Michael Tomasky says Democrats have found Donald Trump's Achilles' heel: 'It must drive him nuts'

WASHINGTON, DC: In a fiery discussion on 'Morning Joe', Michael Tomasky, the editor of 'The New Republic', delivered an analysis of the Democrats' new strategy against Donald Trump, declaring they have finally discovered the former president's Achilles' heel. 

In his latest piece titled 'Finally, the Democrats have found Trump's Achilles Heel: Ridicule him', Tomasky outlines how Democrats have learned to "fight fire with fire," harnessing mockery as a potent weapon against the former president.

"It's great on three levels," Tomasky wrote. "The first is that it must drive Trump nuts, and when he goes nuts, he says especially nutty things. Second, it's arguably more persuasive to swing voters than calling Trump a fascist. And third and most of all, sustained ridicule has the potential to reinforce the downward spiral that Trump is now in. Ridicule makes him weaker. Ridicule makes him small. Ridicule makes him desperate."

Michael Tomasky says fear empowers Donald Trump but ridicule could be his downfall

Host Katty Kay recalled the infamous 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner, where then-president Barack Obama publicly roasted Donald Trump. She pointed out that Trump ran for president despite the ridicule and won. "I'm just wondering, is there a downside to this ridicule?" the host asked.

"You know, there might be," Tomasky replied. "But, you know, Katie, what I observed last week... High-ranking Democrats usually spend most of their time warning people about how dangerous Trump is and, and how awful things will be if he gets back in the office and there was still a fair amount of that at the convention. There's no doubt about it. But, there was more ridicule than I expected to hear. Is there a downside? There may prove to be but so far it's got him back on his heels."

"Fear of Trump gives him power. It makes him feel powerful. I think he loves to be feared. He hates to be ridiculed," Tomasky added.

Mocking Donald Trump’s bizarre obsessions resonates more than traditional attacks

Michael Tomasky suggested that this shift in the Democrats' strategy might just be what they need to strip Donald Trump of his invincibility cloak.

Unlike the traditional high-minded rhetoric of the past, this approach resonates with the average voter—those who see Trump as more of a bizarre character than a serious leader.

Tomasky pointed to figures like Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris's running mate Tim Walz, who famously dismissed Trump with a sharp, "These guys are weird," as an example of how Democrats are connecting with voters in a new, more relatable way.

"I just think with a swing voter who isn't a terribly political person who's in one of the important states, it probably resonates a lot more with that person to talk about Trump's weird, Hannibal Lecter obsession, talk about his obsession about sharks versus electrocution."

"Those kinds of things probably get through to that kind of voter more than talking about his authoritarian and, and fascistic tendencies and in their way, they're equally disqualifying, right? Because like who was the president? Who thinks Hannibal Lecter was a good guy," the editor added. 

'Fight fire with fire' to counter Donald Trump, says Marc Morial

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, joined the conversation, backing Michael Tomasky's stance. "I think that people have historically made a mistake in running against Trump in not fighting fire with fire," Morial said

. "Donald Trump is a performer... But I think you have to fight fire with fire, and you can't be afraid to do it."

Morial's take was equally sharp, underscoring the need to meet Trump on his own terms—directly, without flinching.

"The American people love democracy. They love an election. They may say all the time, we don't like the ridicule, but they love it. They respond to it, and you've got to meet the moment of the street."

"This is the streets, this is the neighborhoods, this is the kitchen tables of America. And I think you cannot treat Trump as though Trump is, is a sucker and a bluffer and a bamboozle," he added.

Tomasky agreed, noting how ridicule disrupts Trump's usually commanding presence. "I think it throws him off his game... for Harris and Walz and other high-ranking Democrats to mock him... it makes him have trouble finding his footing," he further added.