Don Jr. Wastes No Time Politically Disowning Kentucky GOP Governor: ‘Nothing to Do With Trump’
Republican Matt Bevin hadn’t even been declared the official loser of the Kentucky governor’s race before Donald Trump Jr. was publicly distancing his family’s name from the incumbent politician, who just 24 hours earlier Trump had hailed as “maybe the greatest [governor] in the history of this state.”
Trump Jr. made his comments on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle, which was the lone primetime show on Fox News Tuesday night to devote any significant time to the Kentucky gubernatorial election results. However, host Laura Ingraham spent most of her time bashing how other networks, like CNN, were covering the link between Trump and the defeated Bevin.
“Don, Bevin was the most unpopular governor in the country, once down 20 points, now it’s still too close to call, 49% versus 49%,” Ingraham said, helpfully teeing up the son’s own damage control spin. “He ran against a family that is legendary, the Beshear family, of course, in Kentucky. So what is your response?”
“It’s the soundbites we’re so used to, any opportunity to try to take a swipe,” Trump Jr. replied. “I like Matt Bevin, he’s been a friend of mine, a good guy, he has picked a lot of battles, he’s teed off on a lot of people in Kentucky, that’s not always popular. We understand how that works.”
Trump Jr. then attempted a Triple Lindy of political contortions, by simultaneously bashing the press for covering Trump’s focus on the race, yet disowning Bevin’s defeat, and still taking credit for the Republican downballot success in Kentucky.
“They don’t talk about the rest of the Republican ticket sweeping. They don’t talk about the first African-American Attorney General, who happens to be a Republican, elected. They don’t mention Trump helped propel those guys to those places,” he told Ingraham. “Like I said, I think [Bevin] has done a good job, but Matt Bevin has picked some fights, but this has nothing to do with Trump. [Republicans] swept the rest of the ticket, did great in Mississippi, et cetera, et cetera, the other election today.”
“The two don’t really have that much to do with each other,” Trump Jr. then concluded, without clarifying whether he was back to giving his father credit or absolving him of blame for the election results.
Ingraham’s follow up to Trump Jr.’s muddled spin? “Alright, Don, thanks so much.”
Watch the video above, via Fox News.
