Ed Rendell: Donald Trump 'Wasted An Opportunity'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell responded to Donald Trump's comments following the shooting at a night club in Orlando and a new poll showing Hillary Clinton up 12 points over her Republican rival.
Rendell, in an interview on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT with Rich Zeoli, believes Donald Trump wasted an opportunity to display his leadership capabilities and gain support among voters, as most Republican presidential candidates would be expected to do after a similar tragedy.
"Normally, I think that is correct. If this was even George W Bush, I think the Republicans could get a bounce, but I think his remarks have been so erratic and nonsensical that I think he's lost that bounce. He's lost the opportunity to get that bounce."
He said Trump needs to stop making so many missteps on the campaign trail if he wants his campaign to remain viable.
"If I were advising Donald Trump, and far be it for me, I would say shut your mouth. No more attacks. No more attacks on Hillary Clinton. No more attacks on anybody. No more attacks on Obama. You concentrate on one thing: the economy. You talk about what you're going to do for the economy, what the Democrats haven't done for the economy, what you think they haven't done and make that the issue. Because, on foreign affairs and terrorism, you can't beat Hillary Clinton."
Rendell also dismissed any polling results from this early in the summer and thinks there is too much time left to write anything in stone.
"I've told Democrats all day, since the poll came out, look, it's nice. Donald Trump has had a terrible two and a half weeks and Hillary has had a great two and a half weeks but it can flip just as easily and nobody should start measuring for drapes in the Oval Office."
