washingtonmonthly--2020-07-20--The Futility of Journalists Interviewing Donald Trump

The Roman Empire would have a better reputation if it had enjoyed more leaders like Augustus and Marcus Aurelius and fewer like Caligula and Nero , and someday a couple of thousand years from now there will be some blogger saying the same about America .
Bad leadership matters , and George W. Bush and Donald Trump have provided the kind of leadership that leaves an indelible stain .
Sure , we have the Declaration of Independence , the Emancipation Proclamation and the “ I Have a Dream ” speech , but we also have this incredible interview that President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News over the weekend .
It ’ d be nice if all records of it were lost , much like the chapters of Tacitus ’ s Annals that no one can seem to find .
As things stand , all the history books will say about us is that we were very foolish people led by a certifiable sociopathic moron .
This begins to become apparent in the interview ’ s first exchange where Mr. Wallace wants to talk about “ the surge of the coronavirus across the country ” only to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s because we have great testing , because we have the best testing in the world.
” Never mind that is like Trump explaining he has syphilis because he took a very accurate test that told him he had syphilis , it ’ s not even true that our tests are better than the tests being used in other countries .
But , if you ’ re going to read the transcript of this interview , you ’ re just going to have to accept that the president combines ignorance , dishonesty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways never before seen in an American leader .
On the ignorance and bad faith fronts , this initial salvo was just a warm-up for a more comprehensive treatment of his Grand Theory of Testing .
Despite its childlike simplicity , it ’ s actually hard to explain .
Here ’ s his synopsis : So , here we see that we not only have the best testing but also the most testing , and this latter point is really the key .
If , say , your spouse has COVID-19 , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be counted .
If for some reason we didn ’ t count her then not only would reporters not be able to say she has the virus , but she wouldn ’ t have it .
Oh , sure , maybe in some technical and meaningless sense she ’ d be infected , but many people “ heal in a day ” and “ like 99.7 percent , people are going to get better.
” The problem is that we shouldn ’ t be identifying these people and counting them as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to be just fine .
Of course , the fatality rate from COVID-19 is a lot higher than 0.3 percent , and the virus spreads most effectively from people who show few or no symptoms , so it ’ s absolutely critical that he find them , and testing is the only way to accomplish that .
What Trump is demonstrating here is a refusal to understand the most basic and crucial idea behind containing the spread of the virus .
As I wrote in a subscription piece over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell is proposing a lot of money for testing and contact tracing in his upcoming COVID-19 spending bill .
It ’ s the model that has worked everywhere that the virus has been contained .
But Trump opposes all of this spending , and the reason is that he ’ s convinced it will just lead to a higher official count of positive cases , without any benefit to himself .
It doesn ’ t help that Trump is wrong about every other aspect of the pandemic .
It ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests .
We haven ’ t done the most tests on a per capita basis .
We certainly haven ’ t done the most contact tracing .
He ’ s also completely wrong about the mortality rate we ’ re experiencing here in the United States .
When Wallace pointed out that we have the seventh highest mortality rate in the world , Trump insisted he was wrong and they had to stop the interview while the president tried to prove his case .
In the end , he produced a document that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but which still showed that American has far from the “ number one low mortality rate ” that he initially claimed .
Nonetheless , Trump insisted that we are “ the envy of the world ” and that the death count is down .
Wallace became embarrassed for the president at this point and it led to the following exchange : WALLACE : I ’ m , I ’ m going to do you a favor , because I ’ m sure a lot of people listening right now are going to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play it down , he tries to make it not being as serious as it is.
” TRUMP : I don ’ t play it — I ’ m not playing — no , this is very serious .
WALLACE : Well , I don ’ t have the death chart .
TRUMP : Well , the death chart is much more important .
WALLACE : But I can tell you , the death chart is a thousand cases a day .
TRUMP : Excuse me , it ’ s all too much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
It came from China .
They should ’ ve never let it escape .
They should ’ ve never let it out .
But it is what it is .
Take a look at Europe , take a look at the numbers in Europe .
And by the way , they ’ re having cases .
WALLACE : I can tell you cases are 6,000 in the whole European Union .
WALLACE : Is it possible that they don ’ t have the virus as badly as we do ?
TRUMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t test , that ’ s what ’ s possible .
We find cases and many of those cases heal automatically .
We ’ re finding — in a way , we ’ re creating trouble .
Certainly , we are creating trouble for the fake news to come along and say , “ Oh , we have more cases.
” So , that is the totality of Trump ’ s Grand Theory of Testing .
That ’ s why he says he ’ ll veto any bill that provides money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview did more than display his infinite stupidity and bad faith , it also put on a remarkable display of his racism .
It began with Trump asserting that Joe Biden wants to defund the police , to which Chris Wallace replied , “ No , sir , he does not.
” They then shut down the interview a second time while Trump tried and failed to prove his talking point .
In an effort to recover , Trump began a new riff , “ when people proudly have their Confederate flags , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They love their flag , it represents the south , they like the south.
” When asked if Black people have some justification in being concerned that they ’ re on the receiving end of a disproportionate number of violent acts by police , Trump ’ s reply was one for the ages : To summarize : Black people have no reason to be protesting and that ’ s why he sent secret police to Oregon to arrest anarchists .
As for military bases named after Confederate heroes , Trump said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military says .
I do – I ’ m supposed to make the decision .
Fort Bragg is a big deal…We ’ re going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton ?
” The rest of answer was par for the course , with him first assuring us that the people agree with him before saying the polls are inaccurate and finally that he was surprised to see a survey where 64 percent of the people disagree with him but that he doesn ’ t care .
In keeping with his indifference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t changed his position on school reopening one bit .
For some reason , this first came up as a word salad non sequitur to a question about why the hell he is so resistant to mask-wearing .
Wallace objected that it would be a better idea to spend money on making schools safer than to withhold funding that mostly goes to needy students .
This led Trump to once again show his unfamiliarity with how viruses spread .
The actual number is two children , both of whom were under five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 4,700 documented infections in people under the age of 18 .
Those 4,700 children have bus drivers and lunch ladies and teachers and parents and grandparents .
This matters because a new study from South Korea that finds children “ between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do.
” For some reason , Trump doesn ’ t care about this and believes that reopening schools will work out better for him than reopening the nation ’ s state economies did .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will care .
I ’ ve barely scratched the surface of the humiliation contained in this interview .
There is also a discussion of how difficult it is to identify a picture of an elephant or count backwards from 100 by seven .
There is a debate about Joe Biden ’ s “ senility ” and ability to do similarly tough interviews on Fox News .
There ’ s an accusation that the observant Catholic Joe Biden will “ end religion.
” There are the obligatory riffs on the “ the Russia hoax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the myth that you can cover pre-existing conditions without an individual mandate .
There is also another insistence that the election will be rigged against him through vote-by-mail and that he may not accept the results .
Everything Trump said throughout the hour was wrong , and often catastrophically wrong .
For whatever combination of reasons , he is opposed to doing all the things that would hold down the COVID-19 death count and help this country get back to normal .
Mitch McConnell now has to fight him on these fronts as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he hopes will save his Senate majority .
No one can escape this vortex of stupidity and evil .
It ’ s so bad that millennia from now people will look back and be immensely unimpressed with what became of the American experiment .

