President Trump Responds To News That Sen. McCain Is Ending Medical Treatment
[guest post by Dana]
The President of the United States’ response: *crickets*.
Throughout McCain’s illness, Trump has continued to publicly snub him — including a recent appearance in which the president declined to say McCain’s name when signing a bill that was named for him. As of late Friday, Trump had said nothing about McCain’s medical decision.
Trump does not want to comment on McCain before he dies, White House officials said, and there was no effort to publish a statement Friday as many politicians released supportive comments on the ailing senator.
Note that the president does not want to comment, not that he can’t, or that it would put McCain or anybody else at risk if he did. He just doesn’t want to add his support. This president is such a petty, self-centered, spiteful pustule that even as Sen. McCain faces the end of his life, he refuses to set his outlandish ego aside and offer support. Just how spiteful and selfish is President Trump? So much so, that when asked whether he wanted to apologize to Sen. McCain for asserting that he was not a war hero, the president said no, adding that Sen. McCain’s capture by the enemy and subsequent years of imprisonment and torture were, unbelievably, irrelevant:
Interesting that this president can’t say one positive thing about Sen. McCain, but has no problem praising Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
When it was announced in 2008 that Senator Kennedy had a malignant brain tumor, then-President Bush released a thoughtful statement of support:
“Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery.”
I dunno, maybe Trump’s bone spurs are making him too irritable to think about a dying, sitting senator who has served his country well.
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
Don’t even try to defend this.
Dana (023079) — 8/25/2018 @ 12:34 pmFortunately, the guy who would have the most reflexively supportive (for Trump) comments is moderated.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 12:47 pmput that in the same category as !@$%^@$^ countries, and the summit that never took place,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/25/2018 @ 12:51 pmWhat an odd site — liberal, a bit conservative, Trump hating 24/7. Bad case of TDS.
phyto (bb1232) — 8/25/2018 @ 1:07 pmI don’t understand why people think because McCain was captured this makes him a hero. Or is it that he endured torture. Now THAT, however, I give him a 10 for…. it would take a tough sumbitch to survive that, I’d think. Many under those circumstances would go crazy or even confess to non-crimes like paying off whores with campaign funds. As I recall, McCain was something of a loose cannon and destroyed several military aircraft with his “top gun” antics. I understand that successful pilots are mostly Type A, personality and live for the thrill. Who knows, maybe McCain’s antics contributed to his capture… who knows? As for his political legacy, I’m sure many will consider him the equivalent of Ted Kennedy on the right… you know…Lion of the Senate. As for Trump, he’s likely to be one of our most productive and best presidents, and I have no problem with him not commenting about an enemy simply because that enemy is sick.
DJT is publicly adhering to the maxim that it if one has nothing good to say about the dying/dead, one ought remain silent.
Is this not progress from the Twitter bomber supreme?
Ed from SFV (6d42fa) — 8/25/2018 @ 1:17 pmI would never defend Donald Trump, but an insincere statement (which, let’s be honest, is the best he could ever do) is not much better than none.
More to the point, John McCain is a proud man and I think he treats Donald Trump’s opinion of him with all the seriousness it deserves. Which is to say: none.
A reflective statement/apology for Trump’s past disrespect and indecency would, of course, be wonderful, even if it acknowledged political differences, but we all know that’s not in the cards.
Donald Trump is a vile and pathetic creature – what raw sewage would look like if it evolved reptilian levels of cognition along with the ability to walk and talk.
Dave (445e97) — 8/25/2018 @ 1:33 pmTrump’s “deplorable” minions have always had plenty to say about McCain, and none of it good. Shouldn’t you join them, phyto?
Rip Murdock (8c380f) — 8/25/2018 @ 1:48 pmNixon and Goldwater were pretty widely snubbed, too.
Kevin M (5d3e49) — 8/25/2018 @ 1:59 pm#1
Geez Dana
I was trying to come up with something better than this:
Heather Specyalski, 33, was charged with manslaughter in the death of her boyfriend Neil Esposito, who’d been thrown from a Mercedes-Benz convertible prosecutors said she was driving. Her defense was that she couldn’t have been driving because she was, in fact, giving Esposito oral sex at the time of the accident. Indeed, paramedics testified that her boyfriend’s body had been found with his pants down, but prosecutors argued that he could’ve been “mooning” or urinating out of the passenger’s side window. Specyalski was acquitted of all charges.
