It is probably a surprise to Donald Trump that so many people have reacted negatively to his recent very personal attack on Kayleigh McEnany. The most loyal of Trump supporters aren’t bothered but many regular voters are disgusted with his attack on a woman that is viewed by a lot of conservatives as America’s sweetheart. Kayleigh got on the wrong side of Trump’s ego. He decided to try to make her pay for that on social media.

Trump thinks Kayleigh got his poll number wrong in a recent poll, not reflecting a large enough lead for his ego, so he attacked her. No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than Kayleigh. She was one of the few good hires he made in his White House and she has remained supportive of him to this day, though her support is a bit tempered after the events of January 6, 2021. Nonetheless, no one touts the successes of the Trump administration more than Kayleigh does on her daily appearances on Fox.

Trump called Kayleigh “milktoast”, incorrect spelling noted, and denigrated her “star” power on Fox. It was classic Trump in tone and crassness. It’s bully behavior but he sees it as a show of strength. At the age of 76, the man is not going to change now.

What you see is what you get with Trump. The problem is that this is 2023, not 2015. When he was bold and crass in his remarks in 2015, his irreverent behavior toward pretty much anyone was seen as a welcome change from the go-along-to-get-along attitudes of others running for the Republican nomination. After four years in his first term in office, and during his time out of office, Trump’s rhetoric remains the same. More importantly, he refuses to move on from the election of 2020 and never misses a chance to mention that he was robbed of victory. He is particularly sensitive about poll numbers. He always exaggerates his lead in polls and, if you watched the town hall he did with Hannity on Fox Thursday night, you heard him do so again. It’s what he does.

There is fatigue among conservatives, though, over Trump’s rhetoric. Voters are ready for a change, a fresh face and less vitriol. Voters want a fighter but one with a better tone – a happy warrior, not a candidate constantly riled up. In early primary and caucus states, like New Hampshire, Ron DeSantis is racking up endorsements from state representatives and senators, politicians close to the voters at the state level. It’s a smart move. So, the number of endorsements coming out of New Hampshire for DeSantis is touted as proof that voters want a change.

Trump has lost the endorsement of Rep. James Spillane (R-Deerfield). Spillane withdrew his endorsement for Trump on Thursday and gave it to DeSantis. He specifically cited Trump’s attack on Kayleigh as the reason for the flip.

Rep. James Spillane (R-Deerfield) was on stage with President Trump at the Doubletree in Manchester on April 27 when the former president announced that more than 50 GOP House members had endorsed his candidacy.

But on Thursday, Spillane told NHJournal he was pulling his public endorsement of Trump and backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in response to Trump’s treatment of the popular Fox News personality.

“I can no longer continue endorsing former President Trump,” Spillane said. “I am officially withdrawing my endorsement, as his most recent attack on Kayleigh McEnany is beyond comprehension and explanation. Against my deepest hopes that Trump had learned some measure of control, he has attacked those who have been his staunchest supporters with no regard for their loyalty.”

Spillane is the fourth state representative to flip from Trump to DeSantis in the past few weeks.

Spillane wants the candidates to deliver positive messages.

“I cannot condone the vitriol and disregard for others that Trump has been exhibiting, and I withdraw my endorsement immediately. I am endorsing Ron DeSantis for president in 2024. I pray for the nation that DeSantis remains true to his positive messaging and continues on to win the Republican primary with his vision of positive American success,” Spillane said.

There is Trump fatigue. This is weighed against the successes seen during the Trump administration pre-pandemic. There is no denying he was the most conservative president seen since Reagan in his policies and programs. He focused like a laser on judicial appointments and the Supreme Court and all conservatives should thank him for teaming up with Mitch McConnell and accomplishing all of that. When Trump spouts off in such random ways, just to soothe his ego or gain a headline, it reminds voters of what they don’t like about Trump. All he has to do is settle down and keep some thoughts to himself and he’ll continue to lead in the polls, at least for now. He does himself no favors by letting it rip, especially against someone like Kayleigh.

Trump needs to remember that it is Biden and the Democrats who are his political enemies, not Kayleigh or DeSantis or any other Republican. Even during a primary campaign, he should focus his most severe attacks on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, not fellow Republicans. A good example was how Trump and DeSantis reacted to Joe Biden’s fall Thursday at the Air Force commencement ceremony. Trump graciously said that he hoped Biden wasn’t injured when someone asked him what he thought about Biden’s fall. DeSantis said the same and included a mild zing against Biden.

“You may have seen Joe Biden had a fall earlier today. Don’t know if he sustained any injuries but we wish him a speedy recovery. But we also wish the United States of America a swift recovery from the injuries it’s sustained under Joe Biden.”

DeSantis gets it. He’s Trump-like without the rough edges. Trump should take this time when he is so far ahead in polls to go after Biden.