The Roman Empire would have a better reputation if it had enjoyed more leaders like Augustus and Marcus Aurelius and fewer like Caligula and Nero, and someday a couple of thousand years from now there will be some blogger saying the same about America. Bad leadership matters, and George W. Bush and Donald Trump have provided the kind of leadership that leaves an indelible stain.
Sure, we have the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and the “I Have a Dream” speech, but we also have this incredible interview that President Trump did with Chris Wallace of Fox News over the weekend. It’d be nice if all records of it were lost, much like the chapters of Tacitus’s Annals that no one can seem to find. As things stand, all the history books will say about us is that we were very foolish people led by a certifiable sociopathic moron.
This begins to become apparent in the interview’s first exchange where Mr. Wallace wants to talk about “the surge of the coronavirus across the country” only to be met with “Chris, that’s because we have great testing, because we have the best testing in the world.”
Never mind that is like Trump explaining he has syphilis because he took a very accurate test that told him he had syphilis, it’s not even true that our tests are better than the tests being used in other countries. But, if you’re going to read the transcript of this interview, you’re just going to have to accept that the president combines ignorance, dishonesty, bad faith, cruelty and indifference in ways never before seen in an American leader.
On the ignorance and bad faith fronts, this initial salvo was just a warm-up for a more comprehensive treatment of his Grand Theory of Testing. Despite its childlike simplicity, it’s actually hard to explain. Here’s his synopsis:
We go out and we look and then on the news — look if you go back to the news, all of your — even your wonderful competitors, you’ll see cases are up. Cases are up — many of those cases shouldn’t even be cases. Cases are up because we have the best testing in the world and we have the most testing.
So, here we see that we not only have the best testing but also the most testing, and this latter point is really the key. If, say, your spouse has COVID-19, it’s quite possible that she shouldn’t be counted. If for some reason we didn’t count her then not only would reporters not be able to say she has the virus, but she wouldn’t have it.
Oh, sure, maybe in some technical and meaningless sense she’d be infected, but many people “heal in a day” and “like 99.7 percent, people are going to get better.” The problem is that we shouldn’t be identifying these people and counting them as cases because it looks bad and they’re going to be just fine.
Of course, the fatality rate from COVID-19 is a lot higher than 0.3 percent, and the virus spreads most effectively from people who show few or no symptoms, so it’s absolutely critical that he find them, and testing is the only way to accomplish that.
What Trump is demonstrating here is a refusal to understand the most basic and crucial idea behind containing the spread of the virus. As I wrote in a subscription piece over the weekend, this is precisely why Mitch McConnell is proposing a lot of money for testing and contact tracing in his upcoming COVID-19 spending bill. It’s the model that has worked everywhere that the virus has been contained. But Trump opposes all of this spending, and the reason is that he’s convinced it will just lead to a higher official count of positive cases, without any benefit to himself.
It doesn’t help that Trump is wrong about every other aspect of the pandemic. It’s not just that we don’t have better tests. We haven’t done the most tests on a per capita basis. We certainly haven’t done the most contact tracing. He’s also completely wrong about the mortality rate we’re experiencing here in the United States.
When Wallace pointed out that we have the seventh highest mortality rate in the world, Trump insisted he was wrong and they had to stop the interview while the president tried to prove his case. In the end, he produced a document that excluded some key countries like Russia, but which still showed that American has far from the “number one low mortality rate” that he initially claimed.
Nonetheless, Trump insisted that we are “the envy of the world” and that the death count is down. Wallace became embarrassed for the president at this point and it led to the following exchange:
WALLACE: I’m, I’m going to do you a favor, because I’m sure a lot of people listening right now are going to say, “Trump, he tries to play it down, he tries to make it not being as serious as it is.” TRUMP: I don’t play it — I’m not playing — no, this is very serious. WALLACE: 75,000 cases a day. TRUMP: Show me the death chart. WALLACE: Well, I don’t have the death chart. TRUMP: Well, the death chart is much more important. WALLACE: But I can tell you, the death chart is a thousand cases a day. TRUMP: Excuse me, it’s all too much, it shouldn’t be one case. It came from China. They should’ve never let it escape. They should’ve never let it out. But it is what it is. Take a look at Europe, take a look at the numbers in Europe. And by the way, they’re having cases. WALLACE: I can tell you cases are 6,000 in the whole European Union. TRUMP: They don’t test. They don’t test. WALLACE: Is it possible that they don’t have the virus as badly as we do? TRUMP: It’s possible that they don’t test, that’s what’s possible. We find cases and many of those cases heal automatically. We’re finding — in a way, we’re creating trouble. Certainly, we are creating trouble for the fake news to come along and say, “Oh, we have more cases.”
So, that is the totality of Trump’s Grand Theory of Testing. That’s why he says he’ll veto any bill that provides money for testing and tracing.
But the interview did more than display his infinite stupidity and bad faith, it also put on a remarkable display of his racism. It began with Trump asserting that Joe Biden wants to defund the police, to which Chris Wallace replied, “No, sir, he does not.” They then shut down the interview a second time while Trump tried and failed to prove his talking point. In an effort to recover, Trump began a new riff, “when people proudly have their Confederate flags, they’re not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the south, they like the south.” When asked if Black people have some justification in being concerned that they’re on the receiving end of a disproportionate number of violent acts by police, Trump’s reply was one for the ages:
TRUMP: I mean, many, many whites are killed. I hate the sad – but this is going on for decades. This is going on for a long time, long before I got here. You know, if you look at what’s gone on in Portland, those are anarchists and we’ve taken a very tough stand. If we didn’t take a stand in Portland, you know we’ve arrested many of these leaders. If we didn’t take that stand, right now you would have a problem like you, you – they were going to lose Portland. So let’s see…
To summarize: Black people have no reason to be protesting and that’s why he sent secret police to Oregon to arrest anarchists.
As for military bases named after Confederate heroes, Trump said “I don’t care what the military says. I do – I’m supposed to make the decision. Fort Bragg is a big deal…We’re going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton?”
The rest of answer was par for the course, with him first assuring us that the people agree with him before saying the polls are inaccurate and finally that he was surprised to see a survey where 64 percent of the people disagree with him but that he doesn’t care.
In keeping with his indifference to taking popular positions, he hasn’t changed his position on school reopening one bit. For some reason, this first came up as a word salad non sequitur to a question about why the hell he is so resistant to mask-wearing.
Everybody who is saying don’t wear a mask – all of sudden everybody’s got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too. With that being said, I’m a believer in masks. I think masks are good. But I leave it up to the governors. Many of the governors are changing. They’re more mask into – they like the concept of masks, but some of them don’t agree. I do say this – schools have to open… …when they don’t open their schools. We’re not going to fund them. We’re not going to give them money if they’re not going to school. If they don’t open.
Wallace objected that it would be a better idea to spend money on making schools safer than to withhold funding that mostly goes to needy students. This led Trump to once again show his unfamiliarity with how viruses spread.
TRUMP: Chris, let the schools open. Do you ever see the statistics on young people below the age of 18? The state of New Jersey had thousands of deaths. Of all of these thousands, one person below the age of 18 – in the entire state – one person and that was a person that had, I believe he said diabetes.
The actual number is two children, both of whom were under five, but New Jersey has had more than 4,700 documented infections in people under the age of 18. Those 4,700 children have bus drivers and lunch ladies and teachers and parents and grandparents. This matters because a new study from South Korea that finds children “between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do.”
For some reason, Trump doesn’t care about this and believes that reopening schools will work out better for him than reopening the nation’s state economies did. But parents care. Teachers care. Voters will care.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of the humiliation contained in this interview. There is also a discussion of how difficult it is to identify a picture of an elephant or count backwards from 100 by seven. There is a debate about Joe Biden’s “senility” and ability to do similarly tough interviews on Fox News. There’s an accusation that the observant Catholic Joe Biden will “end religion.” There are the obligatory riffs on the “the Russia hoax, “the Mueller scam” and the myth that you can cover pre-existing conditions without an individual mandate. There is also another insistence that the election will be rigged against him through vote-by-mail and that he may not accept the results.
Everything Trump said throughout the hour was wrong, and often catastrophically wrong. For whatever combination of reasons, he is opposed to doing all the things that would hold down the COVID-19 death count and help this country get back to normal.
Mitch McConnell now has to fight him on these fronts as he tries to pass a coronavirus bill that he hopes will save his Senate majority. No one can escape this vortex of stupidity and evil. It’s so bad that millennia from now people will look back and be immensely unimpressed with what became of the American experiment.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-21--The Protesters Are the True Patriots