There you have a defense attorney running with the oral sex defense and a prosecutor claiming the pants on the ground man was either mooning other cars or peeing out the window.
But I get warned not to defend Trump’s dislike for McCain (remember McCain was part of the delivery team of the Steele and pissing hookers dossier)
Two men get crosswise with each other and then start posturing, retaliating like two male baboons, next thing you know, there’s a baboon stampede. For the exit hopefully.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=two+male+baboons+fight&view=detail&mid=305DE45B4EFB5D9D4E4C305DE45B4EFB5D9D4E4C&FORM=VIRE
steveg (a9dcab) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:00 pm“Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery.”
Why was this a “thoughtful” statement by Bush. Seems rather thoughtless to me. Had Kennedy not gotten away with what would have been a likely charge of manslaughter in 1968 having abandoned Mary Jo Kopechne in his submerged car he drove off a bridge, he would’ve been a foot note in the history books.
Wonder if Mary Jo’s family thought it took tremendous courage to leave their daughter alone in the dark to suffocate and drown.
Liberals just really have a problem with reality and truth.
phyto (bb1232) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:00 pmTrump’s just being a maverick.
Kevin M (5d3e49) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:01 pmYeah, I’m not sure where Dubya was going with the “courage” thing with Teddy, either.
Kennedy did cooperate on Bush’s first legislative initiative, NCLB, and I’m sure Dubya was genuinely grateful for that.
Dave (445e97) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:10 pmI’m not privy to any behind the curtain insults that may have been exchanged between Trump and McCain.
Its been said McCain could be very nasty with words towards people so maybe he and (mister nasty words himself) Donald Trump have some more history than we know. I also feel it galls McCain that Trump won the Presidency when McCain could not. (Hillary would have beaten McCain by double digits)
They don’t like each other and they do not care what anyone says or thinks, or feels about their feud.
If the boys want to fight, let ’em.
My hope and guess is that after McCain passes Trump will deliver 5 minutes of inoffensive blather about the Senator and move on.
In the meantime I just defended Trump.
steveg (a9dcab) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:21 pmSo ban me for insolence. I don’t care.
Trump supporters say I now have job thanks to trump. who cares but neo-con artists libertarian conservatives and wealthy free trade donor class. President trump can put you all in a re-education camp or concentration camp maybe prison. for all trump supporters care and they are now 90% of republican party. All most all republicans running in 2018 primaries say they support trump. Its over for you!
wendell (ef4312) — 8/25/2018 @ 2:35 pm@ #5 – The maxim is “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”, it’s not specific to the dead and dying.
(Note how I carefully avoided mentioning either subject of the post.)
Jerryskids (702a61) — 8/25/2018 @ 3:03 pmWendell
I think the left, aka Democrat Party may be nearing its end as a viable force in America, and largely they are doing to themselves. I think its pretty safe to say that most voting Americans care about jobs, economy, having a real border and effective immigration laws, our freedoms such as 1st amendment, 2nd, and so on… i.e. traditional American values… the reasons foreigners are desperate to come here. (I’ve never heard of anyone swimming to Cuba cuz its so much better there). These Americans, black, Asian, white, Hispanic, etc., are not worried that America is some horrible racist place that also hates all women and non-heteros.
Leftists, liberals, Democrats… (it takes a village) seem to be the opposite of the above and love to hate America, all things “traditional” (uh… yeah.. like slavery do ya mean?!)… think America is a racist, female hating, other than Christian hating, gay hating, gun mad, free speech hating bunch of numb nuts who are stupid. With the rigorous attention of the Ministry of Truth, the left monitors and very carefully crafts free speech so the right doesn’t have to do any heavy lifting.
I think if you want a good example of a liberal utopia, a city that really exemplifies Democrat values right now, it is San Francisco. Plenty of money, beautiful, and not a republican in sight (at least one that could make a difference). They are living the dream but I don’t think most voters in fly over country would agree.
phyto (bb1232) — 8/25/2018 @ 3:06 pmDana- along w/his obvious animosity, suspect there’s something more basic to it:
Trump’s squeamish.
