Is it starting to become conventional wisdom that Donald Trump can win the Republican nomination for president — and perhaps is even likely to win it?
Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich both said during appearances on “The Laura Ingraham Show” on Friday that things are breaking in the real estate tycoon’s direction.
Gingrich noted that the GOP establishment favorites — former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — are polling not just far below Trump, but also well below retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
“I don’t understand how any of these guys get past Carson and Trump,” he said.
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Gingrich noted that Trump and Carson, along with fellow outsider Carly Fiorina and anti-establishment Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, collectively have the support of a clear majority of likely Republican primary voters.
“If it was only Donald Trump, you could understand the establishment holding its breath and saying, ‘Gee, maybe he’ll implode at some point,’” he said. “But immediately after Donald Trump comes Ben Carson.”
Gingrich marveled that while Trump dominates because he perfectly understands the use of social media in the “age of the Kardashians,” Carson is performing well with a completely difference style.
“Trump is noisy, Carson’s quiet,” he said. “But they’re both dominating all of the traditional candidates.”
The environment makes it extremely hard for traditional candidates to gain traction, the former Georgia congressman said.
“The country wants really dramatic change, and when you show up and say, ‘I’m acceptable to the establishment,’ they check you off and go, ‘OK, not you,’” he said. “And I think people don’t realize how deep this is, and how profound it is.”
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