'Birdbrain' and high-heeled boots: ??Surely Republicans can do better than Trump. Right?

Republican presidential hopefuls will meet on stage Wednesday in Miami for their third debate, and I really hope that conservative voters pay attention.

Former President Donald Trump – and current GOP front-runner – will once again skip the event and do his own thing. Despite all logic, Trump remains far ahead among Republican primary voters.

As a conservative, I have to think that it’s not a done deal that Trump will once again be the nominee. Even though the early presidential contests are getting ever closer, there’s still time for the GOP to wake up and choose a candidate who could be good for the country – and who could beat President Joe Biden.

For months, polls have shown that Americans aren’t happy with the direction of the country – and Trump and Biden are almost equally disliked. A new survey shows each candidate is viewed favorably by just a third of voters.

Dump Trump and Biden: Sure, Trump is awful. But that doesn't mean Biden is a good choice for president.

To Democrats’ dismay, Biden doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, despite all the warning signs that he could very well lose. A new poll shows Trump beating Biden in five of six key battleground states – all of which Biden won in 2020.

Polls also consistently highlight how other Republican candidates would fare even better in a general election against Biden.

While Democrats may be stuck with their candidate, Republicans have a chance to go in a different direction.

Donald Trump is a thin-skinned bully

Trump has never hidden that he’s a bully, and his unhinged raging is on full display on social media 24/7. But he has hit some real lows in recent weeks, even for him. All of his court battles might be getting to him.

Fake news from Trump: Trump unleashes sophomoric DeSantis deepfake. GOP should support a grownup for president.

For instance, after the second GOP debate, Trump ripped presidential hopeful and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as a “Birdbrain” who “doesn’t have the TALENT or TEMPERAMENT to do the job.”

The Trump campaign followed up by sending Haley a birdcage to her hotel room.

Really?

Haley is not the one with the “temperament” problem. Perhaps Trump forgot that Haley is the person he chose to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations after he became president.

Then there is the strange obsession Trump has with another presidential opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Lately, Trump has speculated that DeSantis’ cowboy boots are giving his height a little extra boost, and he has accused the governor of wearing “hidden heels.”

(It’s not just Trump by the way – the mainstream media has been happy to follow Trump’s lead in mocking DeSantis’ boots and treating his sartorial choice as actual news. It’s embarrassing.)

Distractions: Are we really still obsessing over what conservative women are wearing? Give me a break.

Donald Trump disses Republican winners

This week, DeSantis picked up a key endorsement from Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. That caused Trump to throw a tantrum, claiming Reynolds’ support for DeSantis would be the “end of her political career.”

He added: “Two extremely disloyal people getting together is, however, a very beautiful thing to watch. They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!”

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These two popular governors share a lot of policy victories, and both won reelection by a landslide last November. So Trump (who lost his reelection) is wrong that no one wants them.

There are many other examples of Trump’s bullying, but you get the idea.

The country – and world – now face real crises that demand strong, principled leadership. Both Trump and Biden have proved that they are not up to the task.

It’s not too late to prevent a rematch that most of the country doesn’t want, but time is running out.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump bullies DeSantis, Haley ahead of GOP debate. It's embarrassing