Quiet for once: Trump restraint demonstrates new discipline
WASHINGTON — For nearly 24 hours, Donald Trump was quiet.
As Hillary Clinton waded through the most perilous stretch of her campaign to date, the GOP presidential nominee held his tongue, allowing amateur footage of his foe stumbling after falling ill to play over and over on TV without his commentary.
The episode underscored a new political reality: After more than a year of off-the-cuff comments and chaotic cleanup, Trump’s campaign seems to have found its footing.
Over the past four weeks, with a new leadership team in place, Trump has largely done away with his free-wheeling rallies, replacing them with teleprompter-guided speeches. While he is by no means a typical candidate — he derisively referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas” and questioned the integrity of the FBI and Department of Justice during a morning show call-in on Monday — he has nonetheless refined many of his campaign’s rougher edges. He’s trying to broaden his appeal and win over the moderate and independent voters he’ll need if he hopes to win.