Journalism 101: How Not to Get Played

Let's say that you have to cover one serious presidential candidate who wants to talk about the possibility, validated by history, that economic growth can co-exist with reducing inequality.  Let's say you also have to cover a fourth-rate insult comic whose current shtick is supposedly also running for President.  Let's say that you are America's most distinguished newspaper.  How do you keep the insult comic from changing the subject away from fostering economic growth and towards some low-rent character assassination?

Not like this:

Of course if one other person, say an unreadable Republican columnist, wants tendentiously to change this subject, that's all the cover you need!