The Protesters Are the True Patriots

It is truly bizarre that , at a moment when the Trump administration is sending in federal stormtroopers to threaten peaceful protesters in Portland , Oregon , conservatives are claiming that it is liberals who threaten the foundation of our democratic republic .
It all started with Trump ’ s speech at Mt .
Rushmore on July 4th .
Seventeen seventy-six represented the culmination of thousands of years of western civilization and the triumph not only of spirit , but of wisdom , philosophy , and reason .
And yet , as we meet here tonight , there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ancestors fought so hard for , struggled , they bled to secure .
Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history , defame our heroes , erase our values , and indoctrinate our children… This attack on our liberty , our magnificent liberty , must be stopped , and it will be stopped very quickly .
We will expose this dangerous movement , protect our nation ’ s children , end this radical assault , and preserve our beloved American way of life… Make no mistake : this left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Revolution .
That was followed up by a speech from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the National Constitution Center to unveil the first report from his “ Commission on Unalienable Rights.
” The secretary had established the commission a year ago in order to ground our foreign policy in this country ’ s founding ideals .
The first thing to note is that Pompeo thinks that it is necessary to prioritize which unalienable rights are most important .
Of course , what a Christian nationalist like Pompeo means when he talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of white evangelical Christians to do what they please and all other religions be damned .
That one has a lot of human rights advocates pointing out that it is the rights of women and LGBTQ persons to be treated as equal citizens under the law that are getting thrown under the bus .
Pompeo mentioned Trump ’ s speech at Mt .
Rushmore when he launched into his own attack on those who are protesting against police brutality .
President Trump spoke about this at Mount Rushmore on the Fourth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under assault .
The New York Times ’ s 1619 Project – so named for the year that the first slaves were transported to America – wants you to believe that our country was founded for human bondage .
They want you to believe that America ’ s institutions continue to reflect the country ’ s acceptance of slavery at our founding .
They want you to believe that Marxist ideology that America is only the oppressors and the oppressed .
The Chinese Communist Party must be gleeful when they see the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have taken these false doctrines to heart .
The rioters pulling down statues thus see nothing wrong with desecrating monuments to those who fought for our unalienable rights – from our founding to the present day .
This is a dark vision of America ’ s birth .
I reject it .
It ’ s a disturbed reading of history .
It is a slander on our great people .
Nothing could be further from the truth of our founding and the rights about which this report speaks .
The commission reminds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quote from Frederick Douglas , himself a freed slave , who saw the Constitution as a “ glorious , liberty document.
” That it is .
That quote from Frederick Douglass is a favorite among conservatives .
What they don ’ t tell you is that it comes from his speech titled , “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July ?
’ given in 1852—nine years before the Civil War .
Speaking to a white audience , Douglass refers to “ your National Independence , and of your political freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clear that it doesn ’ t apply to those who were enslaved .
You can almost see the tongue-in-cheek way that he talks about what led up to the Declaration of Independence from British rule .
Feeling themselves harshly and unjustly treated by the home government , your fathers , like men of honesty , and men of spirit , earnestly sought redress .
They petitioned and remonstrated ; they did so in a decorous , respectful , and loyal manner .
Their conduct was wholly unexceptionable .
This , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference , coldness and scorn .
Yet they persevered .
They were not the men to look back… Oppression makes a wise man mad .
Your fathers were wise men , and if they did not go mad , they became restive under this treatment .
They felt themselves the victims of grievous wrongs , wholly incurable in their colonial capacity .
With brave men there is always a remedy for oppression .
Just here , the idea of a total separation of the colonies from the crown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea , much more so , than we , at this distance of time , regard it .
The timid and the prudent ( as has been intimated ) of that day , were , of course , shocked and alarmed by it .
It seems pretty clear that Pompeo has never read Douglass ’ s whole speech .
So it might surprise him to learn that the man he quoted referred to our founding fathers as oppressed , but wise men who chaffed under their treatment by the home government .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document .
But by the end of his speech , Douglass made it clear that these founding ideals were not extended to people like him .
That is the part of Douglass ’ s speech that Pompeo doesn ’ t want you to hear—much less read himself .
There are people who are still mourning the fact that American hasn ’ t lived up to its ideals .
They are taking to the streets to protest and this administration is doing everything in their power to vilify , threaten , and stop them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was this country ’ s first African American president who drew our attention to the words contained in the preamble to the Constitution during his 2008 speech about race in America ( emphasis mine ) .
Of course , the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution — a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law ; a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union that could be and should be perfected over time .
And yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to deliver slaves from bondage , or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States .
What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part — through protests and struggles , on the streets and in the courts , through a civil war and civil disobedience , and always at great risk — to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time .
With the passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is also a time to remember the words Obama spoke to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the march he led across the bridge in Selma , Alabama .
As we commemorate their achievement , we are well-served to remember that at the time of the marches , many in power condemned rather than praised them .
Back then , they were called Communists , or half-breeds , or outside agitators , sexual and moral degenerates , and worse –- they were called everything but the name their parents gave them .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened .
Their patriotism challenged .
And yet , what could be more American than what happened in this place ?
What could more profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people –- unsung , the downtrodden , the dreamers not of high station , not born to wealth or privilege , not of one religious tradition but many , coming together to shape their country ’ s course ?
What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this , what greater form of patriotism is there than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finished , that we are strong enough to be self-critical , that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals ?
That ’ s why Selma is not some outlier in the American experience .
That ’ s why it ’ s not a museum or a static monument to behold from a distance .
It is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents : “ We the People… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union.
” “ We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal.
” It is people like Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo who are in the process of threatening the ideals on which this country was founded .
They are the ones who are calling protesters “ everything but the name their parents gave them ” and serving up the modern-day equivalent of the billy clubs used against people like John Lewis on “ Bloody Sunday.
” The great divide in this country has always been the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything to maintain the status quo and those who revere our founding ideals enough to join the struggle to perfect our union .
It ’ s once again time to choose a side .

It is truly bizarre that, at a moment when the Trump administration is sending in federal stormtroopers to threaten peaceful protesters in Portland, Oregon, conservatives are claiming that it is liberals who threaten the foundation of our democratic republic. It all started with Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore on July 4th.
Seventeen seventy-six represented the culmination of thousands of years of western civilization and the triumph not only of spirit, but of wisdom, philosophy, and reason. And yet, as we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure. Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children… This attack on our liberty, our magnificent liberty, must be stopped, and it will be stopped very quickly. We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation’s children, end this radical assault, and preserve our beloved American way of life… Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution.
That was followed up by a speech from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the National Constitution Center to unveil the first report from his “Commission on Unalienable Rights.” The secretary had established the commission a year ago in order to ground our foreign policy in this country’s founding ideals. The first thing to note is that Pompeo thinks that it is necessary to prioritize which unalienable rights are most important.
…the report emphasizes foremost among these rights are property rights and religious liberty. No one can enjoy the pursuit of happiness if you cannot own the fruits of your own labor, and no society – no society can retain its legitimacy or a virtuous character without religious freedom.
Of course, what a Christian nationalist like Pompeo means when he talks about “religious liberty” is the freedom of white evangelical Christians to do what they please and all other religions be damned. That one has a lot of human rights advocates pointing out that it is the rights of women and LGBTQ persons to be treated as equal citizens under the law that are getting thrown under the bus.
Pompeo mentioned Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore when he launched into his own attack on those who are protesting against police brutality.
President Trump spoke about this at Mount Rushmore on the Fourth of July. And our rights tradition is under assault. The New York Times’s 1619 Project – so named for the year that the first slaves were transported to America – wants you to believe that our country was founded for human bondage. They want you to believe that America’s institutions continue to reflect the country’s acceptance of slavery at our founding. They want you to believe that Marxist ideology that America is only the oppressors and the oppressed. The Chinese Communist Party must be gleeful when they see the New York Times spout this ideology. Some people have taken these false doctrines to heart. The rioters pulling down statues thus see nothing wrong with desecrating monuments to those who fought for our unalienable rights – from our founding to the present day. This is a dark vision of America’s birth. I reject it. It’s a disturbed reading of history. It is a slander on our great people. Nothing could be further from the truth of our founding and the rights about which this report speaks. The commission reminds us – it’s got a quote from Frederick Douglas, himself a freed slave, who saw the Constitution as a “glorious, liberty document.” That it is.
That quote from Frederick Douglass is a favorite among conservatives. What they don’t tell you is that it comes from his speech titled, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?’ given in 1852—nine years before the Civil War. Speaking to a white audience, Douglass refers to “your National Independence, and of your political freedom” (emphasis mine), making it clear that it doesn’t apply to those who were enslaved. You can almost see the tongue-in-cheek way that he talks about what led up to the Declaration of Independence from British rule.
Feeling themselves harshly and unjustly treated by the home government, your fathers, like men of honesty, and men of spirit, earnestly sought redress. They petitioned and remonstrated; they did so in a decorous, respectful, and loyal manner. Their conduct was wholly unexceptionable. This, however, did not answer the purpose. They saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference, coldness and scorn. Yet they persevered. They were not the men to look back… Oppression makes a wise man mad. Your fathers were wise men, and if they did not go mad, they became restive under this treatment. They felt themselves the victims of grievous wrongs, wholly incurable in their colonial capacity. With brave men there is always a remedy for oppression. Just here, the idea of a total separation of the colonies from the crown was born! It was a startling idea, much more so, than we, at this distance of time, regard it. The timid and the prudent (as has been intimated) of that day, were, of course, shocked and alarmed by it.
It seems pretty clear that Pompeo has never read Douglass’s whole speech. So it might surprise him to learn that the man he quoted referred to our founding fathers as oppressed, but wise men who chaffed under their treatment by the home government. The Declaration of Independence was actually a protest document.
But by the end of his speech, Douglass made it clear that these founding ideals were not extended to people like him.
I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. — The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.
That is the part of Douglass’s speech that Pompeo doesn’t want you to hear—much less read himself. There are people who are still mourning the fact that American hasn’t lived up to its ideals. They are taking to the streets to protest and this administration is doing everything in their power to vilify, threaten, and stop them.
It is worth noting that it was this country’s first African American president who drew our attention to the words contained in the preamble to the Constitution during his 2008 speech about race in America (emphasis mine).
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Here’s what Obama said.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution — a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part — through protests and struggles, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience, and always at great risk — to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.
With the passing of John Lewis over the weekend, this is also a time to remember the words Obama spoke to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the march he led across the bridge in Selma, Alabama.
As we commemorate their achievement, we are well-served to remember that at the time of the marches, many in power condemned rather than praised them. Back then, they were called Communists, or half-breeds, or outside agitators, sexual and moral degenerates, and worse –- they were called everything but the name their parents gave them. Their faith was questioned. Their lives were threatened. Their patriotism challenged. And yet, what could be more American than what happened in this place? What could more profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people –- unsung, the downtrodden, the dreamers not of high station, not born to wealth or privilege, not of one religious tradition but many, coming together to shape their country’s course? What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this, what greater form of patriotism is there than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals? That’s why Selma is not some outlier in the American experience. That’s why it’s not a museum or a static monument to behold from a distance. It is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents: “We the People… in order to form a more perfect union.” “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
It is people like Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo who are in the process of threatening the ideals on which this country was founded. They are the ones who are calling protesters “everything but the name their parents gave them” and serving up the modern-day equivalent of the billy clubs used against people like John Lewis on “Bloody Sunday.”
The great divide in this country has always been the one between those in power who will do anything to maintain the status quo and those who revere our founding ideals enough to join the struggle to perfect our union. It’s once again time to choose a side.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-21--John Lewis Didn’t Just Change Laws. He Changed Hearts.

