(The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.)

It’s often been said that former President Donald Trump’s worst enemy is himself. The reason this is said so often is that it is true. The Democrats, activist media, and never-Trump Republicans are not nearly as capable of damaging the former president as he is himself.

There are few stories that exemplify this reality better than the current brouhaha over Trump unknowingly having dinner with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist, and rapper Kanye West, who caused controversy over a series of anti-Semitic remarks. But it is important to note that the issue wasn’t the dinner itself. It is how the former president handled it afterward.

After Trump was made aware of the fact that he had dined with a white nationalist, he took to Truth Social to address the matter. He noted that West had called him to “have dinner at Mar-a-Lago” and that he later “unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about.”

Trump's response to dinner with Nicky Fuentes pic.twitter.com/wpwuDcGNYK

— Jeff Charles, Destroyer of Democracy (@JeffOnTheRight) November 25, 2022

It was fairly obvious that Trump did not know who Fuentes was when he had dinner with him. Since most of his team was spending time with their families for Thanksgiving, it appears there was nobody there to warn against meeting with Fuentes. Yet, after the event, the former president has not bothered to fully distance himself from Fuentes despite reportedly being urged to by his team of advisors.

The Guardian reported:

The former US president was urged publicly and privately to denounce Fuentes in the aftermath of the dinner, which included the performer Ye, previously known as Kanye West, who has also recently been propagating antisemitic remarks.

But Trump eschewed making outright disavowals of Fuentes, the people said, and none of the statements from the campaign or on his Truth Social account included criticism of Fuentes, despite efforts from advisers who reached Trump over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The reason why Trump did not want to criticize Fuentes, according to the report, is because he is concerned that it would alienate a part of his base. Even the posts he made in which he said he did not know Fuentes was because his team pressured him to put out a statement on the matter, pointing out that it could “damage his personal brand as well as his recently launched 2024 presidential campaign.”

Other aides reportedly asserted that Trump should not have met with Ye as well, due to his current scandals. “Trump had intended to meet with Ye one-on-one for some time, according to a person briefed on the matter, though it was postponed around the time that Ye tweeted offensive tropes against Jews – only for it to be inexplicably rescheduled for late November,” according to the report.

As it stands currently, Fuentes, who has downplayed the Holocaust, is no longer a fan of the former president. Apparently, the white nationalist took to Telegram to bash Trump and urge his followers to support a different candidate.

“What are Christian Americans going to get out of a [Kevin] McCarthy speakership or new Trump White House? Lower gas prices? Reduce the corporate tax rate?” Fuentes wrote. “Years will pass us by as things remain fundamentally the same. We must dream bigger.”

Trump’s refusal to disavow Fuentes is not a smart move – especially since he was willing to take potshots at Ye in other posts on Truth Social. In one post, he explained that Ye “was asking me for advice concerning some of his difficulties,” and that he told Ye that “he should definitely not run for President.”

In another, he wrote:

So I help a seriously troubled man, who just happens to be black, Ye (Kanye West), who has been decimated in his business and virtually everything else, and who has always been good to me, by allowing his request for a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, alone, so that I can give him very much needed “advice.” He shows up with 3 people, two of which I didn’t know, the other a political person who I haven’t seen in years. I told him don’t run for office, a total waste of time, can’t win. Fake News went CRAZY!

So he is willing to criticize Ye, but hesitant to say an unkind word about a known white nationalist who has downplayed the Holocaust and expressed support for “Catholic fascism?”

Here's Nick Fuentes denying that the Holocaust happened.

Him and his followers are scum of the earth and their bad faith, anti-Semitic attacks should be shot down by the entire conservative movement. pic.twitter.com/7wJ9S7Q6zv

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) October 30, 2019

Ladies & Gentlemen, Nick Fuentes with the GOP mission statement:
“We need to take control of the media or take control of the government and force the people to believe what we believe. Force them to live by our rules.”
Fascism. They’re not hiding it. 👀pic.twitter.com/jzAuzmX0TP

— BigBlueWaveUS ® — Support Raphael Warnock (@BigBlueWaveUSA) November 11, 2022

It’s not a good look, folks. It might not be as big of an issue if he weren’t seeking the presidency, but the fact is that he wants to be the president once again.

This is not the first time Trump has flubbed when confronted with a racial issue. I have heard previously that he is hesitant on these matters because he thinks it will push members of his base away. But this is far from the truth.

Most people on the right do not subscribe to Fuentes’ views and view him as the POS that he is. The percentage of those who would turn on Trump for disavowing him is minuscule compared to those who wouldn’t – the former president has nothing to be afraid of in this regard. But if he is serious about being the president once again, these types of unforced errors are not going to help him.