The Republican Neutron Bomb

by Deacon Blues

"Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual. He is the single biggest liar I’ve ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. Cruz has become unhinged and is lying with the hopes that his statements will go unchecked until after the election and he will save his failing campaign."
--Donald Trump, today

Donald Trump threatened Ted Cruz with a lawsuit today for telling lies about him. Seriously. Trump says that if Cruz doesn't pull down his attack ads against him, he wants the Republican National Committee to intervene, which of course isn't happening. So what will Trump do after several days of mockery by Cruz and inaction by Reince Priebus?

Trump said one way he can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against Cruz "relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President."

What Trump is really doing here is setting the stage to bolt the GOP and run as an independent.

Trump also called on the Republican National Committee to intervene, saying the RNC would be "in default of their pledge to me" if it doesn’t act.

This in essence is the GOP's Neutron Bomb. Trump makes a demand that even he knows neither Cruz nor Priebus can or will meet. When the RNC fails to defang his chief competitor for him, he revokes his pledge to stay inside the party. He then sets fire to the GOP on his way out the door towards an independent bid (pre-empting Michael Bloomberg) by launching a legal challenge to Cruz's candidacy that jumbles the remaining Republican race even more.

Don't laugh about this. Trump has the money to get on the ballot across the country, and to take 15-25% of the GOP electorate with him to a third-party candidacy, and in doing so, he undercuts Bloomberg. The remaining GOP candidates are left to fight it out for the 30% of the GOP electorate that represents the establishment, and the evangelicals who aren't with Trump and who already distrust the establishment.

And over on this side are Bernie and Hillary laughing their asses off.