Krauthammer to Trump: ‘When You See a Trail of Cheese, Don’t Follow It Because There’s a Trap at the Other End’

Friday on Fox News Channel’s “The Kelly File,” Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer urged Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump not to take the bait laid by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Krauthammer likened it to a “trail of cheese” with a trap at the end and argued Trump should exercise “self-control and discipline.”

Partial transcript as follows:

MEGYN KELLY, HOST “THE KELLY FILE”: Charles, good to see you. So, if you had to advise team Trump, if they came to you and said Charles, it’s go time, what’s the number one thing he needs to do with a five-and-a-half weeks left. What would you say?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: When you see a trail of cheese, don’t follow it because there’s a trap at the other end.

KELLY: Right.

KRAUTHAMMER: And for him, that means self-control and discipline. Look, the reason his numbers have gone up over the last month is very simple. They shackled him, they put the bracelets on, handcuffs, everything, they made him read from the prompter and he got his issues out and he didn’t get into too much trouble. The minute you’re in a debate, you’re loose, you’re not controlled and for him he just went to where he goes.

And that is to protect his self-image. And the basis of his self-image — you know, he made two huge mistakes. Number one was taking the bait on the Miss Universe which raised all of the issues of which you are unfortunately familiar. And the other issue was, he took the bait on taxes and actually admitted essentially to 86 million Americans that he doesn’t pay them and he’s proud of it.

KELLY: Uh-hm.

KRAUTHAMMER: Now, that’s not a good idea. And that will dog him I’m sure. So he needs to simply refuse to follow those issues. It’s not about him. Of course that’s easy for someone to say on the outside. And the stick for him what works. What works for him particularly in the Midwest is trade and economy and then to go after her, not on the sexual harassment stuff, the husband stuff, the impeachment stuff but to go after her on her own damn scandals to quote Bernie Sanders, her e-mail, her untruths, et cetera.

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