Harold Ford Jr. grabbed the attention of former President Donald Trump on Wednesday with his whole-hearted admiration for the political prowess of the former president.
Ford, a former Democratic congressman, co-hosts Fox News’s top-rated show, “The Five,” where he occupies the “liberal seat” alongside Jessica Tarlov and various guest hosts. Tarlov, who recently welcomed her second child, engages in lively debates with her co-hosts and is not typically known for soundbites that President Trump would later share on his social media. However, he did share Ford’s praise on Wednesday.
In a recent campaign stop at a Harlem bodega, Donald Trump impressed Ford with his political skills. Trump shared Ford’s thoughts on the matter, stating, “When you think about Donald Trump as a candidate for office, and as a political athlete… I say often, he’s as gifted a political athlete as I’ve ever seen…”
According to the clip, Ford expressed his disagreement with many of the things the person said, but emphasized the importance of respecting their business and acknowledging that politics is a skillful art.
“He visits a bodega, which I believe is a gas station he had been to a day or so earlier. This is an excellent campaign move, the kind that leaves a lasting impression. Some might argue or claim that the crowd was prearranged, but regardless of what actually transpired, it certainly made for a compelling visual,” Ford remarked. He was referring to a recent viral incident where a Black woman embraced Trump, only for it to be revealed later that she was a dedicated pro-Trump activist.
Ford continued by praising the type of theater that is ideal for a campaign. He emphasized that it effectively showcased an important issue that resonates with voters across the country, not just in New York. Ford highlighted the significance of law and order and crime in the minds of voters.
I’ll refrain from some of the conversation and analysis around DA Bragg. But if you look at what the judge’s point, this juxtaposition of Donald Trump there versus the trial, this is what’s going to be talked about over the next day or so as a political move, as a political athlete. This was a very, very smart thing, for the president to do now, I don’t think it’s going to necessarily have an impact on the trial itself. But on the campaign itself, there’s no doubt this is one of the smarter things the president could be doing.
Jesse Watters spoke after Ford, wholeheartedly agreed with Ford’s perspective, and proceeded to shower Trump with his own enthusiastic praise. “Trump is akin to the White Carl Lewis when it comes to political athleticism,” Watters declared, later supplementing his statement by saying:
He’s at a fraternity house throwing footballs. Then he’s at a UFC fight with Rogan and then he’s at a Chick-fil-A. Black women are coming up to him, hugging him, shakes on the house, and then he’s going to the bodega where Hispanic kids are chanting, four more years.
