I used to have a cat that was a self-taught mouser. While the instinct to hunt is inbred in them, cats usually need to be taught by their mothers how to kill prey.
Not my Ebony. But before delivering the fatal bite to the back of the mouse’s neck, she’d play with the creature — torture it, really. She’d catch the mouse and give a good going over, slapping it around and biting it in non-fatal areas. Then, she’d let it go.
The mouse, believing it had been delivered, would begin to limp away. Just before it reached the safety of some cubbyhole, Ebony would pounce, slamming the poor thing’s head against the floor, stunning it. She had variations on the game where she’d actually turn her back on her prey, pretending disinterest, before unerringly leaping upon the mouse just before it escaped. In this, the psychological torture of the mouse apparently added to Ebony’s enjoyment.
The game could last an hour or more. Finally, tiring of the sport, Ebony would deliver the fatal bite and saunter off to eat real cat food.
Donald Trump is not a cat. But since 2015, I have been writing about his feral instincts as a politician — easily the best I’ve seen in watching politics for nearly half a century. He knows exactly where his opponent’s weaknesses are and how to attack them. And his lack of morals makes him absolutely ruthless when he’s on the offensive.
Both Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be in Iowa today. DeSantis is at the Iowa State Fair to look for votes. The Florida governor trails Trump by 24 points in the state, according to a recent Sienna poll. Trump’s lead is much larger nationally.
Trump was in Iowa not specifically for votes, but rather to troll the Florida governor. Trump had several Florida congressmen in tow when he arrived in Iowa, highlighting the fact that he is more popular in Florida than DeSantis.
Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Carlos Gimenez, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Greg Steube and Mike Waltz will accompany Trump to the annual fair, a staple of the Iowa circuit that DeSantis will also attend, the Des Moines Register reports.
Trump has spurned several GOP “cattle call” events in Iowa and has feuded with the state’s popular Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is hosting a “fair-side chat” series with candidates on Saturday. Trump is not planning to attend a public chat with Reynolds.
The DeSantis campaign responded to news of Trump’s troll with a two-word tweet: “Rent free.”
Zoom out: DeSantis has been campaigning aggressively in the first-of-the-nation caucus state, attending nearly 30 counties as of Saturday, the New York Times reported. His campaign says he plans to visit all 99 counties in the state.
Exclusively for our VIPs: Why Is Trump Acting Like He’s Afraid of DeSantis?
At this point, Trump needs DeSantis as a foil — a punching bag to try out attack lines. And DeSantis is still trying to “right the ship” and reboot his campaign.
It could be going better.
The super PAC supporting DeSantis’ campaign announced Friday that it has at least one chairperson in all 99 of Iowa’s counties, a move that will strengthen the Florida governor’s organizing muscle.
At a taping Thursday of the conservative podcast “Ruthless,” DeSantis said he intends to visit every Iowa county. He also jabbed at Trump for so far refusing to commit to the first GOP presidential debate, in Milwaukee on August 23.
“You got to be willing to answer questions,” DeSantis said. “You’ve got to be willing to defend your record, and you’ve got to articulate a vision for the future.”
Trump will arrive at the State Fair about 1 p.m. — long after DeSantis has left. Whether DeSantis can make a stirring comeback or not, he knows it has to begin in Iowa. And so far, Iowans aren’t helping his cause any.
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