Karl Rove, among the big name conservatives who are openly hostile to Donald Trump’s birther-centric sort of-presidential campaign, apparently tried to give Trump a rhetorical way out of his talk about President Obama’s birth certificate.
On Fox News on Monday, Rove described how Trump apparently took the advice to heart — and then immediately ignored it.
It’s the latest round of the war of words between Trump and Rove, which kicked off when Rove told Fox that Trump was “joke candidate.”
Rove told Fox on Monday, as he did last week, that Trump’s lost his way with the birther talk. He said that Trump’s birther focus was “beneath him” and suggested that Trump’s business background could be a real asset to the Republican field.
He even offered Trump a way out of the birther corner he’s painted himself into when, as Rove put it, Trump’s “political guy” called him to complain about the first Fox interview.
Michael Cohen, who ABC News called Trump’s “political pit bull” did not respond to a request for a comment left on his cell phone.
At first, Rove said, team Trump seemed interested in the help Rove offered.
“He told me well it’s not Mr. Trump’s fault. He says the press keeps asking him about it,” Rove said, describing the conversation about birtherism. “I said next time he’s asked about it why doesn’t he say ‘that’s the last I’m going to say about it.’ He called me become a half hour later and said ‘Mr. Trump appreciates your advice and that’s exactly what he’s going to do.’”
And that was the end of that. Until Trump opened his mouth again.
“Then [Trump] goes out yesterday and says, this birth issue — birther issue, the birth certificate issue — is a real big issue,” Rove said. “Fine, go ahead and do that. It marginalizes the guy who has potential to contribute.”
Watch Rove:
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