First off, plenty of Mexican illegals have been accused and found guilty of rape. Because it runs counter to a narrative designed to pack the Southwest with Democrats, the same media that manufactures a rape crisis in our university system, buries actual rapes committed by these Democrats-In-Waiting.

What Donald Trump said about illegal aliens and rape and crime was not untrue, far from it. Trump’s sin was saying What Must Not Be Said; and saying it fearlessly.

Naturally, then, Trump must be destroyed by the mainstream media. Unfortunately for them, the media made just one mistake: they forgot that Donald Trump isn’t the usual-usual Republican who rolls over like a whipped puppy every time the media piles on.

Univision was intended to be the tip of the spear in this attack, and now it is Univision on defense. Moreover, it is Univision that is losing.

Univision was sure that if it publicly and loudly dropped Trump’s Miss Universe organization, including the beauty pageant, that the boldness of such an act of public shaming would put Trump on defense, and possibly implode his campaign. This was Jorge Ramos and Univision going straight for the kill-shot.

Except…

Donald Trump didn’t build an empire and forever alter the skylines of major cities throughout the world by rolling over every time an anti-American leftist like Jorge Ramos takes a shot at him.

We are now witnessing Trump doing what he should be doing (what he did so effectively to Neil Young) — what no Republican ever does: Trump’s not only fighting back, he’s fighting back smart, and doing so in a way that is exposing Univision as the left-wing propaganda machine it is.

First Trump banned Univision and its employees from his properties; he then loudly and publicly accused Univision of being in bed with the corrupt Mexican government; he is now threatening to file a defamation suit against Univision president Alberto Ciurana for comparing the real estate billionaire to a terrorist who murdered nine people in cold blood last week.

In other words, Trump is fighting like Univision, like a Leftist — fearlessly and to win. And it certainly helps that in this case he has the truth on his side. Better still, Trump is using the controversy to his messaging advantage. He’s not just exposing and damaging Univision — a long-term enemy of the Republican Party, he’s using the publicity to get the truth out about the problems covered up by our media surrounding our porous Southern border.

And now there’s a chance Univision could lose the option to host a Republican forum. Fox has a Spanish language network, that’s the place to go, not into whatever traps Ramos and Univision have planned.

The media is correct, the Republican Party does have a “Donald Trump problem,” but not the one they describe.

By actually fighting and fighting smart, Trump is not just showing the courage the Republican party lacks, he’s displaying leadership and competence. You might not like or agree with Trump, but you had damn well better respect him.

Competence and leadership are crucially important in a presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton understands this. For all her flaws and scandals, Hillary knows that if she looks confident and like a leader through it all, she can win the presidency despite her serial-corruption.

In large part, McCain and Romney lost because they allowed themselves to constantly be put on defense. And after being on defense for weeks, they would eventually surrender to take the pressure off. They looked weak and feckless — like men who could never handle ISIS or Putin. This doesn’t just turn off fence-sitters, it keeps some of your base at home.

Democrats have figured this out. This is why they accused Romney of killing a woman. Sure, it was shameless and a lie, but it kept Romney on defense and the base loved it. The accusation might have been a completely fabrication, but it was a competent fabrication.

Like the Democrats, Trump has figured out that the public will forgive you for being wrong but they will never forgive you for looking weak.

If the GOP can’t handle Trump, how in God’s name will they handle the Clinton machine backed by the media in a general election?

Kissing the backside of Jorge Ramos and Univision is not the road to the White House — it is the path to a trap.

The candidate who understands this can win. The ones who don’t will be eaten alive in 2016.

Better we find out now before pouring all our energy and time into yet another milquetoast loser.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC