Saturday, President Trump conflated criticism of him with criticism of our soldiers and first responders.
Despite the Fake News Media in conjunction with the Dems, an amazing job is being done in Puerto Rico. Great people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
In fact, the U.S. territory of 3.4 million people “struggled through a tenth day with virtually no electricity, patchy communications and shortages of fuel, clean water and other essentials in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to hit the island in nearly 90 years.”
A report shows that Trump’s recent weekend trip to his golf club in New Jersey had a substantially negative effect on the Hurricane Maria relief effort in Puerto Rico.
Perhaps aware that his party does not want to lose Puerto Ricans, Trump is now begging the people of Puerto Rico to not believe reality:
To the people of Puerto Rico:
Do not believe the #FakeNews!#PRStrong🇵🇷— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
Trump seems to have allowed himself to be distracted by his attacks on the first amendment rights of NFL players, as a report indicates he didn’t receive a briefing on Puerto Rico from anyone involved in disaster relief for four days.
The criticisms are not of the soldiers or first responders. I can’t find one criticism of either regarding the response to Puerto Rico. What I have found is endless criticism of leadership, that is to say, of Donald Trump.
It is easy to find Donald Trump actually criticizing soldiers, though. Like his attacks on Senator John McCain, saying, “I like people who weren’t captured.”
Trump again mocked McCain after learning that the Republican Senator is dying, promoting Republican Joe Scarborough to go off on him:
“You have no humanity,” Scarborough said. “You have a man who is dying, and you’re using him for political punch lines on talk radio and also in audiences in Alabama?”
“And by the way, for people watching at home, if you’re in the audience and John McCain is getting attacked, and he’s fighting for his life—unless you were raised in a barn, keep your mouths shut,” Scarborough continued. “Show a little respect. Show a little dignity. Show a little class.”
It is Donald Trump who attacked a Gold Star family, not the media.
It is Donald Trump who has used soldiers as punching bags when it served his purposes, not the media.
This is hardly the first time President Trump has conflated criticism of him with criticism of the flag or soldiers. It’s his go-to response, along with a heap of racism for red meat distraction.
This is what fascist dictators do. It’s how they silence debate, silence the press, and silence criticism of the government. Fascists also use immigrants and racism as a punching bag to rile up their followers.
Trump is wrapping himself in the flag while he ignores U.S. citizens in peril as he golfs, and again wrapping himself in the flag while he tries to silence the first amendment rights of NFL players.
Incompetent? Yes. Unfit for office? Yes. Bumbling fool sometimes who claimed of Puerto Rico, it’s “been incredible, the results we’ve had with respect to loss of life” , but also.
The instincts of a fascist.
This is not an accusation I made lightly or without a lot of research and thought.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Connect with Sarah on Post, Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.
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