Rush Limbaugh often says it. It is a maxim to remember. Always play on offense. I hope Donald Trump takes that to heart.

In the past week, the political press that already hates the GOP and thinks all Republicans are racist have used Donald Trump’s comments to go on the attack. Additionally, it has allowed NBC and Macy’s to sever ties to Trump that would be severed anyway because he is running for President of the United States. Macy’s cannot be running advertisements for Trump’s clothing as long as he is a declared Presidential candidate. NBC cannot run Trump promos. They’d both run into complaints and potential legal issues for doing so.

But Trump went into this week combative and on defense. Not only that, the press used his poll numbers to drag other Republicans into the target zone. Trump is now having to respond to not just what corporations are doing to him, but to what other candidates are saying about him, etc.

Cruz and Paul have both been dragged into it. And the media is using every occasion to paint them all as racists.

Stay on offense.

Hillary Clinton’s emails have been edited, selected, and narrated for political coverage.

Barack Obama will not fight ISIS.

Greece is on the verge of economic collapse.

The Supreme Court has replaced democracy with oligarchy.

The Washington Cartel continues to pick winners and losers.

Were I any of the Republicans’ consultants, including Donald Trump, I would tell them this — define themselves, don’t let the press do it. And talk to the press about your issues, not their issues. Go on offense.

As the every brilliant Roger Ailes wrote, “You are the message.”

In Ailes’s book, he wrote, “It’s your responsibility — not your listener’s — to insure that your message gets through, and if you don’t speak up, people can’t help you get what you want.” I would only add one thing — the media is interested in making sure that the listener does not hear your message, but the media’s narrative about your message. Don’t respond to their narrative. Don’t engage them with it because you are then playing on their turf. Instead, go with your message on offense. Just please, don’t be offensive if you don’t have to be.