ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5231 "2016-08-26T14:57:23Z")

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> [@Merneith](#):
>
> The one I quoted just a few posts above you. Here it is again:
> 
> You can see it in full here:  
> [Sec. 208.03 MN Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=208.03)
> 
> Instead, at least five alternate electors are telling Mike Brodkorb that they were appointed recently, rather than voted on at the delegate convention. Now maybe it will come out that Brodkorb’s lying, but he’s using the real names of people he personally knows, so it’d be a pretty stupid lie.
> 
> Brodkorb is also saying that he’s heard from at least one attendee of the delegate convention who says that he never voted on these alternate electors.
> 
> Again - I don’t really doubt that Trump will be on the ballot, of course he will, but this certainly sounds like a potential hairball and not just some dude’s imagined CT. Too many real names have been named for this Brodkorb’s assertions to be completely unreal.

I didn’t mean to suggest this was a conspiracy theory, just that this is really a minor technicality. The state law does not say there must be a vote, just that they are chosen at a delegate convention. It seems the full story is that they forgot to select alternates at the convention, they did select the official electors. So they called an emergency session and did so. Now that apparently violates a state party bylaw because they didn’t give 10 days notice of this meeting but the government has accepted the list.

> [@](#):
>
> Minnesota GOP officials blamed new rules about requiring alternates for the confusion, and others have pointed out the state party’s constitution didn’t even allow for electing alternates.

[WaPo article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/25/how-donald-trump-almost-missed-the-ballot-in-minnesota-and-what-that-says-about-his-campaign/)

So there may be some problems but it won’t be because these alternates weren’t voted for. I seriously doubt any judge would decide to take the GOP off the ballot. When both major parties missed the Texas deadline in 2008 but got put on the ballot anyway, the Libertarian candidate’s lawsuit was dismissed without comment.

> **[Texas Supreme Court Rejects Barr Request](https://www.ktbs.com/news/texas-supreme-court-rejects-barr-request/article_558d61c6-ae27-5461-ba80-e72887f68672.html)**
>
> AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Supreme Court has rejected a request by Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr to keep Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama off the Texas

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### Author: ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5232 "2016-08-26T15:01:30Z")

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> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#):
>
> According to the more in-depth [Guardian piece](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump), the issue seems to be that he’s been a California resident the whole time, but transferred his official residence and voter registration to Florida in 2014 despite never actually living there. If true, this would be more serious than simply not informing his former jurisdiction that he moved, but there may end up being more to the story. For someone so all-consumed about voter fraud and election rigging, it’s still pretty bad.

Since Florida has no state income tax, I wonder if he has used this Miami house as his address for tax purposes as well. Many people are asking this.

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### Author: ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5233 "2016-08-26T15:07:16Z")

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> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#):
>
> According to the more in-depth [Guardian piece](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump), the issue seems to be that he’s been a California resident the whole time, but transferred his official residence and voter registration to Florida in 2014 despite never actually living there. If true, this would be more serious than simply not informing his former jurisdiction that he moved, but there may end up being more to the story. For someone so all-consumed about voter fraud and election rigging, it’s still pretty bad.

Ah, thanks for that. Yeah, if true, that’s a reason to start sharpening the pitchforks.

> [@Crotalus](#):
>
> Since Florida has no state income tax, I wonder if he has used this Miami house as his address for tax purposes as well. Many people are asking this.

Now you’re talking! Pitchforks and torches it is!!

Who would have thought that an esteemed Breitbart journalist would be suspected of this kind of caper?

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### Author: ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5234 "2016-08-26T15:39:29Z")

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> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#):
>
> There are some reports this morning that Trump’s new campaign manager may be [illegally claiming an abandoned Florida property](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/08/26/stephen_bannon_may_be_committing_voter_fraud_with_illegal_florida_registration.html) as his residence (and registering to vote there) when he is really a California resident.

It turns out Bannon was also charged with domestic violence in 1996: [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432)

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5235 "2016-08-26T15:48:46Z")

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Such a nice group of folks Trump’s pallin’ around with these days.

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### Author: ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5236 "2016-08-26T15:52:05Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> It turns out Bannon was also charged with domestic violence in 1996: [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432)

Guess what the talking point on this is?

“But it was so long ago! And dismissed!”

I, too, note that he has multiple marriages.

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### Author: ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5237 "2016-08-26T16:02:04Z")

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> [@JohnT](#):
>
> Guess what the talking point on this is?
> 
> “But it was so long ago! And dismissed!”
> 
> I, too, note that he has multiple marriages.

Bannon has set himself up perfectly as the recipient of the age-old question: “Mr Bannon, have you stopped beating your wife?”

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### Author: ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5238 "2016-08-26T16:05:58Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> It turns out Bannon was also charged with domestic violence in 1996: [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432)

Trump grabbed Ailes to come work with his campaign a few short weeks after Ailes was finally fired for decades of sexual harassment, possible assault and blackmailing female employees. You don’t think he gives a shit about a little domestic battery, do you?

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### Author: ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5239 "2016-08-26T17:11:16Z")

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Sarah Palin warns the Trumptanic on immigration: [Sarah Palin predicts 'a huge erosion of support' if Trump backs down from 1 key part of his immigration pitch](http://www.aol.com/article/2016/08/26/sarah-palin-predicts-a-huge-erosion-of-support-if-trump-backs/21459455/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5240 "2016-08-26T17:38:18Z")

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> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Such a nice group of folks Trump’s pallin’ around with these days.

Trump sure hires the best people, doesn’t he?

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### Author: ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5241 "2016-08-26T18:02:37Z")

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> [@Bayard](#):
>
> Maybe Bannon is registered in California and the Florida registration is just vestigial?

You mean like Trump’s tail?

[SIZE=“1”](They missed \*that \*on those nude statues!)[/SIZE]

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### Author: ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5242 "2016-08-26T18:15:06Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Sarah Palin warns the Trumptanic on immigration: [News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com](http://www.aol.com/article/2016/08/26/sarah-palin-predicts-a-huge-erosion-of-support-if-trump-backs/21459455/)

> [@](#):
>
> Sarah Palin predicts ‘a huge erosion of support’ if Trump backs down from 1 key part of his immigration pitch

And **that’s** the Trap that Trump finds himself in. Keep up his “immigrants are all rapists and criminals and I’ll deport them all” talk, and lose bigly among the non-white voters in the country;

or

Backtrack ever so slightly, and lose the votes of the nasty racist immigrant haters that form the bulk of his support.

At the moment, Trump’s solution is going back and forth between both camps, denying everything he said the previous day. Not sure how that’s gonna work out for him.

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