Maggie Haberman Calls BS On Trump Walking Back Retribution At Town Hall: ‘Very Long History Of Seeking Payback’

New York Times correspondent and CNN analyst Maggie Haberman said ex-President Donald Trump’s softening of his “retribution” and “dictator” rhetoric runs contrary to his “very long history of seeking payback.”

Trump participated in a Fox News town hall this week, during which he slightly walked back his promise of “retribution” if he wins, saying people like the idea but he won’t “have time” for it. He also moderated his tone — relative to his normal pitch — on issues like abortion and being a “day one dictator.”

On an episode of CNN This Morning this week, Haberman told co-anchors Phil Mattingly and Poppy Harlow Trump is definitely trying to signal a pivot, but added “Whether that will be successful is an open question”:

HARLOW: Maggie, last night during the CNN debate, which Trump was qualified for and invited to, he didn’t show up. He did a FOX town hall instead. But we noticed, I think a lot of people probably noticed how he moderated his tone on key issues, things like saying he would be a dictator on day one or on abortion. Let’s listen to some of that sound, first on whether he would be a dictator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Can you say tonight that political violence is never acceptable?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, of course that’s right. And of course, I’m the one that had very little of it. The new narrative they have is I’m going to be a dictator. That’s going to be the new narrative. No, no. I am not going to be a dictator. I’m going to manage like we did. I’m not going to have time for retribution. We’re going to make this country so successful again, I’m not going to have time for retribution.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: And remember this, our ultimate retribution is success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What did you hear last night? What Trump was that?

HABERMAN: This is a Trump who is, as you say, and my colleagues and I noticed this as well, starting to look at a general election and trying to grapple with his own comments and, frankly, his own past behavior that his aides are concerned about him highlighting at various points over the course of the last year.

He said at a CPAC speech — this wasn’t off the cuff. He said I am your retribution to voters who feel that they had been wronged.

But the reality is that Trump has a very long history of seeking payback. And so there’s a reason that people have focused on that.

Those remarks are not helpful to him in a general election, and so you’re seeing him trying to shift in terms of a general election electorate. Whether that will be successful is an open question, but I think last night was the beginning of him trying to make a turn.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.