Trump Goes Saul Alinsky on Hugh Hewitt

February 26, 2016

Writer

Donald Trump isn't shy about discussing money. He frequently boasts that his net worth is more than $10 billion. However, Mitt Romney has thrown Trump's net worth into question with his recent demand to see Trump's tax returns.

“I think we have good reason to believe that there’s a bombshell in Donald Trump’s taxes," Mitt Romney said on national television. "Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is, or he hasn’t been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay."

Naturally, the question of tax returns came up during last night's CNN GOP debate when each candidate quickly agreed they would release their tax returns --- except for Trump. No, the self-proclaimed billionaire used several tried and true Saul Alinsky tactics, attacking Hugh Hewitt.

HUGH: Mr. Trump, a year ago, you told me on my radio show, the audio and the transcript are out there on YouTube, that you would release your tax returns.

DONALD: True.

HUGH: Are you going back on your . . .

DONALD: No. First of all, very few people listen to your radio show. That's the good news. (booing) Which happens to be true. Check out the ratings.

Rather than answer the question, Trump attacked Hewitt's ratings, employing classic Alinsky tactics:

RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.

RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.

"We've been seeing rookies with Saul Alinsky tactics with the White House. Those guys are rookies compared to this guy. You might as well be listening to Saul Alinsky himself," Glenn said. "He's been on [the Hugh Hewitt show] several times. ...If he was that bad, why are you on the Hugh Hewitt show?"

Not a fan of Trump's Alinsky tactics? Now you can show it to the world. Get your 'Gotta call Saul!' T-shirt today!

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: Last night, did you guys notice what he said about Hugh Hewitt?

PAT: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: For no reason. What did he say to Hugh Hewitt last night?

STU: About his ratings.

GLENN: About his ratings. Why? Because he was asking him a question, and he asked all of them: I want to be fair, I want to ask, when are you going to release? When are you going to release? When are you going to release? When he got to Donald Trump, he asked him, and Donald Trump said, "You know, Hugh, nobody listens to you, anyway. You have low, low ratings."

Okay. Well, if he has such low ratings, Don, why were you on his show on February 2nd? He was his show on February 2nd. And it's not that he was just on his show. What did he say on that show. Do you guys know?

STU: I did not catch that one, no.

GLENN: Do you know, Jeffy?

JEFFY: No, I missed that episode of the Hugh Hewitt Show. I'm sorry.

GLENN: Pat, do you happen to have that audio or not? Did you put that in the machine or not?

PAT: I did. I got to find it here. What was he saying?

GLENN: On the Hugh Hewitt Show?

PAT: Yeah. Yeah.

GLENN: He was saying who he would have as vice president.

PAT: Oh, right.

JEFFY: Right.

GLENN: Who would he pick as vice president.

JEFFY: While Pat is looking at that, don't forget, Donald slams down Hugh at the debate. Slams down Telemundo at the debate. Then a little bit later, "You know, my lawsuit with Univision is over. So they're great now. We're good friends again." I mean, it doesn't compute. We're just slam you right in front of everybody.

STU: Yeah. By the way, before we go to Hewitt clip here. Hugh Hewitt has done a really good job at coming up with actual substantive questions for Donald Trump.

PAT: He has.

STU: And he's been stumped over and over again. It's nothing to do with his ratings. It's the fact that he's caught him in moment after moment of being uninformed.

GLENN: I thought Hugh was totally fine last night.

PAT: He was absolutely fine. And here's what Trump said on his show. And you said, again, this is ancient history. Three weeks ago.

GLENN: Ancient. February 2nd.

PAT: Wow.

HUGH: But can we rule out Ted Cruz as your vice presidential pick?

DONALD: Well, I don't know. Look, I have nothing against Ted. It was sort of a sad thing that happened. But I've always liked him. I've always gotten along well with him.

GLENN: I've always liked him. I've always gotten along well with him.

PAT: And will not rule him out --

GLENN: He's the liar. He's the worst person ever born.

STU: He's never met a bigger liar in his entire life.

GLENN: He's a sociopath. He's not just a liar. He's a sociopath. It's incredible. It's incredible.

Okay. So now, where do we go from here? Well, I think we have to go to some of the things that Rubio caught him on. Because it was extraordinarily satisfying. I'd like to welcome Marco Rubio to the party. I'd like to welcome, everybody to the party who was on the party last night. I don't know if you saw the CNN reporters before, but they were all like, "How is this happening?" Because you guys have let all this happen. You didn't listen -- what did we say when the Tea Party was going on? All people want to do is feel like someone is listening to them. And if you don't listen to them now, it will get worse and worse. And it will fester. So you got to listen to them. They're still not listening to them.

GLENN: Here's Donald Trump last night about with Hugh Hewitt.

DONALD: Every single question comes to me. I know I'm here for the ratings. But it's a little ridiculous.

HUGH: Mr. Trump, a year ago, you told me on my radio show, the audio and the transcript are out there on YouTube, that you would release your tax returns.

DONALD: True.

HUGH: Are you going back on your --

DONALD: No. First of all, very few people listen to your radio show. That's the good news.

(booing)

DONALD: Which happens to be true. Check out the ratings.

