The unraveling of Donald Trump

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It was a year ago today that Donald Trump announced he was running for president, saying among other things that he would stop illegal immigration from Mexico by building a "great wall" and make Mexico "pay for that wall.”

In the beginning Trump rallies drew large crowds, and his message was beamed to millions more thanks to $2 billion in free air time given to him by the cable news channels. His poll numbers soared.

But over the course of a year, Trump managed to insult scores of people including POWs, women, people with disabilities and journalists who asked him tough questions.

On Twitter, he's gone after hundreds of people calling them losers, total losers, lightweights, dummies, sad and pathetic.

But the large crowds he attracted in the beginning are now shrinking....and so are his poll numbers.

Trump's luster has dimmed....things are starting to unravel for the "Cheeto Jesus."

30 minutes till @realDonaldTrump speaks and this arena is 25 percent full at best. No line outside either pic.twitter.com/JzMjgH8E4A

— Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) June 10, 2016

And the Republican leaders who initially supported him, now can't distance themselves quickly enough from the presumptive Republican nominee.

Late last night, veteran Republican consultant Rick Wilson blasted GOP leaders on Twitter, saying "you're covered in his stench."

10/ Your resumes will always read "Worked for a batshit crazy crypto-fascist who destroyed the GOP"

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 16, 2016

And it gets worse for Trump.

Here's a small sampling of stories that popped up just today in my Facebook newsfeed:

Donald Trump doesn't brag about his poll numbers anymore, and no wonder

Donald Trump used to love nothing more than boasting about his poll numbers: His recitation of them was a staple of his campaign speeches.

There's little to boast about now.

A new Washington Post/ABC News survey finds the share of Americans with a negative view of Trump rose sharply since last month.

Half of Americans polled by CBS News disapproved of his response to the Orlando, Fla., shootings, and just one-quarter approved.

Trump Is His Party’s Cross to Bear

[Poll] numbers for Donald Trump are unprecedented and catastrophic. Seventy percent of registered voters have an unfavorable view of Trump (including 88 percent of nonwhites), divided between 14 percent who are “somewhat unfavorable” and a whopping 56 percent who are “strongly unfavorable.”

Trump’s relationship with RNC sours

In recent days, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has privately grumbled that his advice doesn’t seem welcome with Trump, according to one RNC insider. Other party officials have expressed frustration that Trump’s campaign is trying to take too much control over a pair of fundraising committees with the party while adding little to the effort, according to campaign and party officials familiar with the relationship.

While Trump had promised Priebus that he would call two dozen top GOP donors, when RNC chief of staff Katie Walsh recently presented Trump with a list of more than 20 donors, he called only three before stopping, according to two sources familiar with the situation. It’s unclear whether he resumed the donor calls later.

Trump’s campaign hits a wall

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told reporters on Tuesday that he had been “discouraged by the direction” of Trump’s campaign and by his Monday address. “I did not think yesterday’s speech was the type of speech one would give who wants to lead this country through difficult times.”

Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando

Trump is shooting from the hip, spraying insults 360 degrees, telling lies, stoking fears and making threats that many in our military and the F.B.I. would refuse to implement. If you Republican senators and congressmen support Trump for president, he will own you — and you will own everything he does. —Thomas L. Friedman June 15, 2016

Republicans Run From Donald Trump's Orlando Response

Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., paused a moment after being asked by NBC News whether he had any thoughts on Trump's response to Orlando.

"You know…hmm," he said.

Then without another word, he walked onto the Senate floor.

Trump Is Looking for a Way Out

Donald Trump loves winning and hates losing, while Don Trump knows that running a smart campaign and beating Hillary Clinton means he’d inherit a job he has neither the qualifications nor the temperament to perform successfully. Don Trump wants to lose. He wants this campaign to be over so Donald Trump can go back to doing what he’s good at: promoting his personal brand and counting his money.

To me, that’s the best explanation for the loony “Mexican” judge comments and other unforced errors Trump has made since clinching the Republican presidential nomination. A man who wanted to win this election wouldn’t make these mistakes.