I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Trump is often his own worst enemy.
For sure, his tendency to speak openly and freely has often served to his benefit. In 2016, his authenticity and relatability stood in stark contrast to Hillary Clinton’s scripted and phony persona. But it’s also been problematic because his lack of filter can be seen as undiplomatic in certain situations, which makes him even more polarizing.
In the wake of his latest indictment in Fulton County, Ga., Trump planned a press conference to present a report on the fraud that took place in Georgia, which he insisted would exonerate him.
“A Large, Complex, Detailed but Irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud which took place in Georgia is almost complete & will be presented by me at a major News Conference at 11:00 A.M. on Monday of next week in Bedminster, New Jersey,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Based on the results of this CONCLUSIVE Report, all charges should be dropped against me & others – There will be a complete EXONERATION! They never went after those that Rigged the Election. They only went after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!”
Trump’s lawyers, however, were not happy with this plan. Sources told ABC News on Thursday that Trump was advised not to hold his press conference because it would only complicate his legal problems.
It has previously been reported that Trump rejected his lawyers’ advice in the classified documents case to attempt to arrange a settlement.
“The attorney, Christopher Kise, wanted to quietly approach Justice to see if he could negotiate a settlement that would preclude charges, hoping Attorney General Merrick Garland and the department would want an exit ramp to avoid prosecuting a former president,” The Washington Post reported in June. “Kise would hopefully ‘take the temperature down,’ he told others, by promising a professional approach and the return of all documents.”
Related: How Trump Wins—Even If He Loses the Nomination
However, Trump wasn’t interested in a settlement after being convinced by others to take a more aggressive strategy. So, no settlement deal was ever proposed to prosecutors, and months later, Jack Smith was appointed special counsel, and he eventually indicted Trump.
He should have listened to his lawyers.
Despite ignoring his lawyers’ advice before, he has now followed it and canceled his planned press conference.
“Rather than releasing the Report on the Rigged & Stolen Georgia 2020 Presidential Election on Monday, my lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings as we fight to dismiss this disgraceful Indictment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
Trump may be the target of partisan prosecution, but he doesn’t always help himself with the things he says and does. As much as I can understand his reluctance to settle in the classified documents case, had he tried that approach, it would have been one less case to juggle as he runs for president again. So the fact that Trump is actually listening to his lawyers is a good sign that he’s taking the right advice, and maybe (just maybe) he’ll continue to take the advice of the experts and professionals he’s surrounding himself with.
Hopefully, Trump’s lawyers will also tell him to shift his rhetoric about the 2020 election and focus on more broad topics of enhancing election integrity. I’ve said before that election integrity is a winning issue for the GOP, but Trump has to stop making the issue so personal. Yes, there were issues with the 2020 election, but we can’t do anything about it now. We have to look forward, not back. Maybe Trump’s cancellation of his press conference is a sign that he’s going to take a more pragmatic strategy going forward.
I hope so.
