We all know what the big story will be. But aside from that quote, here are three Trump quotes that ranged from very troubling to very telling, all of which will likely be buried by the lede.
1. “Millions of people are registered to vote that shouldn’t be.”
On the surface, this sounds like yet another repetition of the old “election fraud” tall tale Republicans have been using to suppress the vote nationwide. But if so, why this particular choice of words? Why not, “Millions of people are registered to vote… who are actually dead,” or, “...who have been legally disqualified,” or, “...who are here illegally,” etc.
No, it was, “…who shouldn’t be.”
I have to say, both my dogs started barking the moment the words escaped his lips. Because that was a dogwhistle if I’ve ever heard one. All the fact-check sites are droning on about how the whole election fraud scheme is bunk, but I don’t think that’s what he was saying. I think he was referring to the “wrong sort.” That’s been Trump’s message from Day One, after all: “Hey, all you good, white folks! Those ‘inner city’ types are coming to take this country from you.” And now they’re even registered to vote!
2. “Such a nasty woman.”
This one will get a lot of play, as well, and doesn’t need elucidation. In fact, that’s what I found remarkable about it. Future President Clinton excoriated Trump earlier in the debate over his treatment of women (not the first time she’s stripped the bark from Sniffles The Clown on this topic), and this quote punctuated and validated her every criticism. Proved her right. Except it was too late to prove her right, because of the reaction to Quote 2a, “Nobody respects women more that I do”: laughter so audible and widespread the moderator had to scold the audience.
In any other context, this quote would have been a huge error and a revealing look into a person’s psyche. But in this context, it was just a pitiful reminder of who everyone already knows Trump is. So ubiquitous is this picture of Trump that people burst out laughing when he attempts to contradict it.
3. “First of all, those stories have been largely debunked.”
The worst for last. This is in reference to the women who have bravely come forward to tell the world that Trump was not exaggerating even a little when he described his career as a sexual predator. One word disturbs me: “largely”. Not “all”. “Largely.”
In other words, Donald Trump believes (or says he believes) that most — but not all — of these women are lying. So my question is, which ones does he know to be true? Which ones are so unquestionably verifiable, or so irrefutable, that even Donald Trump couldn’t say they were lying when they claimed he sexually assaulted them?
To use the hackneyed preamble, let me be clear: A candidate of a major political party for the Presidency of the United States of America just admitted that some of the people accusing him of sexually assaulting them are telling the truth.
I know the fact that Trump hasn’t ruled out agitating for armed insurrection when he loses this election will be the headline. But I think it’s worth noting that this may not have been the worst thing he said all night.