Charles Johnson writes: #GrabGate: It’s about ethics in conservative journalism.
Columnist Ben Shapiro once praised Donald Trump but now with anti-Trump, pro-Cruz money for his venture on the line he’s allowing his judgment and his ethics to be corrupted.
That’s a shame but Shapiro has crossed a legal line that may call into question his law license and undermines his credibility by helping a known fabulist falsely accuse a rival campaign manager.
Shapiro wasn’t always as anti-Trump as he is today.
Shapiro praised the “Magic of Donald Trump” in 2011 writing the following approvingly (and rather presciently) of Trump the politician:
If Republicans were to construct an ideal candidate, he would have to be rich beyond belief… would have significant name recognition with the general public…[and] would have stage presence, an intimidation factor, and a willingness to play dirty.
The moment he declares in earnest and gets on the campaign stump, his numbers will rise dramatically.
Is Donald Trump the best Republican candidate for president out there? It would be tough to argue otherwise. He’s got all the makings of a breakout star; he’s got bravado and the cash to back it up. If he really runs, he won’t have any trouble finding supporters.
Shapiro has subsequently granted that while Trump isn’t a conservative in Shapiro’s eyes, he has mass appeal.
Here’s Shapiro praising Trump as recently as July of last year.
“The real reason why people support Donald Trump, the real reason is because he is capturing the moral narrative in the country right now…” Shapiro said at an Ann Coulter event in July 2015.
“What Republicans need to do is recognize is that what Trump does and what he is so incredibly effective at in his own kind of brusque and rough way is Donald Trump says there is a villain to this story,” Shapiro said.
