While a lot of people were mysteriously absent when Donald Trump came to call this morning, a group of Republican congressmen did show up in hopes of catching their presidential nominee in an uncharacteristically sane moment. Trump was quick to disappoint them.
He talked in broad strokes about the Supreme Court, trade, tax reform, securing borders, Saddam Hussein and how the media has been unfair to him.
Trade, the court, tax reform. Sounds like a standard set of issues ... but what was that about Saddam Hussein?
That would be the Saddam killed a lot of terrorists pitch that Trump has included in recent campaign rallies. The bit where Saddam was so, so effective because he didn’t have to bother with things like rights. Which, oddly enough, it wasn’t a pitch that even GOP congressfolks were eager to receive.
"It's awkward. It's really awkward," Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said when asked what it was like to sit in a meeting when the nominee doubled down on his stump speech line that Saddam Hussein had killed a lot of terrorists. "There is a lack of enthusiasm. You can feel it."
In other words, expect Trump to double down on this line in his next speech, and to add comments on how everybody tells him he’s right.
But wait! There was more than just his daily paean to a strongman.
What else did he say?
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) said that members asked about his effect on the House and Senate races. One member asked pointedly about Trump's comments about Hispanic voters.
"He said Hispanics love him," Dent said, noting that the polls showed no such thing. "All I can say is that I haven't endorsed him. I believe he has a lot of persuading to do."
Uh-huh. And?
Another Republican in the meeting who declined to go on the record so he could speak candidly told TPM that Trump was asked pointedly if he would defend Article I of the Constitution.
"Not only will I stand up for Article One," Trump enthusiastically stated, according to the member in the room. "I'll stand up for Article Two, Article 12, you name it of the Constitution."
How about protecting Article 15 and Article 16? What about Article 248? Huh?
The Republican member said that Trump's lack of knowledge about how many articles exist, gave him "a little pause." (The Constitution has seven articles and 27 amendments.)
Here’s the most shocking thing to come out of this: This article was not generated at The Onion, and we’re not talking about jokes from one of D.C.’s press events. This is the presidential nominee of the Republican Party speaking to Republican congressmen at the RNC.
