Ahead of a visit Monday from Donald Trump, the publisher of the influential New Hampshire Union Leader printed an editorial slamming the Republican presidential front-runner’s “public descent into bathroom humor,” and revived the comparison to Biff Tannen from the “Back to the Future” movies.
“Lo and behold, the screenwriter says that he based Biff on Trump,” Joseph McQuaid writes, ahead of the billionaire businessman’s Nashua event. “On Feb. 9, we trust New Hampshire Republicans will send ‘Biff Trump’ back to somewhere — anywhere but on the road to the most important elective office in the United States at a most crucial time for this nation.”
“Back to the Future” screenwriter Bob Gale revealed in an October interview with The Daily Beast that Biff — Marty McFly’s arch nemesis — was indeed inspired by Trump.
In a phone interview with WMUR, Trump slammed McQuaid, calling him a “bad guy” and “a real lowlife— there’s no question about it”
“Joe McQuaid wanted me to do his debate desperately. He called me practically begging to do the debate. the debate turned out to be a total farce and a joke … very few people attended,” Trump told WMUR, referring to the August Republican forum, which was co-sponsored by the Union Leader. “I knew that when I didn’t do the debate he would take action against me … The paper is failing, he’s doing a terrible job.”
McQuaid for his part slammed Trump’s lack of a “clear political philosophy.”
“Trump has shown himself to be a crude blowhard with no clear political philosophy and no deeper understanding of the important and serious role of President of the United States than one of the goons he lets rough up protesters in his crowds,” McQuaid writes.
McQuaid recently invited Trump to his country club, asked him to play golf and have lunch with him, “where he showed me around to everybody” Trump said.
In an editorial also written by McQuaid, the Union Leader endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for president last month, who has been polling higher in New Hampshire than other parts of the country.
Trump proceeded to slam Christie “whose state is number 50 out of 50 economically,” adding “the George Washington bridge — it’s impossible to believe he didn’t know about it,” but if he didn’t know about it “it’s bad management.”
Trump enters the last week of 2015 atop the Republican field nationally with 39% support, according to the latest CNN/ORC poll, and maintains a lead in New Hampshire with 32% support among Republican likely primary voters, according to a CBS News poll released earlier this month.
The New Hampshire primary — the first in the nation — is set for February 9.