With only 50 days to go, it's worth it to ask one last time, "why is Donald Trump even doing this?" There are a lot of plausible answers, but the one that makes the most sense is that Trump wants revenge for being humiliated.
This explanation also follows Trump's Razor, which is like Occam's Razor, except it says the stupidest explanation for Trump's behavior is usually the correct one. Donald Trump is running for president because, on April 30, 2011, Seth Myers and Barack Obama brutally double-teamed him in front of one of America's fanciest crowds and left him for dead.
"Whatever," you're saying, "he showed up knowing he'd take a few punches." No, he didn't. Despite leading a smear campaign against the President, Trump accepted the invitation of a newspaper publisher's daughter to attend the dinner. Talking to reporters in the long security line, Trump was actually asked if he was nervous, considering Hawaii had just released his long-form birth certificate. "No," Donald said, "I don't think Obama would address me." Instead, after mocking Trump indirectly with a Lion King clip of his "birth video," this is what Obama said about Trump directly.
Donald Trump is here tonight! (Laughter and applause.) Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. (Laughter.) And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter –- like, did we fake the moon landing? (Laughter.) What really happened in Roswell? (Laughter.) And where are Biggie and Tupac? (Laughter and applause.)
But all kidding aside, obviously, we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience. (Laughter.) For example -- no, seriously, just recently, in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice -- (laughter) -- at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team cooking did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks. And there was a lot of blame to go around. But you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. And so ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil’ Jon or Meatloaf. (Laughter.) You fired Gary Busey. (Laughter.) And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. (Laughter and applause.) Well handled, sir. (Laughter.) Well handled.
Trump learned an important lesson in that moment: no matter how rich and famous you are, the President can belittle you in front of 3,000 of the most influential people in America. Indeed, Trump has never directly insulted Obama since in the way he does fellow Republicans or Hillary Clinton. Simply put, Obama humiliated Trump so badly that Trump is afraid of him. Trump knows Obama, unlike every 2016 candidate, can successfully roast him. The only way for Trump to get Obama back would be to become president himself.
But Obama's routine wouldn't have pushed Trump over the edge if he wasn't followed by Seth Meyers.
Meyers was best known in 2011 as the anchor of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update (he was also head writer at SNL), as this was before he took over Late Night. Weekend Update is almost entirely setup and punch-line zingers, sometimes a rarity in comedy today, and Meyers let one after another tear into Trump.
And then of course there's Donald Trump. Donald Trump has been saying he will run for President as a Republican, which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke.
Donald Trump often appears on Fox, which is ironic because a Fox often appears on Donald Trump's head. If you're at the Washington Post table with Trump and you can't finish your entree, don't worry – the Fox will eat it.
And if I can for a moment talk about the birther issue – when did we get so suspicious about where people were born? A USA Today poll last week said 38% of Americans think the President was definitely born in the US. In the same poll – in the very same poll – only 5% more said Donald Trump was definitely born in the US. Has it reached the point where Americans only think someone was born here if they saw it? I know I was born here, and I know my younger brother was born here, but when it comes to my older brother, I can only take him at his word.
Gary Busey said recently that Donald Trump would make a great President. Of course he said the same thing about an old rusty bird cage that he found.
Donald Trump owns the Miss USA Pageant, which is great for Republicans since it will streamline their search for a Vice-President.
Donald Trump said recently he has a great relationship with the blacks, but unless the blacks are a family of white people I bet he is mistaken.
I like that Trump is filthy rich, but nobody told his accent. His whole life is models and gold leaf and marble columns, but he still sounds like a know-it-all down at the OTB.
Mr. Trump may not be a good choice for President, but he would definitely make a great Press Secretary. How much fun would that be? 'Kim Jun Il is a loser – his latest rally was a flop. I feel bad for Ahmadinejad – the man wears a wind breaker, he has no class. I on the other hand sell my own line of ties. You can find them at Macy's in the flammable section.'
As soon as Meyers finished, Trump and Melania got up and left. Much like Obama, Trump has never since directly attacked Meyers the way he's insulted into Colbert, Stewart, and other late-night comedians. Trump even made up a feud that didn't exist with John Oliver. Trump would likely say it's because Meyers has low ratings, but that's what Trump says about Morning Joe and according to his Twitter, Trump watches (and insults) that show every day. Donald Trump avoids conflict with people who have taken him on and won. At least until he can be sure he has the upper hand.
So why didn't Trump immediately run for President? Well, for one, he'd just signed a new contract with Celebrity Apprentice, a Trump property that actually made money and kept him in the spotlight. For another, he'd be facing Obama, who proved he could humiliate Trump in public. But unlike Trump's previous flirtations with running going back to 1988, by 2013 he was actually serious (and still tweeting about Obama's birth). The first people to hear this were New York Republicans, who approached him to run for Governor. Trump received them warmly, but told the skeptical operatives his goals were higher. Not long after, he met Corey Lewandowski, his first of three campaign managers, and began collecting a small but admiring staff. Meyers and Obama have continued to mock him, but being a real candidate has given him the armor he lacked on that fateful April night.
Since then, despite his alleged laser focus on immigration, the core message has really been "we're taking our country back." Annoyed liberals often ask "from whom?" but his supporters know the answer, and it's Barack Hussein Obama. Clearly, Obama had reason enough to want revenge on Trump, and Meyers would have been silly to ignore the huge target in the room, but that wonderful night of liberal schadenfreude has come at a terrible price.