Bill Kristol writes of Trump’s “dark shadows” bit from Monday night: “The key moment in this exchange is when Ingraham interrupts Trump and says, ‘What does that mean? That sounds like a conspiracy theory. Dark shadows, what is that?'”
“When Laura Ingraham is amazed by something Donald Trump has said, and tries to save him from himself? Donald Trump has jumped the shark. But of course Trump often jumps the shark. And here we still are. And perhaps one shouldn’t, after all, be too alarmed by a politician claiming his opponent is being manipulated by men operating in the dark shadows. Politicians exaggerate and even make up things. It’s life in a democracy. But this wasn’t just any politician. It was the president. And this isn’t just any president. It’s one who’s not been afraid to encourage, or at least excuse, violence by his supporters. And it’s one who has shown himself willing to weaponize the executive branch of the federal government against his opponents. And it’s one who feels utterly unconstrained by norms and even laws when he can find a way around them. Or can get away with ignoring them. And it’s a president who has found many, many willing accomplices, enablers and rationalizers willing to work with him in the executive branch, protect him in Congress, support him from outside with money and influence, and—like Ingraham—defend him in the media.”