A Big Step-in-It' and 'Big Red Flag' for Supporters: Rush Limbaugh's Assessment on Trump's Desire to Work With Pelosi and Schumer

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said many conservatives were raising “red flags” after Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump declared intentions to work closely with liberal Democratic congressional leaders. However, Limbaugh said that Trump may be seeking to “reframe” the presidency as a job of making deals.

But Limbaugh said that Trump’s base supporters are not interested in more compromise with Democrats, adding that Trump seemed to be ripping his leading primary opponent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for not working with Democrats.

“So a big red flag has been thrown up as a result of the Trumpster on MSNBC today assuring everybody he will work with the Democrats and touting his ability to do so,” Limbaugh said. “That's a big step-in-it.”

AP Photo/Julie Smith

In an interview on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," Trump spoke well of his relationship with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). He told the show's panel, “I’ve always had a good relationship with Nancy Pelosi. I’ve never had a problem. Reid will be gone.”

“I was always very good with Schumer," he continued. "I was close to Schumer in many ways. It’s important that you get along.”

Limbaugh didn’t criticize Trump as much as he tried to explain the perspective of the billionaire real estate mogul. Limbaugh said this is likely a goal by Trump to frame his strong negotiating skills as someone who can get things done.

“Donald Trump has sort of reframed or maybe even redefined the purpose and the position of the presidency as something defined by negotiating deals. He talks about this all the time,” Limbaugh said. “He is credibly — this is important — he is credibly presenting himself as a skilled dealmaker, as a skilled negotiator. Therefore, he is positing here that the job of president to him is negotiating and deal making, foreign and domestic. Trade equals deals. Foreign policy equals deals, such as Iran, the entire Middle East. Domestic policy equals deals, i.e. making them with Democrats.”

“And by all those deals, here’s the thing, every time Trump talks about doing a deal with Mexico and the wall, with the Chi-coms [communist China], you name it, every time, he talks about doing deals, he talks about winning them for his position, that nobody else is any good at this, that people running the government now do the dumbest deals, but Trump is going to do smart deals,” he said.