What’s it going to take?

When unhinged meets a microphone

There have been so many times Donald Trump has been counted out that we hesitate to number another one here. It’s as if he really could shoot down somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose support.

It’s incredible. Incredible as in its literal meaning: almost impossible to believe.

Some of us thought he was all done before the election in 2016 when he said he didn’t consider John McCain a national hero because the senator from Arizona was captured in Vietnam. This coming from a man who got out of serving in the military in the same era because of “bone spurs” in his feet.

Then there was the “Access Hollywood” tape. Then there was the criticism of the gold star military family. Making fun of a disabled reporter. Calling women ugly names. And these were caught on tape—not including so many other comments attributed to him behind closed doors. When would he cross the line and lose a significant amount of his support?

For the answer, we give you Election Night 2016.

Fast forward to today. The other night, in South Carolina—those who doubt us can look it up online—Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO members not spending enough on their own militaries:

“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent.’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”

A former president. Who wants to be the next president. Leading in the nomination race. Suggests ignoring Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

This is incredible. Almost impossible to believe.

And even if his supporters blow off his latest as bluster coming from a guy who’s enthralled at the approbation of crowds, who’s to say Russia will?

This is a green light for Russia. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see Vladimir Putin standing before a press conference, hands down and palms open in mock wonderment, asking what he did wrong after invading Estonia. After all, Estonia was behind in paying the country club fees, and Donald Trump encouraged us to invade!

A president’s words—a former president’s words, and a major candidate’s words—often have consequences. The problem is, Donald Trump has never had to see consequences.

Which brings us to Incredible Comment No. 2 from the same speech in South Carolina the other night: He mocked Nikki Haley’s husband for serving overseas in the military. As Dave Barry used to say: WE ARE NOT MAKING THIS UP.

“She comes over to see me at MarA-Lago. ‘Sir, I will never run against you.’ She brought her husband. Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband?”

What happened to her husband: Michael Haley serves in the National Guard. He’s currently deployed in Africa. This is not something that Nikki Haley often mentions—until her spouse is criticized for it.

“I mean, every bit of it’s disgusting,” she told the press. “You know, to sit there and mock my husband for not being with me on the presidential trail because he is deployed and serving our country.

“You mock one veteran, you’re mocking all veterans. But this is a pattern . . . . He’s done this over and over again. Whether he went and called military members suckers, whether he was at Arlington Cemetery saying what was in it for them, why would they do this? The problem with Trump is he’s never been anywhere near a uniform.” Well, that’s one of the problems. Our wonder: Will veterans in South Carolina, or Arkansas for that matter, hold such comments against him in the coming primaries? Or has his persona so engulfed them that he can say anything at all and pay no political price, ever, at least from them?

Will veterans, spouses of veterans, those who believe in a strong America allied with friends around the globe, and those who fear a resurgent Red Russia hold him accountable for his mouth? Either in two weeks in South Carolina or here on March 5?

From a political candidate, this is incredible.

Nearly impossible to believe.