Gets spooked when confronted with life and death medical matters:
The Time Donald Trump Turned Away in Disgust While a Man Was Bleeding To Death In Front Of Him
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-time-donald-trump-turned-away-in-disgust-while-a-man-bled-to-death-in-front-of-him
“I’m not good for medical. In other words, if you cut your finger and there’s blood pouring out, I’m gone,” [Trump] told Stern.
The former reality-TV host then shares a story with Stern about the time he thought a man died in front of him during a charity event at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago and, rather than helping the injured man, Trump turned away in disgust at the sight of his blood.
“I was at Mar-a-Lago and we had this incredible ball, the Red Cross Ball, in Palm Beach, Florida. And we had the Marines. And the Marines were there, and it was terrible because all these rich people, they’re there to support the Marines, but they’re really there to get their picture in the Palm Beach Post… so you have all these really rich people, and a man, about 80 years old—very wealthy man, a lot of people didn’t like him—he fell off the stage,” said Trump.
Trump proceeds to explain that it was a $100,000-per-table fundraiser filled with deep-pocketed billionaires, and that the Marines were—for whatever reason—given tables in the very back of the ballroom (“the worst table in the whole place”). Oh, and that he was more preoccupied with his ballroom’s pristine marble floor than the octogenarian bleeding out on it.
“So what happens is, this guy falls off right on his face, hits his head, and I thought he died. And you know what I did? I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s disgusting,’ and I turned away,” said Trump. “I couldn’t, you know, he was right in front of me and I turned away. I didn’t want to touch him… he’s bleeding all over the place, I felt terrible. You know, beautiful marble floor, didn’t look like it. It changed color. Became very red. And you have this poor guy, 80 years old, laying on the floor unconscious, and all the rich people are turning away. ‘Oh my God! This is terrible! This is disgusting!’ and you know, they’re turning away. Nobody wants to help the guy. His wife is screaming—she’s sitting right next to him, and she’s screaming.”
Thank God for the Marines. “What happens is, these 10 Marines from the back of the room… they come running forward, they grab him, they put the blood all over the place—it’s all over their uniforms—they’re taking it, they’re swiping [it], they ran him out, they created a stretcher. They call it a human stretcher, where they put their arms out with, like, five guys on each side,” shared Trump.
“I was saying, ‘Get that blood cleaned up! It’s disgusting!’ The next day, I forgot to call [the man] to say he’s OK,” said Trump, adding of the blood, “It’s just not my thing.”
Like most Trump tales, what was intended as a story about the bravery and heroism of a handful of Marines instead revealed far more about the man telling it.’
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/25/2018 @ 3:35 pmWhite lies?
NJRob (1e6598) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:17 pmCreepy words from a creepy Trumpalo.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:24 pmBeing shot down by a missile during a bombing run?
Typical Trump-humper. Makes things up, casually, about a war hero. Fuck off.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:28 pmAmen. Nothing will be right in this country until he is gone.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:30 pmWhy in the hell hasn’t John McCain resigned his seat in the Senate?
Doesn’t that tell you everything that you need to know about this self-absorbed, selfish SOB?
Yes, he was a war hero. So was Duncan Hunter, Sr., who also turned out to be a friggin’ crook. Doesn’t mean he’s above criticism. John McCain should have resigned his seat and let someone healthy show up for roll call votes.
He cannot die soon enough in my estimation.
El Gipper (f1f816) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:39 pmYes let’s return to the Iran deal, and the Paris accord and the embrace with Raul (They already have their eye on pence, as de Antonio, has pointed out)
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:40 pmI have rarely been so happy about banning someone as I am about banning you right now.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:49 pmWho else wants to reveal that they are an indecent human being that I never want to hear from again? Let’s get it over with now.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/25/2018 @ 4:52 pmThank you, Patterico. I keep wondering about what happens when interesting and civil people look at the comments on your website and see such things.
I’m all for less of that kind of commenting, and that kind of commenter.
I shared this with you privately, but it merits repeating here.
My late mother died a few years ago, after a thirteen year battle with IIIC ovarian cancer. She (and my late father) were extremely conservative.
When Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer, my mother told me on the telephone that she could not feel sympathy, and that he “deserved it.” I was surprised, since my mother was fighting cancer herself…and my mother was usually so kind to others she met in person.
She and I both agreed that Ted Kennedy was an odious person. But I maintained that, even so, he didn’t deserve that kind of death. My late mother got quite stubborn, and wouldn’t alter her position.
