Former Obama adviser: Democratic nominee should ‘call out Trump’s game, not play it’

Dan Pfeiffer, who served as an adviser to former President Obama, said Wednesday the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020 needs to highlight what President Trump is trying to hide with his “juvenile insults,” rather than slinging back similar barbs. 

“I think the trick for the Democratic nominee is to call out Trump’s game, not play it,” Pfeiffer, the co-host of “Pod Save America,” said on CNN’s “New Day.” 

“Getting into this tit for tat, this bullying thing, I think that’s problematic. I think what you have to do is explain why Donald Trump acts like this, what he is trying to distract you from,” Pfeiffer added. 

To win in 2020, the Democratic nominee should “call out Trump’s game, not play it,” says author @danpfeiffer. “He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare to pay for a giant tax cut for Wall Street. We have to get to that issue.”https://t.co/0bp7SrF3nH pic.twitter.com/oQ1l3T8otH

— New Day (@NewDay) February 19, 2020

He also said that Trump is “fear mongering,” lying, and making “juvenile insults” to distract voters from his plan to cut Social Security and Medicare to pay for “a giant tax cut for Wall Street.” 

“That’s what voters care about, and that’s what we have to get to that issue,” Pfeiffer said. 

Pfeiffer’s latest book, “Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again,” was published this week. 

In his CNN interview, Pfeiffer also explained why he thinks Republicans and Democrats are playing “two different political games,” and why the Democratic nominee can’t be “as mean as Trump” to succeed. 

“The Republican strategy is to fire up a set of certain voters and make everyone else feel so cynical about the process that it’s not worth turning out. The Democratic nominee has a much harder task, which is they have to inspire people who would not otherwise vote to get involved in the political process,” Pfeiffer said.

“We can’t surf American cynicism into the Oval Office. We have to have inspiration and hope,” he added.