Frank Rich: Trump's 'Unscripted' Approach Reveals Competitors' Weaknesses

"Just the fact that he actually has opinions" is enough to expose "how contrived" the other candidates are, Rich tells HuffPost Live.

New York magazine writer Frank Rich says Donald Trump's shocking histrionics are not, in fact, a liability for the GOP candidate, but rather a liability for those running against him.

"He's exposed the weakness of all his competitors and basically in both parties. His unscripted stuff just calls attention to how contrived everyone is," Rich explained to HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps on Thursday.

Trump's manner unveils the competition's "characters, their ability to respond under pressure, and really the contents of their campaigns," claims Rich, who added that the phenomenon has been especially telling in the case of Jeb Bush.

"[Trump] uses an inflammatory term like 'anchor babies,' and what happens? Jeb Bush picks up on it and starts using it. That tells us as much about Jeb Bush as we already know about Donald Trump," Rich asserted.

The cryptic Hillary Clinton, though in a different party, has also been weakened by he brash real estate mogul's speeches, Rich said.

"Just the fact that he actually has opinions makes her campaign look all the more contrived and shallow," he added.

Watch more from Frank Rich's conversation with HuffPost Live here.

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