“Look, Ma,” I told her. “Think of his family. Surely you can feel sympathy for them, watching someone they love go through this awful disease.”
She harumphed at me, clearly uncomfortable.
“Besides,” I went on, “think of it this way: once Ted Kennedy is dead, he cannot ever evolve to your own correct point of view!”
She chuckled a little and told me that I twisted things. I suppose that is true, but I wasn’t wrong.
Miss you, Mom.
Anyway, I find that people can say awful things…but when faced with the people involved, and the human impact of their words, they soften their nastiness. It’s easy to hate a two dimensional figure at a distance, that politics can dehumanize.
It’s fine to hate someone’s politics. But the person? Or family members of that person?
I think that says everything about the soul of the hater.
Again, thank you, Patterico.
Simon Jester (c2dcde) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:03 pmI think not resigning tarnishes his image.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:10 pmI don’t disagree, mg, and appreciate the neutral way in which you put it. But I suspect at the end of one’s life, it is difficult to let go. Even if a course of action seems reasonable to others, it may not seem so to the person involved.
I don’t know this personally…just from discussions with my parents in hospice.
Simon Jester (c2dcde) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:14 pmI doubt the founders thought someone would hold on to a job they wouldn’t do.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:18 pmOlder politicians have a tendency to stick around longer than needed. I have to believe 10% of the senators and representatives are on a Dementia type medication.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:24 pmNot making excuses for our Captain, but last week, when, when Aretha Franklin passed, was struck by how somewhat flat, if not pedestrian, Trump’s tweet was. He tweeted: “The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!”
In 2016, when Arnold Palmer passed, Trump tweeted a similar message: “Really sad news: The great Arnold Palmer, the “King,” has died. There was no-one like him – a true champion! He will be truly missed.” That seemed par for the course as well given Trump’s affinity for golf courses and golfers. Suspect he’s one who doesn’t ‘do death’ well and that he’s squeamish about facing and handling such matters.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:27 pmR.I.P. John McCain
Ad Astra, Aviator.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:27 pmAnd that’s really the problem with Trump tribalist culture, a Republican (presumably) calling another Republican an “enemy”.
Paul Montagu (9dcfd2) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:29 pmWill the Phelps family have a crowd behind them? Too sad.
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:46 pmMy sis in AZ says he passed.
RIP
harkin (c0421f) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:50 pmHe passed, now happyfeet only has a week left for moderation.
Dejectedhead (7db0dc) — 8/25/2018 @ 5:57 pm“Nothing will be right in this country until he is gone.”
Record stock market, record jobs market, assuming K gets confirmed solid conservative majority SCOTUS. Nothing is right?
Nate Ogden (223c65) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:04 pm#36: wouldn’t it be great if someone had a program set up that converted certain awful and gross words into sunshine and flowers? I would love that.
Simon Jester (c2dcde) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:09 pm27 staying in office past May 30th allowed the governor to appoint someone to serve till 2020 to serve out the term to 2022.
List of potential appointees in local paper isn’t very heartening.
Nate Ogden (223c65) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:14 pmWhy not surprise the runner-up in Tuesday’s primary election with the mid-term appointment after their concession speech? That would be good theatre.
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:18 pmSimon, you coming for the 2nd as well?
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:18 pmmg, I am not sure what you mean. Best wishes.
Simon Jester (c2dcde) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:21 pmLike the way Facebook is memory holding posts and whole links?
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:27 pmWhile I wish President Trump said nothing at all, civility is a two way street. I wish McCain’s family peace and comfort, yet he was an abrasive and angry guy in life to many, an especially to those on his own side of the aisle. His deth doens;t change any of that.
Bugg (acadb3) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:31 pmTrump offered his condolences:
Dana (023079) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:34 pmDavid Rothkopf
@djrothkopf
Can you think of an American public official who was a worse human being than Donald Trump? Seriously. Just one.
__ _
John Podhoretz
harkin (c0421f) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:46 pm@jpodhoretz
Ted Kennedy killed a woman.
38- freedom of speech
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 6:51 pmAh, mg. I do indeed respect freedom of speech. More than most people posting here, I suspect. I have no trouble with someone being vulgar, rude, hurtful, and dishonest—-in the public square, or on their own website. I donate money to FIRE each year because I believe in that.
On someone else’s website? Not so much.
I continue to think of this as Patterico’s cocktail party. He sets the rules. Even and especially when I don’t like them. .
Simon Jester (bec84a) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:03 pmAnd I never knew that repeatedly accusing someone of a felony (being a pedophile) was a 1st Amendment right, particularly on someone else’s website. Who knew?
Your mileage may vary.
And I genuinely wish you well. People I do not agree with aren’t evil monsters.
Simon Jester (bec84a) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:08 pmPeople’s or lack theirof, is their business,
I don’t see any reason to be rude or use invective, when reasoned argument suffices.
But some don’t and yet they are allowed year in and year out, say demeaning the people of Texas in their time of trial, there but for the grace of God go any of us of course I’ve reference the nemesis enforcer that skimmed up this establishment for all too long a period,
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:10 pm#25, Patterico, I nominate Dave as an indecent human being twice over more than worthy of banning. Although he occasionally makes a useful contribution, his rabid hatred of all things Trump more than qualifies him as raw sewage.
ropelight (7ed0f8) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:13 pmJudgement, juche Dave wasn’t who I was referring to.
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:16 pmWho is the nemesis enforcer, narciso?
DRJ (15874d) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:16 pmFor some reason Mr Patterico calls me a “Trump Humper” lol and accuses me of making things up about McCain his personal war hero.
Not at all. From an article entitled “McCain Did He Show The Right Stuff?”, a number of his peers did not think so.
Many basically conclude this non-fighter pilot (trained as a bomber) got himself shot down and broke both his arms and leg by hot ejecting improperly — IOW, didn’t follow orders (by his own admission) which apparently went along with his “hot dog” reputation and sense of entitlement due to his family lineage.
Here is the link
http://www.pythiapress.com/wartales/McCain-Shootdown.htm
So Mr Patterico owes me an apology for his rude remarks and thoughtless remarks… though I doubt he is man enough to own up to his error.
Though I don’t think McCain is necessarily a war hero, I know this is a very hard time for his family and wish them well.
phyto (bb1232) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:26 pmHe goes by many names, he’s from northern california.
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:28 pm#45
Perfect comment by President Trump!
phyto (bb1232) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:30 pm@56. Perfect comment by President Trump!
Sure it is, [insert name here.]
“My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of [insert name here.] Our hearts and prayers are with you!”
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/25/2018 @ 7:37 pmGot it, Simon.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/25/2018 @ 8:33 pmMany basically conclude you’re banned.
Patterico (5de152) — 8/25/2018 @ 8:48 pmI think you are being unfair, phyto.
Skillful military pilots are not born that way. They require years of training, practice, and even some mistakes. Top gun-style behavior is common with military pilots because they must learn to be aggressive, and that includes learning how to hard to draw the line between aggressive and reckless.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/25/2018 @ 9:00 pmhttp://www.historynet.com/real-bridges-toko-ri.htm
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 9:20 pmA real life example from the previous war, now one might see their actions as brave or crazy.
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 9:22 pmNeil Armstrong wasn’t with that particular mission, but he was assigned to that career, the use essex,
Narciso (1eb6be) — 8/25/2018 @ 9:38 pmI remember how Trump was treated when he reached out to the family of the soldier who was killed in Niger. The kvetches will find some way to fault him no matter what he says or does.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2018 @ 3:54 ammccain was a POS. It didn’t start with his POW days when he was known as “songbird.” And I am sure it started well before he killed 133 fellow seamen on the USS Forrestal. It continued with his being one of the Keating 5. Happy to finally see him go.
jim (557eae) — 8/26/2018 @ 5:50 amThis is how stabbings are done down under:
https://www.steynonline.com/8777/the-spiller-spilled
Narciso (d5f237) — 8/26/2018 @ 6:48 amClean-up on aisle 5…
Dave (445e97) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:28 am#51 ropelight: “his rabid hatred of all things Trump more than qualifies him as raw sewage.”
There is a distillation of Trumpista ethics. Good and evil are measured in accordance with what promotes Donald Trump. People are good or bad according to what they think of Donald Trump. “Real Americans” are those who love Trump.
Trumpistas will bend or break any principle in the defense of Trump, until all they have left is the person of Donald J. Trump. They have thoroughly appropriated his own moral code, in unconditional fealty to him. (“There’s nothing he could do that would make me stop supporting him!”)
