Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / 2016 Campaign / Will Democrats Be Able to Define Trump?

Will Democrats Be Able to Define Trump?

May 17, 2016 at 9:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 115 Comments

Rick Klein: “What’s new in the anti-Trump playbook? Not much, at least so far as the first major wave of anti-Trump spending from Priorities USA, Hillary Clinton’s main super PAC. Two new ads, the start of a more than $100 million-promised blitz, use Trump’s own words about women to attack him among, yes, women. The quotes in the ads are more familiar to those who paid attention to the long primary campaign than those who are just tuning in.”

“But the fact of the ad push, while pro-Trump super PACs are still forming (and fighting for legitimacy), points to one Clinton advantage at this stage. Clinton allies have enough time, and are expecting enough resources, that they can try and fail a few times in efforts to define Trump. Trump forces can’t do the same – at least by traditional metrics. Trump, though, is already a master of this kind of asymmetrical warfare: He can use interviews, Tweets, and even facial expressions to push back as necessary.”

FavoriteLoadingSave to Favorites
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Threads
  • Facebook
  • Email

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Recent Posts

How Japan’s Leader Rescued Her Party From the Abyss

February 9, 2026 at 7:48 am EST

“Last summer, Japan’s long-dominant political force, the Liberal Democratic Party, faced an existential crisis. Plagued by scandal, it had suffered a series of electoral defeats so devastating that its leader,…

Cuba Warns Airlines They Can’t Refuel 

February 9, 2026 at 7:45 am EST

“Cuba is at risk of losing vital airline service as it prepares to run out of aviation fuel, while an allied nation cut off an important escape valve for migrants…

Lawmakers Call for Howard Lutnick to Resign

February 9, 2026 at 7:40 am EST

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, called on Howard Lutnick to resign amid revelations that the Commerce secretary had…

Pelosi to Endorse Jack Schlossberg

February 9, 2026 at 7:37 am EST

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi will endorse Jack Schlossberg, grandson of John F. Kennedy, in his run to represent New York’s 12th congressional district, the New York Times reports. Save to…

El-Sayed Blasts McMorrow as a Follower

February 9, 2026 at 7:33 am EST

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) complained during a private call last week that his primary opponent Mallory McMorrow (D) “copies my homework, just poorly” on key issue positions,…

Poll Finds Americans Optimistic on the Economy

February 9, 2026 at 7:30 am EST

“More Americans expect economic growth to rise in the next six months than believe it will fall, a sign of some optimism despite persistent concerns about high prices,” Semafor reports….

Trump Leaves Republicans Guessing on the Midterms

February 9, 2026 at 6:51 am EST

“Republicans looking to the White House to lead in the face of the party’s dimming prospects for November’s midterms are facing a crucial hang-up: the president,” the Washington Post reports….

Crypto Revolt Exposes Fragility of Trump’s Coalition

February 9, 2026 at 6:47 am EST

“Trillions of dollars in value have been vaporized from global crypto markets since October, plunging an ascendant industry championed by President Trump into a new bout of turmoil,” Axios reports….

Bad Bunny Uses Joy to Put Out Political Firestorm

February 9, 2026 at 6:44 am EST

“Bad Bunny delivered a pointed message in Spanish to millions of Americans watching the Super Bowl on Sunday night: ‘We’re still here,’” the Wall Street Journal reports. “In a history-making…

Immigration Raids in Texas Are Hitting the Economy

February 9, 2026 at 6:42 am ESTFebruary 9, 2026 at 6:56 am EST

Wall Street Journal: “The situation is becoming familiar across the Rio Grande Valley, where trade groups are raising alarms about aggressive immigration enforcement wreaking economic havoc. Construction delays threaten higher…

Trump’s Oil Grab in Venezuela Shatters a Taboo

February 9, 2026 at 6:40 am EST

New York Times: “American presidents have long been accused of plotting to control foreign oil. But while the United States has built relationships and even intervened abroad for oil, it…

Buttigieg’s Baggage from DOT Looms as 2028 Issue

February 9, 2026 at 6:35 am EST

“Pete Buttigieg is widely admired as a first-class communicator. But many Democrats think he’s lacking as an administrator — and are pointing to his time as President Biden’s transportation secretary,”…

It’s Shutdown Week Once Again

February 9, 2026 at 6:30 am EST

Punchbowl News! “Funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out on Friday. Just like any good shutdown deadline, this one is bumping up against the weeklong Presidents Day recess….

Trump Slams Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

February 8, 2026 at 10:48 pm ESTFebruary 8, 2026 at 10:52 pm EST

Donald Trump took to social media during the Super Bowl to criticize Bad Bunny’s halftime show, Variety reports. Said Trump: “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of…

Zelensky Says Russia Proposing Huge Deals with U.S.

February 8, 2026 at 3:46 pm EST

“Days after negotiations to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine ended inconclusively in Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia and the United States were discussing bilateral economic agreements…

RFK Jr. Reveals His Super Bowl Splurge

February 8, 2026 at 3:35 pm EST

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described his top Super Bowl snacks Sunday ahead of the big game, the New York Post reports. Said Kennedy: “I am…

Steve Bannon Sounds the Alarm On Trump’s Base

February 8, 2026 at 3:31 pm EST

Steve Bannon warned his fellow conservatives that things are not looking great for Republicans heading into the 2026 midterms, Mediaite reports. Said Bannon: “You have a massive lack of enthusiasm…

FBI Concluded Epstein Didn’t Run Sex Trafficking Ring

February 8, 2026 at 1:07 pm EST

“The FBI pored over Jeffrey Epstein’s bank records and emails. It searched his homes. It spent years interviewing his victims and examining his connections to some of the world’s most…

$30 Billion Welfare Program Became a ‘Slush Fund’

February 8, 2026 at 12:19 pm ESTFebruary 8, 2026 at 1:09 pm EST

Wall Street Journal: “When the Trump administration targeted billions of dollars in federal welfare funds recently over fraud concerns, it singled out five Democratic-run states.” “An examination by The Wall…

Ghislaine Maxwell Was Deep In the Clinton Circle

February 8, 2026 at 12:15 pm ESTFebruary 8, 2026 at 1:10 pm EST

“Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, played a substantial role in supporting the creation of the Clinton Global Initiative, one of President Bill Clinton’s signature post-White House endeavors, new documents…

« Trump Hires a Pollster
Senate Control May Limit Clinton’s Choice of Veep »

Your Account

Sign in

Members Only

  • The End of Trump’s Ideological Blur
  • AIPAC’s Big Spend Backfires Spectacularly
  • Weekly News Quiz
  • Win Bigly
  • Republicans Try to Take Back Ground in Georgia

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2026 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC