Ted Cruz's Campaign Staff Won't Work For Trump And They're Not Alone

As is often the case, when campaigns suspend, many of the top people in those campaigns will often move on to the campaign that comes out on top. One can argue whether or not this is a good idea but that’s how the business works. If you need the people on your team, you go to the other teams and get their best people, especially those that have been in the trenches and know what to do.

That’s not happening for Donald Trump.

He is finding that many top Republican political advisers are rebuffing his efforts to recruit them. And yes, he is trying to recruit them:

Donald Trump has finally acknowledged that to best compete against Hillary Clinton he needs more than the bare-bones campaign team that led him to primary success. But many of the most experienced Republican political advisers aren’t willing to work for him.

From Texas to New Hampshire, well-respected members of the Republican Party’s professional class say they cannot look past their deep personal and professional reservations about the presumptive presidential nominee.

While there are exceptions, many strategists who best understand the mechanics of presidential politics fear that taking a Trump paycheck might stain their resumes, spook other clients and even cause problems at home. They also are reluctant to devote months to a divisive candidate whose campaign has been plagued by infighting and disorganization.

“Right now I feel no obligation to lift a finger to help Donald Trump,” said Brent Swander, an Ohio-based operative who has coordinated nationwide logistics for Republican presidential campaigns dating to George W. Bush.

“Everything that we’re taught as children — not to bully, not to demean, to treat others with respect — everything we’re taught as children is the exact opposite of what the Republican nominee is doing. How do you work for somebody like that? What would I tell my family?” Swander said.

And contrary to the criticism that comes from loudmouths who think getting into politicking as a profession is all about the money, there are sacrifices that need to be made in order to work on a Presidential campaign:

That’s the case for Scott Smith, a Texas-based operative who traveled the country planning events for Cruz, and earlier worked on presidential bids for Bush and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

“It’s very clear that none of us are going to work for Trump,” Smith said. “Even if I wanted to work for Trump, my wife would kill me.”

Smith, like many experienced strategists interviewed for this story, noted the intense personal sacrifice required of presidential campaigns. Many advisers do not see their families for long stretches, work brutal hours on little sleep and enjoy no job security.

With Trump, Smith said, “I would feel like a mercenary. I can’t be away from my young children if it’s just for money.”

Politics is a dirty sport. But there are classic political battles and there is the Trump campaign. Trump sounded more like a Democrat in a general election campaign attacking Republicans than he did making a case he had better policies and ideas than his Republican counterpart

Trump created an environment where people simply do not like him or the people working for him. Politics is often relational. People aren’t going to work with you or for you if they don’t like you. Trump is learning that lesson.