Of all the tributes that have been written about Representative John Lewis since his passing over the weekend , the one that stood out to me came from Michael Fletcher , who said that “ I didn ’ t understand John Lewis at first.
” My apprehension was rooted in the mistaken notion that Lewis was not angry enough .
Why did he not demand revenge for the unspeakable racism he fearlessly confronted ?
How could he accept an apology from former Alabama governor George Wallace , a longtime segregationist who ordered the infamous Bloody Sunday attack on the bridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the former public safety commissioner in Birmingham , Alabama ?
Why would he forge a relationship with former Klansman Elwin Wilson , who was part of a mob that in 1961 beat down Lewis and other Freedom Riders outside the whites-only waiting room at the Rock Hill , South Carolina , bus station ?
But over the years my ambivalence melted into reverence as I came to better appreciate the power of Lewis ’ grace .
It armed him with undeniable moral authority that allowed him to change minds , and hearts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his bravery and contempt for injustice were among the sturdiest pillars of his greatness .
The names George Wallace and Bull Connor are known to most of us with at least a passing acquaintance with this country ’ s history .
But in case you haven ’ t heard about Elwin Wilson , Lewis told that story during a discussion with Barack Obama and a group of young men involved with the My Brother ’ s Keeper program .
It came in response to the question , “ In what way can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantage ?
” Lewis talks about his experience with Elwin Wilson at the 4:13 mark in this video .
Wilson was one of the Klansman who beat Lewis during a stop on the Freedom Rides .
But when , years later , he expressed remorse for what he had done , Lewis forgave him .
Here ’ s what the congressman wrote at Wilson ’ s passing .
Elwin Wilson experienced what Martin Luther King Jr. told all of us that “ hate is too heavy a burden to bear ” .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectiveness of non-violent direct action not only to fix legislative injustice but to mend the wounded souls in our society , the soul of the victim as well as the perpetrator .
Elwin Wilson shows us , that people can change , and when they put down the mechanisms of division and separation to pick up the tools of reconciliation , they can help build a greater sense of community in our society , even between the most unlikely people .
Elwin Wilson proves that we are all one people , one family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affects one of us affect us all .
Fletcher ’ s initial misgivings about Lewis reminded me of something Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about Martin Luther King , Jr. just after the election of Barack Obama in 2008 .
Here is where Barack Obama and the civil rights leaders of old are joined — in a shocking , almost certifiable faith in humanity , something that subsequent generations lost .
The Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. may have led African Americans out of segregation , and he may have cured incalculable numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , he believed that the lion ’ s share of the population of this country would not support the rights of thugs to pummel people who just wanted to cross a bridge .
King believed in white people , and when I was a younger , more callow man , that belief made me suck my teeth .
I saw it as weakness and cowardice , a lack of faith in his own .
But it was the opposite .
King ’ s belief in white people was the ultimate show of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his life on a bet that they were no different from the people who lived next door .
There are still those today who question the use of nonviolent civil disobedience , especially during an era when Donald Trump and his enablers are threatening to not only roll back the gains made during the Civil Rights Movement , but are threatening the very foundation of our democratic republic .
That is primarily because the current crisis makes it difficult , if not impossible , to maintain that “ certifiable faith in humanity ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that there were multiple elements of the Civil Rights Movement that can be credited with bringing about the end of Jim Crow laws .
There was the pride and fearlessness that spread from people like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers .
There was the coalition that began to develop in Chicago under the tutelage of Fred Hampton .
But take a look at how David Remnick told the story of what happened on the bridge in Selma over 50 years ago .
Given one minute to disperse by the troopers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They would not leave .
“ And then they were upon us.
” The troopers charged , and the first among them brought down a nightstick on the left side of Lewis ’ s skull .
His legs gave way .
“ I really thought I was going to die , ” he said .
He curled up on the ground , as he had been trained , in a “ prayer for protection ” position.
” The trooper hit him again .
And then came the canisters of tear gas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mess of mud and blood , Lewis refused to go to the hospital .
Barely conscious , he reached Brown Chapel , the headquarters of the movement , ascended to the pulpit , and told those gathered , many of them still gasping from the tear gas , “ I don ’ t know how President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam .
I don ’ t see how he can send troops to the Congo .
I don ’ t see how he can send troops to Africa , and he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama .
Next time we march , we may have to keep going when we get to Montgomery .
We may have to go on to Washington.
” That night , an audience of forty-eight million people watched a fifteen-minute report on Selma .
President Lyndon B. Johnson , who had urged civil-rights leaders to force his hand if they wanted him to support a voting-rights bill , now saw that it was time to promote one .
On national television , he compared Selma to Lexington and Concord as a “ turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for freedom.
” And the Voting Rights Act—now under assault in many ways—became law .
In words that were partially prophetic , a beaten and bloodied John Lewis was already talking about the “ next time we march.
” That is why , after all of the tributes , this is the image that brought me to tears at the passing of a truly great man .
John Lewis was willing to literally put his body on the line to live out the words of Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disobedience is a belief that the conscience of the community can be aroused .
That ’ s why Coates referred to it as “ an almost certifiable faith in humanity.
” I can ’ t imagine a more courageous act .
But John Lewis and many who joined him weren ’ t going to be satisfied with changing the laws .
He thought that the power of love could “ mend the wounded souls in our society , the soul of the victim as well as the perpetrator.
” There is a word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here is how Barack Obama described in at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela .
I am frankly overwhelmed and humbled by the courage of people like John Lewis and Nelson Mandela .
I have serious doubts about my ability to live up to their example , but I also know what happens when whole groups of people are assumed to be evil villains that are beyond redemption .
Human history is replete with examples of the death and destruction that flows from that well .
That ’ s why I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis and do my best to learn from his life .

