Following Jonah Goldberg’s criticism of President Larry Arnn’s statements about Donald Trump on the Hugh Hewitt show, the Collegian asked Arnn for a response. He clarified his position on Trump as follows (April 26, 2016):
“Officially and in fact neutral in the race, I have said these chief things about Trump:
1. Trump has said many good things and for a long time about something I think is one of the chief problems, the regulatory state. See his article in the Reno Gazette, January 28.
2. Trump’s position on the entitlement state cannot likely be sustained over time.
3. He is getting a lot of votes, including from independents. There is information in that that one should study. It may have to do with his position on the entitlement state, but also immigration and trade. On those last two issues he seems to work backwards: say something outrageous, then qualify it to something more reasonable.
4. He would be the first elected president as his first major public service. There is from that fact alone good reason to be skeptical. The criticisms of him are healthy in this context.
5. On his character: I am impressed with the many people who know him well and for a long time who testify to his character. I am impressed with his children. But also I hear criticisms of his character, some of which are made plausible by some of his behavior. On the good side of his behavior is his confidence, self-direction (he seems to say what he says because he thinks it, rather than having been advised to say it), sense of humor, and fearlessness.
He seems to talk chiefly about the interest of the American people as a whole, not this group or that. Also I do not know him, whereas I know and like some of the others. Once I left out the qualifications about his character I have made a few other times. Jonah [Goldberg] reacted to that, and the next week I said that Jonah had a point and added back the qualifications.
6. Most of what I have to say about the race is historical or constitutional in its nature.
Hugh Hewitt and I occupy what Hugh calls Switzerland. This makes some people mad (not, I think, Jonah). Taking a side would do the same. That is life.”
