(NewsNation) — As a public figure, former President Donald Trump has lasted far longer than most, according to NewsNation senior political contributor George Will.
“He’s an entertainer. Always has been. He’s terrific at it. He has that kind of Borscht Belt timing of a good standup comedian.”
But Will also believes the act has seen better days.
“He’s been nominated three consecutive times by the Republican Party. Never happened before. He’s been the center of American politics for more than nine years, and it’s beginning, some people think, to get stale,” Will told NewsNation’s “On Balance.”
Will says Trump’s longtime strategy of throwing “red meat” to his supporters satisfies the hard-core fans but does nothing to help win over new voters.
Will compares Trump supporters to “Deadheads, the kind of people who followed The Grateful Dead from one concert to another.
“It’s a cult. It’s entertainment. It’s fun. It’s tribal. It’s warm. It’s a community. But it doesn’t expand anything.”
Will is also no fan of the personal attacks that Trump has leveled at Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, nor Harris’ retorts.
“Does the country want a campaign between two people who sound like third graders on the playground calling each other names? I don’t think so.”
During his Thursday news conference, Trump defended his personal offensive aimed at Harris.
“I think I’m entitled to personal attacks,” Trump said. “I don’t have a lot of respect for her. I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence. She certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me ‘weird.’”
Will said personal attacks do well in focus groups and get thunderous applause at rallies, “but I think it will move no independent voters. Can either of these candidates go beyond their base?”