Trump is ‘vulnerable’ in Republican primary

() — Republican voters are showing an appetite to move beyond attacks and name-calling, says political contributor Johanna Maska.

“Those kinds of insults can add up and cause someone to ask, especially when it (is toward) your own party, ‘Is this what you want carrying your mantle?’” she said, referencing former President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on other Republican candidates.

Trump still maintains a commanding lead over the rest of the Republican field, and his base remains loyal. Yet political experts say the real test will be whether he can sway a chunk of about 30% of Republican voters who are open to other candidates.

Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Trump, who is known for his huge raucous rallies with tens of thousands of people, has opted for smaller, more intimate events in Iowa — perhaps a move to try to win over this segment.

“It shows, again, that he’s vulnerable with the people who matter right now,” Maska said, adding the situation would be very different if he were an incumbent.

“The Republican Party throughout the United States, they’re really deciding all the rules by which they’re going to decide their delegates,” she said.