“Make or Break: Trump’s Acuity in the Line of Fire

The reconfiguration of the American political landscape has been underway since Donald Trump announced his entry into the Republican Presidential Primary. While Trump’s rivals have campaigned fiercely, they have seized opportunities to challenge his acuity on various policy issues. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who recently announced his candidacy for the presidency, took pains to contrast himself from Trump, whom he accused of taking “self-congratulatory shortcuts” on policy. In a written statement, Huckabee stated his commitment to detailed policy positions as opposed to Trump’s approach of broadly appealing rhetoric. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has also been quick to offer his own alternative to Trump’s stance on immigration. Referencing Trump’s much-debated call for a wall on the US-Mexico border, Cruz has taken the stage at many campaign rallies to explain his own vision for comprehensive immigration reform. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has focused his efforts on economic reform, offering his oft-cited “Four Percent Solution” as a contrast to Trump’s vague economic promises. Jeb’s plan centers around a 4% increase in annual economic growth, and its broad premise has generated some public support—as opposed to Trump’s inability to explain a similarly comprehensive vision. For the Democratic contenders, the strategy has been slightly different. As a candidate who self-identifies as a political outsider, Bernie Sanders has taken steps to distance himself from both Trump’s platform and his penchant for personal attacks. Not to be overshadowed, Hillary Clinton has adopted a platform of economic security and education reform, which she has used to challenge Trump’s economic proposals. Specifically, she has been critical of his goal of cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans, which Clinton has referred to as a “catastrophe” for the working and middle classes. It’s clear that as Donald Trump and his sizable public profile loom large in the 2016 Presidential Election, his opponents will seize upon any opportunity to challenge his acuity and present their own political and policy platforms.