Last week in a column titled "Donald Trump Gets Weirder", The New York Times' Gail Collins criticized Trump's "faux campaign" and sudden embrace of all things "birther." Trump, never one to let things slide, had his retort published on their web site. In a quick seven paragraphs Trump accused Collins of being a bad writer and getting her facts wrong before delving into his suspicions about Barack Obama being born in Hawaii. He also delivered this little back-handed compliment: "Actually, I have great respect for Ms. Collins in that she has survived so long with so little talent."

So how would Collins respond? Luckily she wasted no time in crafting a response, as today's paper featured her latest Trump-lambasting-column. Collins had no trouble getting personal. She derides the newly birther personality for having misspelled the word "too" in a prior correspondence and then, as a good journalist is wont to do, thoroughly debunks each of Trumps claims about the president. "I find this a disturbing spectacle--a little like seeing a guy you know from the neighborhood suddenly turn up in the middle of Times Square with his face painted blue and yelling about space aliens," she writes.

While nothing Collins' new column was as damaging as her original--the story of how Trump sent her one of her lips "with my picture circled and 'The Face of a Dog!' written over it," is particularly memorable--it was a pretty entertaining response and the internet seems to agree. The Village Voice's Rosie Gray hopes this will encourage The Times to feature more of Trump's writing: "Open your eyes, New York Times! Donald Trump should obviously be a regular columnist, such are the depth and intricacy of his opinions. Pro bono, though. If there's one thing this man/cartoon character doesn't need, it's more money." Gawker's Max Read writes, "And everyone wins, in the end, especially Donald Trump, who does not care if you think he's stupid, as long as you're thinking about him." 

So, what happens now? If Trump and Collins are going to continue engaging in this write-off, it doesn't really seem like the fairest of fights. But if Trump's anything, it's self-confident. Will he let things lie, or will he come back at Collins? We'll just have to wait and see, but we'd be okay with this feud continuing a little longer.

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