Of all the tributes that have been written about Representative John Lewis since his passing over the weekend, the one that stood out to me came from Michael Fletcher, who said that “I didn’t understand John Lewis at first.”
My apprehension was rooted in the mistaken notion that Lewis was not angry enough. Why did he not demand revenge for the unspeakable racism he fearlessly confronted? How could he accept an apology from former Alabama governor George Wallace, a longtime segregationist who ordered the infamous Bloody Sunday attack on the bridge? Or forgive the pathological Bull Connor, the former public safety commissioner in Birmingham, Alabama? Why would he forge a relationship with former Klansman Elwin Wilson, who was part of a mob that in 1961 beat down Lewis and other Freedom Riders outside the whites-only waiting room at the Rock Hill, South Carolina, bus station? But over the years my ambivalence melted into reverence as I came to better appreciate the power of Lewis’ grace. It armed him with undeniable moral authority that allowed him to change minds, and hearts. His willingness to forgive, along with his bravery and contempt for injustice were among the sturdiest pillars of his greatness.
The names George Wallace and Bull Connor are known to most of us with at least a passing acquaintance with this country’s history. But in case you haven’t heard about Elwin Wilson, Lewis told that story during a discussion with Barack Obama and a group of young men involved with the My Brother’s Keeper program. It came in response to the question, “In what way can being controversial be a benefit and a disadvantage?” Lewis talks about his experience with Elwin Wilson at the 4:13 mark in this video.
Wilson was one of the Klansman who beat Lewis during a stop on the Freedom Rides. But when, years later, he expressed remorse for what he had done, Lewis forgave him. Here’s what the congressman wrote at Wilson’s passing.
Elwin Wilson experienced what Martin Luther King Jr. told all of us that “hate is too heavy a burden to bear”. He demonstrated the power of love and the effectiveness of non-violent direct action not only to fix legislative injustice but to mend the wounded souls in our society, the soul of the victim as well as the perpetrator. Elwin Wilson shows us, that people can change, and when they put down the mechanisms of division and separation to pick up the tools of reconciliation, they can help build a greater sense of community in our society, even between the most unlikely people. Elwin Wilson proves that we are all one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affect us all.
Fletcher’s initial misgivings about Lewis reminded me of something Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about Martin Luther King, Jr. just after the election of Barack Obama in 2008.
Here is where Barack Obama and the civil rights leaders of old are joined — in a shocking, almost certifiable faith in humanity, something that subsequent generations lost. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. may have led African Americans out of segregation, and he may have cured incalculable numbers of white racists, but more than all that, he believed that the lion’s share of the population of this country would not support the rights of thugs to pummel people who just wanted to cross a bridge. King believed in white people, and when I was a younger, more callow man, that belief made me suck my teeth. I saw it as weakness and cowardice, a lack of faith in his own. But it was the opposite. King’s belief in white people was the ultimate show of strength: He was willing to give his life on a bet that they were no different from the people who lived next door.
There are still those today who question the use of nonviolent civil disobedience, especially during an era when Donald Trump and his enablers are threatening to not only roll back the gains made during the Civil Rights Movement, but are threatening the very foundation of our democratic republic. That is primarily because the current crisis makes it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain that “certifiable faith in humanity” that Coates wrote about.
The truth is that there were multiple elements of the Civil Rights Movement that can be credited with bringing about the end of Jim Crow laws. There was the pride and fearlessness that spread from people like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. There was the coalition that began to develop in Chicago under the tutelage of Fred Hampton. But take a look at how David Remnick told the story of what happened on the bridge in Selma over 50 years ago.
Given one minute to disperse by the troopers, Lewis had the protesters kneel in prayer. They would not leave. “And then they were upon us.” The troopers charged, and the first among them brought down a nightstick on the left side of Lewis’s skull. His legs gave way. “I really thought I was going to die,” he said. He curled up on the ground, as he had been trained, in a “prayer for protection” position.” The trooper hit him again. And then came the canisters of tear gas. His skull fractured, his coat a mess of mud and blood, Lewis refused to go to the hospital. Barely conscious, he reached Brown Chapel, the headquarters of the movement, ascended to the pulpit, and told those gathered, many of them still gasping from the tear gas, “I don’t know how President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam. I don’t see how he can send troops to the Congo. I don’t see how he can send troops to Africa, and he can’t send troops to Selma, Alabama. Next time we march, we may have to keep going when we get to Montgomery. We may have to go on to Washington.” That night, an audience of forty-eight million people watched a fifteen-minute report on Selma. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had urged civil-rights leaders to force his hand if they wanted him to support a voting-rights bill, now saw that it was time to promote one. On national television, he compared Selma to Lexington and Concord as a “turning point in man’s unending search for freedom.” And the Voting Rights Act—now under assault in many ways—became law.
In words that were partially prophetic, a beaten and bloodied John Lewis was already talking about the “next time we march.” That is why, after all of the tributes, this is the image that brought me to tears at the passing of a truly great man.
John Lewis was willing to literally put his body on the line to live out the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.
The backbone of any commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience is a belief that the conscience of the community can be aroused. That’s why Coates referred to it as “an almost certifiable faith in humanity.” I can’t imagine a more courageous act. But John Lewis and many who joined him weren’t going to be satisfied with changing the laws. He thought that the power of love could “mend the wounded souls in our society, the soul of the victim as well as the perpetrator.”
There is a word in South Africa that captures that spirit—Ubuntu. Here is how Barack Obama described in at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.
He not only embodied Ubuntu; he taught millions to find that truth within themselves. It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailor as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws, but also hearts.
I am frankly overwhelmed and humbled by the courage of people like John Lewis and Nelson Mandela. I have serious doubts about my ability to live up to their example, but I also know what happens when whole groups of people are assumed to be evil villains that are beyond redemption. Human history is replete with examples of the death and destruction that flows from that well. That’s why I’ll continue to admire people like John Lewis and do my best to learn from his life.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-21--Why Biden Might Be Trump’s Kryptonite

Why Biden Might Be Trump’s Kryptonite

The following observation from New York Times columnist Ross Douthat is almost completely accurate : “ There is no strategy that this president could adopt , no policy choice that he could make , no tweet of himself in a mask that he could issue , that would fundamentally alter his political position .
Trump is incapable of normal presidential action , and even if his aides and handlers concocted such a strategy , the man in charge would make sure it would fail … ” “ But that doesn ’ t make his defeat inevitable .
It only means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to necessarily speculate about possibilities that are outside the president ’ s control.
” I ’ d say it was 100 percent accurate , but there is always hacking and cheating to consider , and Trump would presumably have to sign off on that , wouldn ’ t he ?
Perhaps not , actually , since he ’ s no more capable of concocting a sophisticated and successful plan to steal an election than he is of running a honest solvent business .
If something like that were to work , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t control .
Assuming there is an honest count , even taking into consideration all the typical voter suppression shenanigans of the Republicans , it ’ s almost impossible to conceive of Trump winning the popular vote .
It ’ s also nearly as difficult to see him winning the Electoral College .
He isn ’ t going to do anything to help himself , either , so the odds heavily favor a steady worsening of his position rather than any improvement .
But it ’ s conceivable that Joe Biden could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country shifts hard against the Democrats .
Douthat suggests that a sudden improvement in the coronavirus crisis combined with an uptick of social protest could provide this kind of mood change , and I think that ’ s correct .
I also think Douthat is right to be skeptical that urban unrest would be as impactful as it was in the late-1960s , since white flight has already occurred in this instance .
It ’ s probably true , too , that a magical disappearance of the virus through a vaccine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calming effect , making widespread looting less likely .
Trump ’ s biggest problem is himself , but the Democrats knew what they were doing when they chose Biden to run against him .
As Douthat says , “ There still remains the difficulty that not enough Americans are afraid to vote for Joe Biden , notwithstanding the Trump campaign ’ s attempt to brand him as the candidate of Antifa.
” Choosing a likable candidate to run against Trump was the magic kryptonite missing from the 2016 election .
It renders the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just hoping that Biden ’ s choice of a running mate will give him a batter opportunity to attack .
Preventing that possibility must be part of the thinking behind Senator Tammy Duckworth as a potential pick .
A multi-racial disabled woman who was wounded in the line of duty in Iraq is not someone who can be effectively mocked and ridiculed .
More kryptonite .
Duckworth would fit a do-no-harm strategy , but Biden probably has the luxury of picking anyone he deems qualified and suitable as a partner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the things he can ’ t control .

The following observation from New York Times columnist Ross Douthat is almost completely accurate:
“There is no strategy that this president could adopt, no policy choice that he could make, no tweet of himself in a mask that he could issue, that would fundamentally alter his political position. Trump is incapable of normal presidential action, and even if his aides and handlers concocted such a strategy, the man in charge would make sure it would fail … ” “But that doesn’t make his defeat inevitable. It only means that to speculate about a Trump comeback is to necessarily speculate about possibilities that are outside the president’s control.”
I’d say it was 100 percent accurate, but there is always hacking and cheating to consider, and Trump would presumably have to sign off on that, wouldn’t he?
Perhaps not, actually, since he’s no more capable of concocting a sophisticated and successful plan to steal an election than he is of running a honest solvent business. If something like that were to work, it would be executed by people Trump doesn’t control.
Assuming there is an honest count, even taking into consideration all the typical voter suppression shenanigans of the Republicans, it’s almost impossible to conceive of Trump winning the popular vote. It’s also nearly as difficult to see him winning the Electoral College. He isn’t going to do anything to help himself, either, so the odds heavily favor a steady worsening of his position rather than any improvement.
But it’s conceivable that Joe Biden could stumble badly or that the mood of the country shifts hard against the Democrats. Douthat suggests that a sudden improvement in the coronavirus crisis combined with an uptick of social protest could provide this kind of mood change, and I think that’s correct. I also think Douthat is right to be skeptical that urban unrest would be as impactful as it was in the late-1960s, since white flight has already occurred in this instance. It’s probably true, too, that a magical disappearance of the virus through a vaccine or lower-than-expected herd immunity would probably have a calming effect, making widespread looting less likely.
Trump’s biggest problem is himself, but the Democrats knew what they were doing when they chose Biden to run against him. As Douthat says, “There still remains the difficulty that not enough Americans are afraid to vote for Joe Biden, notwithstanding the Trump campaign’s attempt to brand him as the candidate of Antifa.”
Choosing a likable candidate to run against Trump was the magic kryptonite missing from the 2016 election. It renders the president virtually powerless, and now he’s just hoping that Biden’s choice of a running mate will give him a batter opportunity to attack. Preventing that possibility must be part of the thinking behind Senator Tammy Duckworth as a potential pick. A multi-racial disabled woman who was wounded in the line of duty in Iraq is not someone who can be effectively mocked and ridiculed. More kryptonite.
Duckworth would fit a do-no-harm strategy, but Biden probably has the luxury of picking anyone he deems qualified and suitable as a partner. What should keep him up at night are the things he can’t control.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-22--How Democrats Can Combat Republican Divisiveness

