Stump Trump

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Mollie Hemingway notes that Chuck Todd failed to ask Donald Trump a single substantive policy question on Meet the Press on Sunday:

Chuck Todd is the ultimate issues guy! So imagine my surprise when the very same Chuck Todd interviewed Donald Trump by phone for the first time on Meet the Press this weekend.

The ultimate issues guy literally didn’t ask a single “issue” question apart from what Trump thinks about Black Lives Matter. And Trump isn’t running for a seat in the House of Representatives. He’s running for president.

For his time with Trump, though, Todd asked the following questions:

•Why do you think you’re resonating so quickly in the Republican field?
•Why do you believe there is this sort of polarizing view of you?
•Why did you downplay your expectations on debating?
•How would you advise a candidate to debate you onstage?
•What is this? Seriously, what kind of silliness is this?

In what world do you put a random economics professor from nowhere through some economic and foreign policy ringer but handle a man with decades of international media experience with kid gloves? I don’t get it.

I’m sure Mollie is being coy, because of course she gets it — Trump is a useful distraction from the actual conservative candidates, and will be propped up by Todd and his ilk for as long as Trump remains useful.