Donald Trump never learns his lesson (analysis)

(Trends Wide) — TV doctor Mehmet Oz is in a close race with businessman David McCormick in the fight for the Republican Senate nomination in Pennsylvania.

And your highest-profile promoter has some advice.

“Dr. Oz should declare victory,” Trump advised in a tweet on his Truth Social site. “It’s much harder for them to cheat on ballots that they ‘just found.'”

It’s okay.

What Trump’s statement makes clear is that he has not learned the right lessons (or any) from the 2020 election. (And no, I’m not surprised.)

For Trump, in politics and in life, perception is all that matters.

When you file for bankruptcy, as Trump has, make sure everyone knows it’s a strategic (and smart) move.

When you lose, whether in the 2016 Iowa caucuses or the 2020 general election, insist that you did, in fact, win. Tell everyone you’ve won enough times and they might start to believe it. (Remember that polls show a clear majority of Republican voters now say Joe Biden did not win the 2020 election fairly.)

Oz, so far at least, has not followed Trump’s advice. “When all the votes are counted, we will win,” Oz predicted at a rally Tuesday night. Which is not the same as declaring victory.

It is unlikely that we will know who won the Republican primary for the Senate for several days. “Next Tuesday, the counties will send me their unofficial statements,” Pennsylvania Secretary of State Leigh Chapman told Trends Wide on Wednesday. “At that time, I will make a determination as to whether or not we want to go forward with the automatic recount.”

(A recount is triggered if the winning margin is less than 0.5%. As of Wednesday afternoon, Oz led McCormick by 0.2%.)

Given all that, the responsible thing to do is wait until all the ballots are counted (or recognized) before declaring victory. Which is the opposite of what Trump wants Oz to do.

Point: the only thing that matters to Trump is winning, whatever it takes. Even if he undermines the public’s faith in the political process.