A few people have asked me how I think the #TrumpIsBroke story will affect Trump.

This one is easy: he’ll deny it to the death. He has no other choice. He’ll call it fake news.

As long as the story relies on docs only seen by it he NYT, Trump will claim it’s all fake.

1/

The story itself won’t send him into a meltdown IMHO because he will think he can just deny, deny, deny.

What *will* hurt him and *will* send him into a spiral is the story getting picked up, expanded upon, and repeated over and over and over.

2/

And then the main themes will be turned into rapid response ads by Dems and that too will eat at him.

Trump isn’t likely to erupt tonight or immediately.

He’s on Teapot Watch though.

This story is gonna put him on a slow simmer until he boils...

3/

...and if Joe Biden harpoons him with a cutting barb or two at the debate, hard to see him not erupting.

Give it a day or two.

First the denials. Then the simmer. Then the loco lawn sprinkler lashing out left, right, and center.

4/

Trump has lived his entire life playing a role.

He lives to be revered as a success but he isn’t one and never has been.

That facade fracturing is a deep, deep wound.

Give it a little time to show.

This one cuts deep but will take some poking before he shows the pain.

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