GLENN: So what does he do? What is his pattern? What is his pattern? Check out the ratings. Check out the ratings. Deflect. Attack. Deflect. Attack.

PAT: His pattern is Saul Alinsky.

GLENN: Saul Alinsky. You might as well be listening to a pro -- you might as well be listening -- I was going to say a pro at Saul Alinsky's -- we've been seeing rookies with Saul Alinsky tactics with the White House. Those guys are rookies compared to this guy. You might as well be listening to Saul Alinsky himself. This guy is employing every Saul Alinsky tactic. Now, he was on the Hugh Hewitt show a year ago. He's been on several times. Here he is again on just four weeks ago, three weeks ago. If he was that bad, why are you on the Hugh Hewitt show?

HUGH: Well, can we rule out Ted Cruz as your vice presidential pick?

DONALD: Well, I don't know. Look, I have nothing against Ted. It was sort of a sad thing that happened. But I've always liked him. I've always gotten along well with him.

PAT: I mean, there's a lot going on there, first of all. He just insulted Hugh for having ratings. Then what are you doing on the show? That's pathetic. Secondly, he says nothing about Ted Cruz but nasty things now, except when he's on Hugh Hewitt's Show. And then he says he's a good guy, he's got nothing against him, he's kind of sad what's happened with him.

GLENN: It's incredible.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Absolutely incredible.

Trump's TOP FIVE accomplishments BEFORE taking office

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Donald Trump hasn't even begun his second term, and he is already making major moves that eclipse the Biden administration. Here are Trump's top FIVE most impressive feats that he has achieved before taking office:

Stock market surge

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Immediately after the election, all major indexes skyrocketed. Trump's election bolstered confidence in the long-term stability of the U.S. economy. Just a few days after November 5th, Glenn had financial expert Carol Roth on his show to discuss what this actually means for America, and long story short, the forecast was very optimistic. America has another chance at a golden era, especially for small businesses.

Bitcoin boom

Bitcoin experienced its own surge in the immediate aftermath of Trump's re-election, breaching the $100,000 valuation for the first time in the digital currency's history and doubling in value from the beginning of the year. The rise is attributed to Trump's favorable stance towards cryptocurrencies and strong opposition to the idea of a "Fed Coin," a cryptocurrency made by the Federal Reserve. This ensures people can purchase Bitcoin and other cryptos without the government swooping in and shutting it down.

Media comes to heel

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In a shocking twist of events, even some of the mainstream media pivoted, agreeing to meet with President Trump and making future plans for cooperation with the President.

Just a few weeks after Trump's historic victory, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” made a trip to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the president-elect. This comes after years of the duo bashing Trump as a dictator and a fascist.

Naturally, the dramatic shift was met with whiplash from "Morning Joe's" viewer base, and the couple lost half of their audience within a week. Either Scarborough and Brzezinski were lying about Trump, or they decided to bend the knee to "literally Hitler." Either way, their credibility pretty much went out the window.

Dealings with Trudeau

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Last week, Trump announced that he would impose a massive 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico unless they agree to crack down on their contribution to the migrant and fentanyl crisis plaguing the U.S. This grabbed the attention of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, as 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. Trudeau made an unplanned visit to Mar-a-Lago to discuss this proposed tariff. Later Trudeau commented that he had "an excellent conversation" with Trump.

Defeated phony charges

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After his re-election, all of the federal criminal charges remaining against Trump were dropped, concluding the years of assault from the Biden Department of Justice. This is due to the Department of Justice's longstanding precedent of not prosecuting a sitting president.

The LIES Joe Biden, the White House, and the media made about Hunter's pardon will disgust you

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President Joe Biden gave his son, Hunter, a sweeping presidential pardon that erased the past ten years of his criminal record.

Despite President Biden's repeated promise that he would not pardon his son, Glenn saw right through the charade. Glenn predicted Biden had always intended to pardon Hunter, waiting until after the election to avoid damaging Harris's presidential campaign despite White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the entire corporate media establishment reiterating Biden's insistence that he would not pardon his son.

Here are three glaring examples of Biden and the media lying about the president's intentions to pardon Hunter:

President Biden claims he "ruled out" the possibility of pardoning Hunter.

@independent Joe Biden has issued a pardon for his son Hunter following his conviction on federal gun charges, despite previously claiming he would not do so. The president officially announced the decision on Sunday (1 December) saying that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” by the Justice Department. In a statement, he said he hoped the American people would understand his decision as a father. The sudden announcement was a full reversal of the stance he took six months ago when he announced publicly he would not pardon Hunter, should he be convicted. #hunter #biden ♬ original sound - Independent

This video shows several times in which Biden publically insisted that he would not pardon Hunter. This elite hypocrisy has become indicative of the Biden administration and the fuel behind Trump's overwhelming victory in November.

Biden owes KJP an apology.

Nobody has more egg on their face after this debacle than White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. As this video demonstrates, KJP repeated Biden's promise not to pardon his son. When Biden went back on his word, she had to scramble to provide some semblance of a defense for his decision.

The corporate media coverup.