Can you spot the problem with this question from a Fox News poll ?
The results allowed Ben Shapiro to go on a bit of a rant , primarily aimed at African Americans .
The problem , of course , lies in the fact that the question only gives respondents two choices about how to describe this country ’ s founders : hero or villain .
For many of us—especially those whose ancestors were held as slaves—the options needed to be more nuanced .
But nuance isn ’ t something that modern-day Republicans value .
For them , the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good and evil , right and wrong , heroes and villains .
That is why a quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn ’ s book , The Gulag Archipelago , is so powerful .
When we talk about the divisiveness of Donald Trump and his enablers , it is their constant attempt to label the opposition as “ evil ” that is at the heart of the problem .
Once the evil ones have been identified , the natural progression is to “ separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shapiro his target .
Were someone like Shapiro to actually recognize nuance , it would come in the form of the Fredrick Douglass speech that I referred to previously titled , “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July ?
” After describing this country ’ s founders as both courageous and wise , he made it clear that “ This Fourth [ of ] July is yours , not mine .
You may rejoice , I must mourn.
” We can be fairly certain that if Douglass were asked that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would answer “ depends ” and find himself on the receiving end of Shaprio ’ s disdain .
To the extent that the American electorate can recognize the importance of nuance , it is one of the most powerful tools to awaken them from the zero sum game of these dichotomies embraced by Republicans .
This is how one white evangelical woman in Texas put it .
For those who would suggest that asking the American public to recognize nuance is just another form of elitism , I would point out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important it is to hold a child accountable when they do something wrong .
But they also know that bad behavior from their children doesn ’ t make them evil—it simply means they ’ re human .
And to correct them is a big part of what it means to love them .
That kind of awareness is simply common sense .
I ’ ve come to believe that listening requires a suspension of certainty – at least long enough to hear what the other person is saying and attempt to empathize with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also requires some curiosity about perspectives different from our own .
It is in that spirit that I ask the question : Are things like uncertainty , listening , curiosity and empathy liberal values ?
During these days when joining the struggle to “ perfect our union ” is being vilified as threat to our country , I would suggest that we need to add a recognition of the importance of nuance to that list of liberal values .

Can you spot the problem with this question from a Fox News poll?
The latest Fox News survey asks voters how they view the country’s Founders. Sixty-three percent see them as heroes, while 15 percent say villains. Another 15 percent say it depends and 7 percent gave no opinion.
The results allowed Ben Shapiro to go on a bit of a rant, primarily aimed at African Americans.
The problem, of course, lies in the fact that the question only gives respondents two choices about how to describe this country’s founders: hero or villain. For many of us—especially those whose ancestors were held as slaves—the options needed to be more nuanced.
But nuance isn’t something that modern-day Republicans value. For them, the world is divided up into the dichotomies of good and evil, right and wrong, heroes and villains. That is why a quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book, The Gulag Archipelago, is so powerful.
If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
When we talk about the divisiveness of Donald Trump and his enablers, it is their constant attempt to label the opposition as “evil” that is at the heart of the problem. Once the evil ones have been identified, the natural progression is to “separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.” The question from the Fox News poll gave Shapiro his target.
Were someone like Shapiro to actually recognize nuance, it would come in the form of the Fredrick Douglass speech that I referred to previously titled, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” After describing this country’s founders as both courageous and wise, he made it clear that “This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” We can be fairly certain that if Douglass were asked that ridiculous poll question from Fox News, he would answer “depends” and find himself on the receiving end of Shaprio’s disdain.
To the extent that the American electorate can recognize the importance of nuance, it is one of the most powerful tools to awaken them from the zero sum game of these dichotomies embraced by Republicans. This is how one white evangelical woman in Texas put it.
Kelsey Hency, who graduated from the conservative Dallas Theological Seminary, talked about how she had adopted a black infant as Mr. Trump swept the Republican primaries and had realized how much she needed to learn about race. “It brought the torrent of everything else…What Trump did was almost give us permission to take back nuance,” she said.
For those who would suggest that asking the American public to recognize nuance is just another form of elitism, I would point out that pretty much any responsible parent knows how important it is to hold a child accountable when they do something wrong. But they also know that bad behavior from their children doesn’t make them evil—it simply means they’re human. And to correct them is a big part of what it means to love them. That kind of awareness is simply common sense.
A few years ago I asked the question, “Is Uncertainty a Liberal Value?”
I’ve come to believe that listening requires a suspension of certainty – at least long enough to hear what the other person is saying and attempt to empathize with where they are coming from. It also requires some curiosity about perspectives different from our own. It is in that spirit that I ask the question: Are things like uncertainty, listening, curiosity and empathy liberal values?
During these days when joining the struggle to “perfect our union” is being vilified as threat to our country, I would suggest that we need to add a recognition of the importance of nuance to that list of liberal values.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-22--How New Zealand Is Beating the Coronavirus Pandemic

Florida is a red-hot COVID zone , Texas is on a one-way ride up the infection escalator and California is reversing course after early lockdown success .
Together , these three states make up 20 percent of all new global coronavirus cases .
The United States is a pandemic-policy mess , and the whole world is watching the meltdown .
Not every nation , however , is experiencing Washington ’ s infighting , chaotic approach and inability to implement a nationally coordinated pandemic response .
New Zealand is an odd exception in a coronavirus world in turmoil .
How did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big role on the world stage to lead the fight against infection ’ s spread throughout its country ?
Basically , there are two reasons : First , it had an almost airtight month-long lockdown during which only supermarkets and pharmacies remained open .
Second , the population trusted its public leadership and complied with strict safety protocols .
Pretty basic .
As a result , on June 7 , Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand had “ eliminated transmission of the virus.
” New Zealand ’ s government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articulating the problem and getting their people to accept and implement tough behavior .
Greece and Iceland , both heavily reliant on tourism , swallowed the bitter pill of shutting out visitors and closing down commercial activity .
While Iceland has the population of a small American city , Greece has more than twice the number of people of New Zealand .
Greece deserves international accolades for its COVID-19 response , especially since the country is surrounded by threats and still recovering from economic depression .
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s spread and managing refugees weaponized by Turkey to enter into his country .
Unlike Greece , island nations can more easily manage who gets in and out of the country .
New Zealand has totally shut down .
New Zealand may also seem exceptional because its distantly remote location has kept it safe during this global crisis .
That geographic isolation has given Silicon Valley entrepreneurs an earthbound survival destination .
In fact , it ’ s where hardcore 2016 Trump supporter Peter Thiel , who founded PayPal and Palantir , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unclear what his plan will be to escape the effects of climate change or nuclear fallout , but at least New Zealand will be a kinder , gentler place than the venture capital centers of the world .
Marianne Williamson , who ran in the Democratic presidential primary , recognized New Zealand as a special haven .
At the Miami debate , Williamson challenged Ardern ’ s goal to make New Zealand “ the best place in the world to be a child.
” Author-candidate Williamson boldly asserted the next U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A tough sell but a noble goal for the USA , especially when it comes to issues like kids and guns .
Just ask the grieving family of Jace Young , a 6-year old Black child randomly shot dead in his San Francisco neighborhood on Independence Day .
New Zealand is not immune to gun violence .
In March 2019 , it experienced a horrific , racist shooting at two mosques that left 51 people dead .
The response ?
The country made assault weapons illegal .
Parliament voted 119–1 in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once in force in the United States .
Even after that terror attack , most New Zealand police still don ’ t carry guns .
Policies in nations such as New Zealand may seem distant and irrelevant to big industrial nations , but its size and remote location have not divorced it from geopolitics .
Far from it .
It is a critical partner to a consortium known as The Five Eyes — five English-speaking nations that have coalesced around common security concerns and intelligence sharing .
The United States , Canada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zealand are part of the same-secrets club , recognizing that it is not only a common language that binds them , but also a shared commitment to democratic values , universal human rights and free markets .
The language commonality means that they operate relatively seamlessly across national boundaries .
They may not all spell “ color ” the same way , but they do see “ colours ” similarly , although Wellington clearly saw COVID ’ s red warning signs to which other anglophones were blind .
New Zealand ’ s overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus at bay for two-and-a-half months .
It ’ s easy to credit its distant isolation and adherent society , but some focus on a special leadership characteristic : Women get the job done .
A popular meme credits multiple nations led by women as being more effective in managing a nation in crisis .
Prime Minister Ardern makes the list along with Germany , Taiwan , Iceland , Finland , Norway and Denmark .
Not a bad line-up of successful women leaders , especially when they are juxtaposed against more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed miserably in the age of the coronavirus .

