But Trump doesn’t seem to care. As political scientist Brendan Nyhan has written, Trump “exploits the appeal of presidential omnipotence by contrasting his supposedly decisive style of business leadership as a real estate magnate with the compromises, inertia and policy failures that are inevitable in politics.” The hope was always that Trump knew better than his grand promises suggest. Tonight, he made it clear he doesn’t.
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Later in the night, Trump was asked about his running mate’s statements on Russia, and he made clear how little influence Pence has over his campaign, and how little interest Trump has in his counsel. "He and I haven't spoken, and I disagree," Trump brutally replied.
The message: Trump listens to no one, and is held back by no one.