Even Republican presidential candidates who have declined to jump into the political fray and comment on Donald Trump’s frequent, headlining remarks are struggling to stay quiet, as the top GOP challenger continues to dominate the news cycles.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) has for weeks told Fox News and others that he would rather talk about his campaign than score political points by criticizing Trump. However, Trump’s comments about Fox anchor Megyn Kelly this weekend and reporters’ hunting for a reaction have practically forced a response.

Emphasis added. No, the reporters aren’t forcing anything; the Republican candidates’ responses are entirely their own choices. If they want to talk about their campaigns, then they should talk about their campaigns.

Even Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, MA) knows this. She’s a Senator, in fact, because during her election campaign, she didn’t just deflect questions about her supposed ties to “Pocahontas,” she actively ignored them: whenever she was asked about her claimed Native American ancestry, she would simply talk about this or that policy that she intended to pursue once in the Senate.

The Republicans need to show similar courage and stop ceding their messages to the press.