Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Matthew Continetti said Donald Trump is not going to "pivot" to the general election during an appearance Friday on Fox News.
While Trump’s dark speech accepting the Republican nomination Thursday touched on his campaign themes and self-touted ability to fix a broken American system, his press conference Friday returned to the more loose and humorous nature he has exhibited on the campaign trail. He also said he did not want Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R., Texas) endorsement and re-litigated the controversy over his connecting Cruz’s father to the John F. Kennedy assassination.
"Is that wise?" Happening Now host Jon Scott asked.
"Well, it’s Trump, and I think the same can be said for last night’s speech, as well," Continetti said. "Donald Trump isn’t going to pivot to the general election. He threw out the campaign playbook that both parties have adhered to for decades, and he’s sticking with that approach."
Trump was the negative and on-message version of himself Thursday night, whereas his loose press conference Friday was more "classic Trump," Continetti said, noting the GOP nominee spent more time talking about fellow Republicans Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich than opponent Hillary Clinton.
Trump did attack Clinton in his RNC speech, saying her "bad instincts and her bad judgment" had created foreign policy disasters.
"When you look at the polls, both Trump and Clinton have very high negative ratings, historically high negative ratings, and so Trump’s best bet is to somehow make Hillary Clinton’s negative ratings worse than his own, and you see that message come through very clearly last night, as well as the appeal to the Bernie [Sanders] voters, many of whom are motivated by trade," Continetti said.