Ross Sneddon@rosssneddon “I don’t take any responsibility at all.” — Donald Trump on Covid 19 delay in testing.
You may not know that these are the ‘talking points’ that Mr. Trump has been railing against on his various appearances. Often, I am unaware, too. Why? Because I have done two things to make my blood pressure stable: 1. I’ve learned to use the MUTE button, and 2. I’ve never read his tweets.. However, no matter how hard I try to ignore him, he just keeps blathering on, and sooner or later, I read what he coughs up (usually on Medium) Then I am gob smacked.
Yes, he actually spoke about toilets and dishwashers and light bulbs (Oh My!) and claimed that these things need to be addressed immediately. He also made fun of wind turbines, thinking that if there is no wind blowing, then his television will stop working and naturally he will not be able to watch his election night returns because the television will go kaput. (He really said that. I should add that he will be kaput on November 3rd, too.)
What is sad, but strangely bizarre, is that the journalists that cover him (even the ones of Fox) try — with a straight face — to treat him as if he is a serious adult (aka the President of the most powerful nation on the planet). And try as they might, you have the sneaky feeling that the moment the cameras are off or the network cuts to a shot of another pundit, that reporter is likely to break into laughter because for four minutes she has tried to be serious about a man who is — for lack of a better word — CRAZY.
Now you may be thinking that I am being disrespectful. Yes. I. Am.
It’s as if the correspondent asks the vaunted political sage, “Why is the president saying that the suburbs will turn into a raging ball of fire with looters and left wingers like Biden taking your property values down?” The wise sage gathers herself and says, “Well, yes. It is a strange policy strategy for the president to take.” When you just know that the political expert really wants to say this: “Because HE IS BONKERS. He is a LOON. He is a RACIST. He is CRAZY because that is his BRAND!” However, the only people saying that are comedians, and for now, that is where the truth is told.
Now you may be thinking that I am being disrespectful. Yes. I. Am. And why? Because for far too long people have coddled to Mr. Trump. They have been crippled with courtesy, drippingly demure, flagrantly fair-minded. But the jig may be up. Chris Wallace, perhaps the one voice of reason over at Fox News, interviewed him and told him to his face, “Sir, Biden has not advocated defunding the police.” He told him that three times. What was Mr. Trump’s reaction? Stop the interview. What interview? It is not an interview if you insist on just ranting. (Eventually, Wallace proved he was right, but Mr. Trump was long gone by then.
On CBS this week, a very polite reporter Catherine Herridge asked him about the confederate flag and if he understands that people see that as a symbol of slavery and racism. His response, “No. It’s free speech… First Amendment.” Okay, yes, they have a right to wave that ‘flag,’ but that is not what she asked. She tried a follow up, but all he would say is “I don’t see it that way and lots of people don’t either.” Okay. Yes. We call those people followers of the confederacy and supporters of slavery — in other words, racists. Did she say that? Of course not. Why? Because she is the adult in the room (and not a loon).
And that’s really my point. How does one speak to a person who does not read his briefings? Who does not pay attention to the facts? To the data? To science (because it gets in the way)? To the reality that over 135,000 people have died on his shift? To businesses and state governments that are pleading for federal leadership? All they hear from Mr. Trump is “I don’t take any responsibility at all.” See what I mean? Can you imagine any American President dealing with a crisis of this magnitude passing the buck? President Harry Truman made responsibility clear, “The buck stops here.” That’s true of all who followed him into the Oval Office…until now.
So I hope, I really do, that more correspondents have a chance to call Mr. Trump out as being a fraud. John Dickerson tried, and he was escorted out of the Oval Office (and Dickerson could not have been more polite). The Supreme Court explained to Mr. Trump that no president is above the law in a 7–2 decision. BRAVO! (BOO to Thomas and Alito). What was Mr. Trump’s response? “I’m a victim of political prosecution.” Now seriously, how do you treat a person who behaves like a crybaby?
Give him a time out. November 3rd. And make sure he and his enablers leave for good.
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