Donald Trump lashes out as DNC attacks throw him off the news

Donald Trump is not in Chicago, but his presence hangs over everything, and he clearly follows events here.

Some aides have told me that he disapproves of the Democratic National Convention because he doesn’t like watching Democratic “infomercials.”

But a senior campaign official confirmed on condition of anonymity that Trump is watching and is irritated by the attacks against him.

Trump will win in November if he sticks to talking about the economy, the border and crime, according to an aide who talks to the former president every week.

Earlier this week, that seemed possible. Trump planned a string of rallies in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona — each focused on those political and economic topics.

But here in Chicago, with night after night of anti-Trump rhetoric, staying on the news has gone out the window. His supporters tell him no, anyway.

Wednesday’s North Carolina event was vintage Trump — it turned out to be a vote on his own team’s strategy. “They always say, ‘Sir, please stick to the principle, don’t be personal’…yet [the Democrats are] All night personally, these people. Should I be more committed to the policy?” Trump asked.

Then he polled the crowd: go more policy or private? His fans roared, they wanted a Trump show, not a list of boring economic proposals. “My advisors have been fired!” He joked. He later said he would stick to the policy, but would not let the attacks go unanswered.

So now the campaign strategy seems to be tailored to the candidate’s preferences and the views of his crowd. Whether Trump can stay focused on the issues and refrain from controversial personal attacks in this election campaign will make life difficult for his campaign advisers.

A couple have already arrived this week.

On Wednesday night, Trump took to social media to criticize Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who gave a rousing speech earlier in the evening. Trump clearly didn’t like what he heard.

“Josh Shapiro, the most overrated Jewish governor of the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania, gave a very mean and nasty speech,” Trump wrote.

“I’ve done more for Israel than any president…Shapiro has done nothing for Israel and never will.”

His reference to Mr. Shapiro as a Jew did not go unnoticed. It was taken on American morning shows as an example of a breed dog whistle.

After the Obamas criticized Trump at the DNC on Tuesday night, he responded during his rally in North Carolina and, again, had a similar racial slur.

“Did you see Barack Obama last night,” Trump said. “He was gunning for your president. So was Michael.”

It is true that they took very personal shots of him, but the use of Mr Obama’s middle name has long been used to incite racial animus against him.

The problem for the Trump team is that their candidate thrives on controversy, then dominates the headlines, and then distracts from trying to point out the weaknesses in his opponent’s policy positions.

“It doesn’t matter what he talks about for 45 minutes,” one consultant told me on condition of anonymity. “One comment or answer to a question gives the left all it needs to change the topic.”