Rand Paul knows exactly why Donald Trump is the new frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.
“Television works, Wolf,” Paul told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, in response to why Paul’s support was lagging. “If you would give some other candidates time from eight in the morning to eight at night all day long for three weeks, I’m guessing some other candidates might rise as well.”
Trump has been a media juggernaut almost since he announced his candidacy in June. Coupled with the controversial statements that seem to come out of his mouth every few days, the media circus around the fabled businessman and showman continues to grow.
In the past few weeks, Trump has shot to the top of the crowded Republican field, with 20% support–making him the clear frontrunner, above move traditional “top tier” candidates like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker.
Rand Paul is in the second tier of candidates, with roughly 5% support.
Paul continued to rant about Trump’s media attention.
“So, for example, while some people are hearing about one candidate all the time, very few people know I’ve offered a tax code, that you could fill out your taxes on one page [at] 14.5%,” Paul said. “So if I had a billion dollars’ worth of advertising and every network going gaga over that, I think we could get our [poll numbers] to rise also.”
“But there’s going to be time for that,” he added. “I think this is a temporary loss of sanity, but we’re gonna come back to our senses and look for somebody to lead our country at some point.”
The first Republican debate is on Fox News, on August 6. While the stakes will be high for any candidate, they’ll be especially high for Donald Trump–where he’ll have to prove whether or not he has the substance and the command of policy issue that he needs to become President of the United States.
