Flexing its muscles, the Republican Establishment decided to put Donald Trump in his place – but missed that while Trump may be part whacko he’s also pure cutthroat: When the GOP Doyens sitting around the bar in the Capitol Hill Club in the basement of the Republican Headquarters in Washington tore into Trump (on immigration) they learned they’d brought a knife to a gunfight.

Trump fired back, Well, if they keep this up I may have to run as an Independent.

Which was no slip of the lip.

It was a pure power play.

Trump knows if he runs as an Independent the odds the Republican nominee loses to Hillary go through the roof.