The observation of former President Donald Trump’s recent silence on personal attacks has not gone unnoticed by MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Rev. Al Sharpton, who has a longstanding familiarity with Trump, shared his insights on the matter, suggesting that Trump’s fighting spirit seems to be diminishing.
During a discussion on the decrease in personal attacks, particularly against E. Jean Carroll, who recently won a defamation case against Trump, host Joe Scarborough highlighted the subdued nature of Trump’s responses. He pointed out that even attacks on GOP primary rival Nikki Haley have lessened, indicating a more restrained approach.
Rev. Al Sharpton offered his perspective, stating, “I also think that it goes with the fact that he’s losing it because, let’s not forget, he ran against a woman in ’16 named Hillary Clinton, right? And he had no problem. He’s losing it.”
Pressed for further insights, Sharpton drew parallels between Trump’s current demeanor and the later stage of Muhammad Ali’s boxing career. Sharpton recounted a conversation with Ali, where the legendary boxer shared his experience of recognizing openings but being unable to execute punches towards the end of his career.
Sharpton drew a parallel, stating, “His instinct is to fight back, punch back. And he would think — and back in those days that he was thinking clearer, if you want to ever call what he thought was clear — that he would fight back and say that ‘they hit me, I can hit back.'”
Drawing on Ali’s analogy, Sharpton suggested that Trump’s mind might not be functioning at its optimal capacity. He emphasized that despite the openings being there for Trump to strike back, it appears that he is unable to seize those opportunities. Sharpton concluded with a stark analogy, urging that “they need to take him out of the ring before he gets knocked out.”
His instinct is to fight back, punch back. And he would think — and back in those days that he was thinking clearer, if you want to ever call what he thought was clear — that he would fight back and say that “they hit me, I can hit back.”
It reminded me, I was blessed in my younger days to know Muhammad Ali. Ali told me one day, toward the end of his career, “I saw the openings and I just couldn’t get the punch there. I just couldn’t.” He said, “I knew where to go, Sharpton. But I couldn’t get to punch. Yeah, that’s when I knew when to leave the ring.” The openings are there for Trump. He can’t get there. His mind is not there anymore, and they need to take him out the ring before he gets knocked out.
Sharpton’s assessment adds a psychological dimension to the observation of Trump’s changing behavior, raising questions about the former president’s mental acuity and whether it is impacting his approach to political and personal challenges. The comparison to Muhammad Ali serves as a poignant metaphor for the potential waning of Trump’s once-formidable political prowess.
