Maureen Dowd (center) with Irish family Kathleen and Ciaran Staunton at Rory Staunton Foundation event.RSF

If there is one journalist Donald Trump fears it is Maureen Dowd of The New York Times. Dowd, whose father hailed from Clare and her mother’s people came from Mayo, has a unique record when it comes to presidential candidates.

She was the journalist who revealed that David Geffen had soured on Hillary and was moving to outsider Barack Obama back in the 2008 race. The impact was devastating as major Democratic moguls also shifted, not that Obama was a fan of her either, knowing how powerful she was. As his chief strategist David Axelrod stated: “No one got under Barack’s skin more than Maureen.”

The same could be said for Dick Cheney who foamed at the mouth when she was mentioned. The Clintons also hardly rank in her “Most Popular Writer” club.

Now she has got under Trump’s thin skin. Trump hit back and also targeted former Defense Secretary Robert Gates who stated this week on CNN Trump was unfit for military leadership.

It’s tough being Trump!

During a CNN interview, promoting her new book “The Year of Voting Dangerously” Dowd told CNN "I picture Kellyanne Conway like a lion-tamer trying to keep Donald Trump on his stool." Conway is Trump’s campaign manager.

She didn't stop there.In a people in glasshouse moment she stated Trump had some cheek criticisng Hillary’s marriage and Bill’s failures after he conducted a highly publicized affair himself with Marla Maples despite being married. The highlight of that relationship she recalled was Maples ringing endorsement on the cover of The New York Post. “Best Sex Ever” screamed the headline.

Dowd also said that she expressed strong concern about violence at rallies with the GOP nominee: "For instance, I told him that it was wrong that there was violence being incited at his rallies," Dowd said, adding that it was also wrong that reporters were being "roughed up."

"He paused ... but then he disagreed and said he thought the violence added a frisson of excitement," Dowd added.

Trump went ballistic when Dowd’s comments appeared and commenced a twitter tirade against Dowd calling her deluded and unstable.

The upshot is another victory for Dowd who has once again proven how she is able to elicit reactions from politicians that no one else can manage. As you can see below Trump sounds like one sandwich short of a picnic.