The bully, Donald Trump, proved himself just a bloviating boy. In the end, bullies usually do.

David French related two key moments in the Houston debate.

First, The Donald insisted that Rubio “Be quiet. Just be quiet.” Why? Trump fears the truth, especially about himself.

As French put it, “An alpha male commands respect; a bully tries to rule by fear. But when no one is actually afraid, the bully looks foolish. When the bully demands silence but instead receives a sarcastic retort, he reveals that that his ‘strength’ was a mirage.”

George Will puts it this way: “Like all bullies, Trump is a coward, and like all those who feel the need to boast about being strong and tough, he is neither.”

Second, The Donald insisted that Cruz apologize. Why? Trump wants the truth, especially about himself, to go away. Trump wants to suppress the truth! Intimidation is his primary tactic to achieve that end.

French noted, “Once again, the bully made his demand, this time for an apology. Cruz refused to comply, and went on to make exactly the right point: that Trump would be the Democrats’ best ‘Republican’ friend.”

Rubio correctly characterized Trump as a “con artist,” a truth many have heralded since before Trump launched his presidential campaign. Cruz astutely noted that Trump cares nothing for the Constitution and would be a Barack Obama in whiteface.

As I and others have pointed out before, Trump is a braggart and a bully who holds neither conservative principles nor a Christian ethos. Jonah Goldberg argues, “His cheap macho posturing and boasting is simply tacky.”

Trump is, as Andrew McCarthy describes, “a fraud – a liberal Democrat posing as the Republican savior.” Transfixed by Trump, some people still “blindly worship” him as their “Savior”!

McCarthy outlines, on issue after issue, the fraudulent nature of Trump’s politics, persona, and character.

It is important to stress Trump’s own purported self-image, concocted for the moment, to garner votes. After the Houston debate, he claimed, “I’m a strong Christian.” On another occasion, he claimed, “nobody reads the Bible more than me.” Goldberg noted, “Either Donald Trump believes what he said, or he doesn’t. If he does believe this, he’s sufficiently delusional to disqualify himself for public office. If he doesn’t believe this, he thinks his conservative Christian supporters are morons.”

Trump also alleges, “I’m very conservative,” adding, “I’m the most conservative person in the world” on a host of issues. Even New York Magazine called him out on that one.

But Trump is following in the footsteps of his consigliere, Ann Coulter, who regards herself as both an exemplary conservative and extraordinary Christian. Coulter boasts, “I’m like the conservative ayatollah” and “I’m an extraordinarily good Christian.”

As an example of her good judgment and proof of her conservative and Christian credentials, Coulter said that she would actually marry Trump if he were available. Maybe they should (after his fourth divorce). They are made for each other.