Florida is a red-hot COVID zone, Texas is on a one-way ride up the infection escalator and California is reversing course after early lockdown success. Together, these three states make up 20 percent of all new global coronavirus cases. The United States is a pandemic-policy mess, and the whole world is watching the meltdown.
Not every nation, however, is experiencing Washington’s infighting, chaotic approach and inability to implement a nationally coordinated pandemic response. New Zealand is an odd exception in a coronavirus world in turmoil.
How did such a small place take on such a big role on the world stage to lead the fight against infection’s spread throughout its country?
Basically, there are two reasons: First, it had an almost airtight month-long lockdown during which only supermarkets and pharmacies remained open. Second, the population trusted its public leadership and complied with strict safety protocols. Pretty basic. As a result, on June 7, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand had “eliminated transmission of the virus.”
New Zealand’s government and public-health officials were not alone in clearly articulating the problem and getting their people to accept and implement tough behavior. Greece and Iceland, both heavily reliant on tourism, swallowed the bitter pill of shutting out visitors and closing down commercial activity. While Iceland has the population of a small American city, Greece has more than twice the number of people of New Zealand.
Greece deserves international accolades for its COVID-19 response, especially since the country is surrounded by threats and still recovering from economic depression. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for example, simultaneously is controlling the virus’s spread and managing refugees weaponized by Turkey to enter into his country. Unlike Greece, island nations can more easily manage who gets in and out of the country. New Zealand has totally shut down.
New Zealand may also seem exceptional because its distantly remote location has kept it safe during this global crisis. That geographic isolation has given Silicon Valley entrepreneurs an earthbound survival destination. In fact, it’s where hardcore 2016 Trump supporter Peter Thiel, who founded PayPal and Palantir, plansto escape the global apocalypse. It’s unclear what his plan will be to escape the effects of climate change or nuclear fallout, but at least New Zealand will be a kinder, gentler place than the venture capital centers of the world. Marianne Williamson, who ran in the Democratic presidential primary, recognized New Zealand as a special haven. At the Miami debate, Williamson challenged Ardern’s goal to make New Zealand “the best place in the world to be a child.” Author-candidate Williamson boldly asserted the next U.S. president should earn this title for America. A tough sell but a noble goal for the USA, especially when it comes to issues like kids and guns. Just ask the grieving family of Jace Young, a 6-year old Black child randomly shot dead in his San Francisco neighborhood on Independence Day. New Zealand is not immune to gun violence. In March 2019, it experienced a horrific, racist shooting at two mosques that left 51 people dead. The response? The country made assault weapons illegal. Parliament voted 119–1 in favor of the weapons ban similar to one once in force in the United States. Even after that terror attack, most New Zealand police still don’t carry guns. Policies in nations such as New Zealand may seem distant and irrelevant to big industrial nations, but its size and remote location have not divorced it from geopolitics. Far from it. It is a critical partner to a consortium known as The Five Eyes — five English-speaking nations that have coalesced around common security concerns and intelligence sharing. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand are part of the same-secrets club, recognizing that it is not only a common language that binds them, but also a shared commitment to democratic values, universal human rights and free markets. The language commonality means that they operate relatively seamlessly across national boundaries. They may not all spell “color” the same way, but they do see “colours” similarly, although Wellington clearly saw COVID’s red warning signs to which other anglophones were blind. New Zealand’s overall pandemic response and vigilance has kept the virus at bay for two-and-a-half months. It’s easy to credit its distant isolation and adherent society, but some focus on a special leadership characteristic: Women get the job done. A popular meme credits multiple nations led by women as being more effective in managing a nation in crisis. Prime Minister Ardern makes the list along with Germany, Taiwan, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Denmark. Not a bad line-up of successful women leaders, especially when they are juxtaposed against more than a few presidents and prime ministers who have failed miserably in the age of the coronavirus.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-22--Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?

During a presidential debate in 1980 , Ronald Reagan asked a now famous question : “ Are you better off now that you were four years ago ?
” That was a provocative question coming on the heels of stagflation ( rising prices combined with wage stagnation ) , double digit interest rates , and a Middle East oil embargo .
As challengers often do during elections , Reagan wanted to focus the blame for all of that on the incumbent president , Jimmy Carter .
It is a tried and true political strategy that worked well for him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office almost four years , the folks at Midas Touch think it ’ s time to revive the question .
While that video makes a pretty powerful statement , perhaps it would also be helpful to look at the data on where things stood when Trump was inaugurated and where they stand today .
• By January 2017 , the U.S. had successfully avoided a crisis with the H1N1 flu in 2009 and Ebola in 2014 .
In contrast , this country leads the world in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 140,000 deaths .
Even Trump has acknowledged that things will get worse before they get better .
• The unemployment rate when Trump took office was 4.7 percent .
Today it stands at 11.1 percent .
• The federal deficit has ballooned from 3.2 percent of GDP in 2017 to 17.9 percent of GDP today .
• By the end of 2018 , the percentage of people in this country who were uninsured had risen by almost three points for a net increase of about seven million adults .
What that data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans would answer Reagan ’ s question today by saying that they are worse off than they were for years ago .
Amidst all of that , however , there is some good news : violent crime rates have continued on their downward trajectory .
But you wouldn ’ t know that from listening to Trump and his enablers .
For example , Michael Goodwin started off his column at the New York Post by writing : “ From sea to shining sea , crime is surging and gunfire rings throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smash windows and set fires , aiming to set up autonomous zones.
” He is , of course , writing about the protests against police brutality .
So this scene in Portland is what he is referring to .
The actual crime wave Americans are witnessing is coming from police officers and federal stormtroopers .
Kevin Drum nailed it by pointing out that , when it comes to what these federal troops are doing , the televised violence is the goal .
Commentators like Goodwin step right up to the plate to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , but twist it all and somehow make it Joe Biden ’ s fault .
Even more bizarrely , the Trump campaign is using pictures of what is happening under this administration ’ s assault to suggest that “ you won ’ t be safe in Biden ’ s America.
” At the end of the ad comes a warning for the viewer .
This is the America that former vice president Joe Biden wants , it claims , superimposing the face of the probable Democratic presidential nominee over video footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America , ” it warns .
Ominous .
Certainly not what Americans want to see .
Except … all of those stark images from the ad were captured around the country in late May .
Meaning that while they ’ re used to argue that America won ’ t be safe under Biden , they actually depict instability under Trump .
To get back to Reagan ’ s question , Donald Trump is probably the only incumbent president in this country ’ s history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation worse by deliberately creating chaos .
But the president ’ s biographers have been telling us for years that this is his modus operandi .
It is in that sense that Trump is actually goading the country into responding to Reagan ’ s question by saying , “ No , we ’ re not better off than we were four years ago ” so that he can once again blame it all on his evil opponent , while claiming that “ I alone can fix it.
” The man is clearly @ @ @

