- By Election Day, I'll have lived out of a suitcase for a year and a half, swearing by the lifesaving powers of dry shampoo and the magic ability of scarves to make the same coat look new. Following Trump to city after city, I've made more than 3,800 live television appearances and visited more than 40 states. I've also endured a gazillion loops of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," a staple of Trump's rallies.
Trump, meanwhile, has made history. He won more primary votes than any other GOP hopeful, ever, and he's the first major party nominee in six decades who was not first a senator, governor, or member of the House.
But to understand how truly unexpected this campaign season has been—for the country and for my own life—you have to understand something about presidential elections in general. The politicians devise strategies and court donors years in advance. At the same time, newspapers and networks carefully decide which reporter they'll match with which candidate.
Trump wasn't part of anyone's plan. For that matter, neither was I.
Grade A professional negging right there.On June 6, during a spot on Fox & Friends, Trump described me as "not a very good reporter." A few weeks later, at his golf course in southwest Scotland, he introduced me to some investors as a "great reporter." He caught himself and added "sometimes."
Truth, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a safe place. Getting called out by Trump at his own rally maybe isn't war zone dangerous, but it's not safe, either.