Donald Trump's interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace seems to have changed the pundit's mind about the controversial candidate. Despite his massive popularity among the Republican base, Donald Trump has struggled to win over conservative pundits in his campaign for President of the United States. He has clashed with Megyn Kelly over his allegedly sexist remarks, Charles Krauthammer over the Iraq War, and Chris Wallace over his business record. He claimed Kelly was "out for blood", Krauthammer was a "dummy political pundit" and Wallace was an "overrated clown." However, it seems Trump's stance on conservative pundits has softened, as they seem to be beginning to change their minds about the plausibility of a Trump presidency.
According to Rightwingnews, after his interview with Trump, Wallace said, "I think Donald Trump could be President." He went on to tell his panel, "All of us dismissed Trump early on. A summer fling, momentary amusement. As I watch that interview and I heard what he had to say about the country and about trade and about losing and just the sheer force of his personality, I am beginning to believe he could be elected president of the United States."
This was a surprising about-face for a commentator who seemed poised to take Trump down for the good of the Republican Party. Wallace targeted Trump during the Republican debate about disparity between his boisterous, arguably ostentatious personality and his past financial troubles. During their interview, Wallace pressed Trump on issues including eminent domain, simplifying the tax code, illegal immigration and foreign policy.
In the second half of the interview, Wallace decided to focus on his interviewee's personality and penchant for provocative language. He asked, "What's the deal with the tweets?" and went on, "...you have called Marco Rubio 'a puppet', Jeb Bush 'low energy' Rand Paul a 'lightweight'... do you think that's presidential?"
In the interview, Wallace also asked if the controversial candidate was "a little thin-skinned." Trump appeared somewhat offended, countering that he is only thin-skinned when criticism against him is incorrect. According to The Atlantic, Trump's no-apology style is a large factor in his recent popularity. However, any animosity between the two seems to have been erased, proving that Trump's appeal is not as transient as many had hoped.
