The Slatest

Bill Kristol Wants This Conservative Writer to Run Against Trump

Weekly Standard editor William Kristol.  

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

If reality show star Donald Trump proved, not at all figuratively, that anyone can run for president these days, conservative multitasker Bill Kristol appears set to test that hypothesis. Over the weekend, Kristol floated the idea that an independent candidate was coming to ballots near you and that this candidate was “an impressive one, with a strong team and a real chance.” On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Kristol’s secret candidate was none other than David French.

Wait. Who? You know, conservative magazine staff writer, David French. Tennessee lawyer David French? Still nothing? Well, fear not, you’re not alone. The Bloomberg article gives an inkling of how unknown French is to even Washington media insiders:

French is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the website of National Review, where French is a staff writer, he is a constitutional lawyer, a recipient of the Bronze Star, and an author of several books who lives in Columbia, Tenn., with his wife Nancy and three children.

After extensive Googling, the Trump team didn’t seem too worried:

And because this election is this election the high road was instantaneously avoided by team Trump:

David French’s wife, Nancy, has worked as a ghostwriter for Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol, according to ABC News. So there’s that.