It’s true. It’s so Donald.
Follow @sneedlingsIt’s totally shocking.
In the wake of a report Donald Trump rebuffed attempts by top political aides to research his personal past, Sneed is told Trump personally told them he had “no appetite for a deep dive” into his personal life.
“We knew he had this playboy image, but we thought much of his behavior had been covered in the New York tabloid papers due to his divorces from Ivana and Marla Maples,” said a top Trump source familiar with the inner workings of the early stages of the Trump campaign, who requested anonymity.
“Besides, it was the beginning of the campaign and we thought for the primary at least we had enough information. Who knew we’d get this far,” said the source, who verified that Trump’s top campaign brass in the early part of his campaign requested a typical vetting examination for people seeking office.
“He [Trump] was not interested in such a background evaluation. We were much more focused on his past and present stances on health care and abortion,” added the source.
Now fighting a groundswell of female complaints of past Trump behavior and sexual assault, the free media Trump relied on in the past is now working against him.
It’s his female critics who have now seized the free TV podium.
OPINION
Follow @sneedlingsCorey’s story . . .
Whispers continue to waft that Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, avid supporter, and CNN commentator, may be interested in becoming the next head of the Republican National Committee.
Reached on Friday, Lewandowski told Sneed he would not deny his interest in the job, but he also did not hesitate to tell Sneed he thought RNC chief Reince Priebus was “feckless” and “ineffective.”
Ivanka tell ya . . .
Ivanka Trump is hot on the trail.
Sneed is told the Trump kids “are totally on their dad’s side,” and daughter Ivanka has finally hit the campaign trail big time.
“They are not naive,” a top Trump source said. “But it is their position their dad has been treated unfairly in the media because the WikiLeaks against Hillary Clinton have been ignored. And Ivanka in particular feels her dad is under attack and she needs to defend him.”
Snuff the candles . . .
Happy birthday?
Dad, the Donald, was hot on the campaign trail in Ohio when daughter Tiffany Trump turned 23 Thursday, but Trump’s second wife/Tiffany’s mom, Marla Maples — who lives in California — was spotted in New York with an armful of flowers en route to fete her only child.
“Tiffany is fantastic,” chirped Lewandowski, who tells Sneed he ran into Maples on the way to see her daughter. “Tiffany is great; incredibly low maintenance.”
Simone sez!
Sneed’s former super duper legman Mitch Dudek asked national treasure/gold medal Olympic gymnast Simone Biles — whose normal tumbling surface, corner to corner, is about 55 feet — if she could backflip the 400 feet from home plate to the center field wall at Wrigley Field?
• Answer: Biles, who was in town for a Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics stop, chirped: “Maybe I would just run super far and then do it at the end!”
• Question: Although not a big non-gymnastics sports fan, Biles was asked to offer the Cubbies some wisdom on how to overcome a slump — especially the 108-year-old one.
“You just have to keep a positive mind . . . that and a sports psychologist.”
A sad note . . .
The death of former cop Edward McElroy, 91, who was as much a part of my phone line during the past 47 years as its twisted cord, came as such a shock.
Ed’s gone?
What?
As his good friend, Ald. Ed Burke (14th), said: “He never missed a political event. He was a one-man PR machine who knew every doorman’s name. The stories surrounding Ed’s long and colorful life pay testament to the old adage that who you know in life really does matter.”
Sneedlings . . .
Pew news: Archbishop Blase Cupich may not be able to hit a Cubs game this week, but he will celebrate an 11 a.m. Centennial Mass at St. Barbara’s Parish in Brookfield on Sunday in honor of the parish’s 100th anniversary. . . . Saturday’s birthdays: Tito Jackson, 63; Keyshia Cole, 35, and Penny Marshall, 73. . . . Sunday’s birthdays: Bryce Harper, 24; John Mayer, 39, and Suzanne Somers, 70. . . . And a special Monday birthday shoutout to WXRT Radio Operations Manager Mitch Rosen just “SCORE”d the big 50! Congrats, kiddo. You are priceless.