Like all cultists, they do not recognize what they’re doing, so they insist that all who don’t share their Trump-centric worldview are blinded by irrational hatred and “derangement.”
Radegunda (517013) — 8/26/2018 @ 10:19 amFor jim:
The tragic Forrestal fire and McCain. Some people would have quit after an experience like that, but he didn’t. McCain has faced many daunting challenges.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/26/2018 @ 10:30 amAnd plenty of people saw that this would be the inevitable consequence of making him the de facto leader of the GOP.
With his litany of lies, he has transformed countless thousands, if not millions, of decent, honest people into corrupt, degenerate clones of himself.
Dave (445e97) — 8/26/2018 @ 10:49 amI am happy to see you go: banned from this Web site.
Patterico (232ecf) — 8/26/2018 @ 11:27 amSenate courtesy to John tower to John Ashcroft to Jeff sessions, tell me another one.
Narciso (ad700c) — 8/26/2018 @ 11:33 amDave #70:
There may be Trump fans (or at least supporters) who are reasonably decent themselves, and not without intelligence, who imagine that they have a deeper sort of ethical wisdom than the non-fans. They fancy themselves having the special insight to see how Trump represents virtues and values that he manifestly lacks; to see that he is quite the opposite of how he has presented himself throughout his life. And those of us who “don’t get it” must be blinded by hate.
Never mind that one of the reasons that fans have most often given for favoring Trump is: “He’s authentic! He’s all out there in the open!”
The more intelligent defenders have willfully forgotten what they insisted upon in the Clinton years: that a conspicuous example of bad character at the very top has a corrosive effect on the whole culture. Instead, they’ve come up with sophistical excuses: that Trump merely reflects the degradation of our culture – and therefore, all those who wanted a better image of character in the White House are very, very wrong, while the people who put Trump there are morally right. And anyone who questions the moral judgment of Trump fans is a bad, hateful person.
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/26/2018 @ 1:17 pm70. 73. Most real Trump fans just are not aware of a lot of what bothers other people about Trump or a lot of what is going on. They may think he’s good for this that and other reason.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 8/26/2018 @ 1:27 pm74: Sammy, the problem is that regardless of what they are or aren’t aware of at the moment, they will ALWAYS defend Trump and launch invective at his critics, or at least declare huffily that “No one cares” about whatever he is being criticized for.
One of the first things I noticed about Trump fans in the primaries was how emotionally they lashed out at any criticism of Trump, no matter how mild or how well founded. When someone says “The more they attack him, the more it galvanizes our support for him,” it’s a declaration of unconditional devotion to Donald Trump personally — regardless of what he did that might occasion the “attack.”
The fans were not at all offended by his boast that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose any supporters. Instead, they appear to be determined to prove him correct about them.
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/26/2018 @ 1:45 pmAlso, some of the things that many people dislike most about Trump are impossible to miss, because they’re regularly in his comments and tweets: his frequent claims to be the best and greatest in every way; his habit of reminding people that he’s very rich; his obvious need to put others down so as to puff himself up; his reflex to refer any question of good or bad to how it serves his ego.
Trump proudly said that he wanted to keep a public employee who was known to be terrible at her job and nasty to everyone else, because she said GREAT things about him. For Donald Trump, that is a perfectly appropriate measure of someone’s moral worth. It’s right out in the open — and his fans approve.
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/26/2018 @ 1:59 pmOh please. Had he praised McCain, you would have slammed him as a disingenuous phony. Damned if you do…
Ryan (95e5ab) — 8/26/2018 @ 2:24 pmIt is hard to know when he is telling the truth.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/26/2018 @ 2:30 pm@77.Had he praised McCain, you would have slammed him as a disingenuous phony. Damned if you do…
Really, [insert name here]?!?!
He did praise McCain and he is a disingenuous phony:
“My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of [insert name here.] Our hearts and prayers are with you!”
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/26/2018 @ 2:44 pm*shrug*
It was a pretty public thing that John McCain didn’t want President Trump at his funeral. If there was that much bad blood between me and someone I’d be taking a more-or-less “Silence is Golden” stance towards him as he was dying as well. @_@
Towering Barbarian (21f677) — 8/27/2018 @ 10:51 am