The mainstream media belittled anyone who suggested that Biden would pardon Hunter. Now, these clips are a perfect example of the mainstream media's complicity of promoting whatever contradictory narrative emerges from the White House.

Who is Pam Bondi, Trump's new AG pick?

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With Matt Gaetz out of the picture, President Trump has already named former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his latest pick as his US Attorney General.

As US Attorney General, Bondi will be placed at the head of the Department of Justice, the most crucial role in Trump's plans to root out the deep state. As Glenn discussed on his radio show, the Biden White House has weaponized the Department of Justice, against President Trump in an attempt to thwart his 2024 re-election. The Department of Justice is crooked to the core, and it will take a herculean effort to bring enduring reform to this pivotal government agency.

Does Pam Bondi have what it takes to lead the Department of Justice? What does her resume look like? Does she have any skeletons in the closet that the Democrats could use against her? Here's everything you need to know about Pam Bondi below:

Bondi's Resume

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Bondi started her career as a prosecutor working for the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office where she handled countless cases that ranged from domestic violence to murder. In 2010 Bondi made history by becoming Florida's first female attorney general. She spent her time in office fighting back against Florida's opioid crisis and openly challenged Obamacare.

Bondi worked with the first Trump administration, using her experience fighting the opioid crisis in Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. After Trump was impeached for the first time, Bondi joined the team of defense lawyers fighting back against the prosecution's allegations.

Bondi has spent the last four years working for a Florida-based lobbying firm, but she still showed support for President Trump by making appearances alongside him during the New York City hush money trial.

Bondi's Dedication to fix the DoJ

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Judging by her track record and the testimony of her colleagues, Bondi is more than capable of tackling the Department of Justice. Bondi has a record of following and enforcing the rule of law and has spent much of her career making communities safer. Bondi has firsthand experience with political elitists and corruption, having worked at nearly every level of the government from the bottom to the top.

Bondi stood by Trump as he faced impeachment and stayed by his side as he faced waves of lawfare after 2020. It's clear that Bondi has great respect for President Trump and is deeply familiar with the weaponization of the Department of Justice. It seems like she has what it takes to fix the system.

Bondi's Potential Controversies

Tom Williams / Contributor | Getty Images

The Mainstream Media wasted no time digging up dirt on Bondi, looking for anything that might stand between her and a Senate confirmation.

The biggest story circulating the media involves a 2013 case about "Trump University," a now-defunct company that offered courses in real estate, entrepreneurship, and other similar courses. In 2013, the New York Attorney General's office went after Trump University due to reports that the program was a "scam." Bondi began a similar investigation, which allegedly came to a halt after she received a $25,000 check from the Trump Foundation for her re-election campaign. Bondi has never been formally accused of illegal activity, but now that she is under the national spotlight, she could face serious scrutiny.

Bondi's tenure as a lobbyist has also been called into question. She was registered as a lobbyist for several foreign and corporate entities, which could be seen as a potential weakness or conflict of interest—or at the very least bring her dedication to fighting corruption into question.

AI Jesus and other INSANE new uses of Artificial Intelligence

Glenn has repeatedly warned about the dangers artificial intelligence poses to humanity. Yet, it seems like every week, some new AI project seems to inch us closer to that worst-case scenario.

It's not all bad. Even Glenn could resist the urge to buy an AI-powered, flamethrower-wielding, robotic dog to accompany him on his ranch. The future is here, and these are threeinsane new ways the power of AI is being harnessed — for better or worse.

AI Jesus

GraphicaArtis / Contributor | Getty Images

Many have wished to have a face-to-face conversation with Jesus, but this probably isn't what anyone had in mind. A church in Lucerne, Switzerland recently teamed up with scientists and computer experts from the nearby Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts to create a digital duplicate of Christ designed to listen to confessions and give scripture-supported advice to those who ask. The computer even creates a hologram image of Jesus that talks to people in real time. The AI was trained with the New Testament and "religious information found online," and is fluent in over 100 languages.

While some are impressed with his answers to moderately complex theological questions, many are skeptical, claiming that giving a machine the face and name of God is a form of idolatry. Others worry that it will turn Jesus into a "woke warrior."

AI Coca-Cola Ad

The holiday season is upon us, and Coca-Cola has released its newest Christmas ad campaign. These latest commercials feature shiny, Coca-Cola red semi-trucks driving through an idyllic winter wonderland on a mission to deliver soda to a festively decorated town — standard holiday ad fare. But this year, Coca-Cola decided to put a "futuristic spin" on their ad campaign — the commercials are all AI-generated. It doesn't take a detective to spot the tell-tale AI hallmarks, from truck wheels that don't spin as the truck is driving to the eerie expressions of the people in the ad that twist and contort in creepy ways. The holiday magic is lost.

AI Grandma

A British telecom company, Virgin Media O2, unveiled Daisy, an AI chatbot designed to scam the scammers. Daisy is designed to sound and talk like an elderly woman and is tasked to deliberately connect with telephone scammers (who typically target older people) and waste their time with heaps of meandering chatter so that scammers have less time to target real people. Daisy has already proved capable of fooling scammers into long phone conversations, which ultimately end up fruitless. Can you think of a better use of AI?

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