During a presidential debate in 1980, Ronald Reagan asked a now famous question: “Are you better off now that you were four years ago?” That was a provocative question coming on the heels of stagflation (rising prices combined with wage stagnation), double digit interest rates, and a Middle East oil embargo. As challengers often do during elections, Reagan wanted to focus the blame for all of that on the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter. It is a tried and true political strategy that worked well for him.
Given that Donald Trump has been in office almost four years, the folks at Midas Touch think it’s time to revive the question.
While that video makes a pretty powerful statement, perhaps it would also be helpful to look at the data on where things stood when Trump was inaugurated and where they stand today.
By January 2017, the U.S. had successfully avoided a crisis with the H1N1 flu in 2009 and Ebola in 2014. In contrast, this country leads the world in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with almost 4 million cases and over 140,000 deaths. Even Trump has acknowledged that things will get worse before they get better.
The unemployment rate when Trump took office was 4.7 percent. Today it stands at 11.1 percent.
The federal deficit has ballooned from 3.2 percent of GDP in 2017 to 17.9 percent of GDP today.
By the end of 2018, the percentage of people in this country who were uninsured had risen by almost three points for a net increase of about seven million adults.
What that data tells us is that the vast majority of Americans would answer Reagan’s question today by saying that they are worse off than they were for years ago. Amidst all of that, however, there is some good news: violent crime rates have continued on their downward trajectory. But you wouldn’t know that from listening to Trump and his enablers.
For example, Michael Goodwin started off his column at the New York Post by writing: “From sea to shining sea, crime is surging and gunfire rings throughout the night. In some cities, anarchists smash windows and set fires, aiming to set up autonomous zones.” He is, of course, writing about the protests against police brutality. So this scene in Portland is what he is referring to.
The actual crime wave Americans are witnessing is coming from police officers and federal stormtroopers.
Kevin Drum nailed it by pointing out that, when it comes to what these federal troops are doing, the televised violence is the goal.
This whole thing is purely a campaign contrivance. Trump is trying to run on the idea that our (Democratic) cities are in flames and only a (Republican) president can save them. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough violence to keep that notion alive, so he decided to manufacture some.
Commentators like Goodwin step right up to the plate to not just scare people about what’s going on, but twist it all and somehow make it Joe Biden’s fault.
More broadly, the defense of the mobs puts presidential nominee Joe Biden in yet another bind. The fact that he seems to be a mute bystander on the issue is a sign of his fundamental weakness.
Even more bizarrely, the Trump campaign is using pictures of what is happening under this administration’s assault to suggest that “you won’t be safe in Biden’s America.”
Philip Bump describes what’s happening in that video.
At the end of the ad comes a warning for the viewer. This is the America that former vice president Joe Biden wants, it claims, superimposing the face of the probable Democratic presidential nominee over video footage of burning dumpsters. “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” it warns. Ominous. Certainly not what Americans want to see. Except … all of those stark images from the ad were captured around the country in late May. Meaning that while they’re used to argue that America won’t be safe under Biden, they actually depict instability under Trump.
To get back to Reagan’s question, Donald Trump is probably the only incumbent president in this country’s history that thinks it helps him to make the situation worse by deliberately creating chaos. But the president’s biographers have been telling us for years that this is his modus operandi.
“The prince of chaos,” said Trump biographer Gwenda Blair. The spawn of Norman Vincent Peale and Roy Cohn, Trump has stomped through life armed with the obstinate, self-centered tenets of optimistic thinking and the sneering, deep-seated lessons of attack, attack, attack. He creates chaos, and then he responds to that chaos, withstanding it, even embracing it, feeding on it—and then he outlasts the outrage, emerging not only alive but emboldened.
It is in that sense that Trump is actually goading the country into responding to Reagan’s question by saying, “No, we’re not better off than we were four years ago” so that he can once again blame it all on his evil opponent, while claiming that “I alone can fix it.” The man is clearly not well.


washingtonmonthly--2020-07-22--Slipping In the Polls, Trump Revives the Coronavirus Briefing

Annie Karni of the New York Times reports that the president is bluffing when he says “ I ’ m not losing ” to Joe Biden .
He knows that he ’ s down because his own pollsters have been honest with him about it .
They apparently feel the need to sugarcoat the situation and reassure him that he ’ s not to blame , but he ’ s definitely losing .
So , he ’ s been solicitous of advice on how to improve his standing , and appears to made a decision to recommend the wearing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s ] internal numbers still show him trailing Mr. Biden , and he is worried about his standing .
He asks his advisers with more regularity , “ What do we need to do ?
” and grills his friends about “ how is it looking ?
” while making public course corrections , the advisers said .
Over the past several weeks , he changed his stance on promoting masks , claiming that it was “ patriotic ” to wear one , and resuscitated the daily coronavirus news conference — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be seen as taking the virus seriously again .
Evidently , he ’ s also been told that he gives the strong impression that he doesn ’ t give a shit that more than 130,000 people have died and thousands more are clinging to life in hospitals .
This isn ’ t a good look , and he has to make it clear that he understands what people are going through .
This is cited as the reason he has “ resuscitated the daily coronavirus news conference.
” But , of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was clear in announcement of the resumption : This isn ’ t new .
Back in March , during the first iteration of his nightly coronavirus press conferences , Trump also bragged about his ratings .
But eventually those briefings because so glaringly self-injurious from Trump , especially after he recommended people ingest disinfectant , that he was convinced to stop attending them .
Then they were cancelled altogether , since the health experts ’ information didn ’ t support the president ’ s desire to quickly reopen the economy .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key reason people were able to persuade Trump to abandon his highly-rated show is that they corresponded with a slump in his polls .
Yet , now he has revived the show sans health care experts in an effort to revive his poll numbers .
That seems counterintuitive , but I suppose Trump can ’ t come up with a better option .
He held his first solo briefing on Tuesday and won some praise for taking a more somber and appropriate tone , but he still spread disinformation , and he actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Donald Trump has bestowed his good wishes on Ghislaine Maxwell , who faces federal charges for allegedly enabling the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein ’ s sex trafficking of minor girls .
At a press conference ostensibly to discuss the coronavirus crisis gripping the US on Tuesday , Trump took questions from reporters , one of whom asked him about Maxwell ’ s recent arrest and whether she might implicate some of the “ powerful men ” who formed part of Epstein ’ s jet set social circle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – I haven ’ t really been following it too much .
I just wish her well , frankly , ” Trump responded .
“ I have met her numerous times over the years , especially since I lived in Palm Beach , and I guess they lived in Palm Beach .
But I wish her well , whatever it is.
” Many people interpreted this as a signal to Ms. Maxwell that she shouldn ’ t divulge what she knows about the president ’ s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not what the Trump campaign was hoping he would accomplish in the briefing .
He seems to only have nice things to say about acquaintances who have been arrested or are under criminal investigation .
Well , he ’ s also fond of Confederate generals , racist sheriffs and war criminals , but he doesn ’ t have a kind word for anyone else .
You can ’ t teach an old dog new tricks , and Trump ’ s new coronavirus briefings are not going to be any more informative , reassuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the ones he abandoned in the Spring .

Annie Karni of the New York Times reports that the president is bluffing when he says “I’m not losing” to Joe Biden. He knows that he’s down because his own pollsters have been honest with him about it. They apparently feel the need to sugarcoat the situation and reassure him that he’s not to blame, but he’s definitely losing.
So, he’s been solicitous of advice on how to improve his standing, and appears to made a decision to recommend the wearing of masks for purely political reasons.
[Trump’s] internal numbers still show him trailing Mr. Biden, and he is worried about his standing. He asks his advisers with more regularity, “What do we need to do?” and grills his friends about “how is it looking?” while making public course corrections, the advisers said. Over the past several weeks, he changed his stance on promoting masks, claiming that it was “patriotic” to wear one, and resuscitated the daily coronavirus news conference — both an acknowledgment that he needs to be seen as taking the virus seriously again.
Evidently, he’s also been told that he gives the strong impression that he doesn’t give a shit that more than 130,000 people have died and thousands more are clinging to life in hospitals. This isn’t a good look, and he has to make it clear that he understands what people are going through.
This is cited as the reason he has “resuscitated the daily coronavirus news conference.” But, of course, Trump can’t fake empathy, which was clear in announcement of the resumption:
“I think it’s a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with the vaccines, with the therapeutics, and, generally speaking, where we are,” Trump told reporters Monday. “I’ll do it at 5 o’clock, like we were doing. We had a good slot. And a lot of people were watching.”
This isn’t new. Back in March, during the first iteration of his nightly coronavirus press conferences, Trump also bragged about his ratings. But eventually those briefings because so glaringly self-injurious from Trump, especially after he recommended people ingest disinfectant, that he was convinced to stop attending them. Then they were cancelled altogether, since the health experts’ information didn’t support the president’s desire to quickly reopen the economy. It’s important to remember that a key reason people were able to persuade Trump to abandon his highly-rated show is that they corresponded with a slump in his polls.
Yet, now he has revived the show sans health care experts in an effort to revive his poll numbers. That seems counterintuitive, but I suppose Trump can’t come up with a better option.
He held his first solo briefing on Tuesday and won some praise for taking a more somber and appropriate tone, but he still spread disinformation, and he actually got the most headline for something completely unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donald Trump has bestowed his good wishes on Ghislaine Maxwell, who faces federal charges for allegedly enabling the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking of minor girls. At a press conference ostensibly to discuss the coronavirus crisis gripping the US on Tuesday, Trump took questions from reporters, one of whom asked him about Maxwell’s recent arrest and whether she might implicate some of the “powerful men” who formed part of Epstein’s jet set social circle. “I don’t know – I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump responded. “I have met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.”
Many people interpreted this as a signal to Ms. Maxwell that she shouldn’t divulge what she knows about the president’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and I’m pretty sure that’s not what the Trump campaign was hoping he would accomplish in the briefing. He seems to only have nice things to say about acquaintances who have been arrested or are under criminal investigation. Well, he’s also fond of Confederate generals, racist sheriffs and war criminals, but he doesn’t have a kind word for anyone else.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and Trump’s new coronavirus briefings are not going to be any more informative, reassuring, or helpful to his poll numbers than the ones he abandoned in the Spring.