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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe American Conservative: The Writing Is On the Wall for Trump
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-writing-is-on-the-wall-for-trump/?fbclid=IwAR0qUADcUBFV9dHJG-_f2rIDoojtX0uMiVTdHCq2bsci4fm4yMt_swFwJRsThe Writing Is On the Wall for Trump
March 12, 2020|
7:28 pm
Daniel Larison
snip//
Sadly, the presidents willingness to put his own short-term political prospects ahead of the public interest is not the least bit surprising. That is how many of us interpreted his actions over the last six weeks as he consistently tried to minimize the danger from the virus and when he boasted about how successfully he had handled the problem. I said as much last week:
Trump spreads misinformation about the virus to offer people a false sense of security because he fears the effect that the outbreak will have on his political fortunes. Even when there is a public health crisis, the president remains concerned primarily about what it means for him.
This latest report lines up with his troubling remarks at the CDC last week when he talked about not wanting to bring passengers off from the cruise ship that was off the coast of California because doing that would raise the number of cases in the U.S. In the end, he relented and the passengers were brought to shore, but the expressed desire to keep the number down by putting more people at risk of exposure was there for all to see. As long as the official number stays low, that allows Trump to pretend that the problem is under control, so it is essential for him that the official number stay as low as possible. The federal governments inadequate and slow testing is at least partly a result of this presidential resistance to knowing the real extent of the outbreak, and that has put more Americans at risk of serious illness or death.
Like his admitted willingness to use the powers of his office to advance his personal interests, the president openly admitted that he wanted to put his political advantage ahead of the health and safety of Americans. The president not only abuses power for personal benefit, but he puts his political interests ahead of the good of the people even in an emergency. One of the most unbelievable things that Trump said in his botched speech last night was this:
I will never hesitate to take any necessary steps to protect the lives, health, and safety of the American people. I will always put the well being of America first.
Unfortunately, this is not true, and his response to the outbreak has proven that it isnt. We have seen him hesitate to take the necessary steps on many occasions, and we have watched as he squandered precious time with denial and obfuscation while many Americans became ill and some died. The president took a difficult but manageable situation and made it worse through neglect, indifference, and selfishness. The president does not serve the public interest and he never intended to do that. He sees public office simply as an opportunity for his own enrichment and aggrandizement, so when the test came in the form of this outbreak he was bound to fail it because his priority has always been to serve himself. The writing has been on the wall for a long time, but many Americans didnt want to see it. Trump has been weighed in the balance and found severely wanting.
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The American Conservative: The Writing Is On the Wall for Trump (Original Post)
babylonsister
Mar 2020
OP
ProfessorGAC
(64,852 posts)1. File Under "Well, Duh!"
The AC may, however, be loaded with the "never him" crowd.
malaise
(268,693 posts)5. Thank MoscowMitch and the rest of ReTHUG Senators
He should have been removed from office ages ago
JohnnyLib2
(11,211 posts)2. Nice to see links between "conservative" and "criticism."
In any form. Hoping to see much more like this. K & R
babylonsister
(171,032 posts)3. My thought as well. nt
Demovictory9
(32,421 posts)4. This
crickets
(25,952 posts)6. Took them long enough. A little late, but... yay? nt