Robert Reich: 'He is no longer president. The sooner we stop treating him as if he were, the better'

[kpete]

Fire, pestilence and a country at war with itself: the Trump presidency is over
by Robert Reich

A pandemic unabated, an economy in meltdown, cities in chaos over police killings. All our supposed leader does is tweet

In reality, Donald Trump doesn’t run the government of the United States. He doesn’t manage anything. He doesn’t organize anyone. He doesn’t administer or oversee or supervise. He doesn’t read memos. He hates meetings. He has no patience for briefings. His White House is in perpetual chaos.
.........

Trump’s nonfeasance goes far beyond an absence of leadership or inattention to traditional norms and roles. In a time of national trauma, he has relinquished the core duties and responsibilities of the presidency.

He is no longer president. The sooner we stop treating him as if he were, the better.


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/31/donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic-george-floyd-minneapolis-tweets

[Celerity]

1. K & R

[onetexan]

2. Well said, mr. Reich

I've never seen him as our presisent, rather a fake, unfit one usurping the office for his & his family's profit.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. K & R

[cate94]

4. K & R

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. Well worth reading the whole thing ...

Reich recognizes Moscow Mitch's role in this, too:

More than 41 million Americans are jobless. In the coming weeks temporary eviction moratoriums are set to end in half of the states. One-fifth of Americans missed rent payments this month. Extra unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of July.

What is Trump’s response? Like Herbert Hoover, who in 1930 said “the worst is behind us” as thousands starved, Trump says the economy will improve and does nothing about the growing hardship. The Democratic-led House passed a $3tn relief package on 15 May. Mitch McConnell has recessed the Senate without taking action and Trump calls the bill dead on arrival.

What about other pressing issues a real president would be addressing? The House has passed nearly 400 bills this term, including measures to reduce climate change, enhance election security, require background checks on gun sales, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and reform campaign finance. All are languishing in McConnell’s inbox. Trump doesn’t seem to be aware of any of them.

[delisen]

25. All Reich does is state problems we aready know

He has become a protected ivory tower stater of the obvious

He is also careful to not bite the hand that is feeding him--universities are a big part of our economic distress

[Hermit-The-Prog]

28. And your voice carries to how many?

[Eyeball_Kid]

34. So, what is Reich supposed to do? He's a former Cabinet member who has no executive power.

Reich has writing talent and uses it to allow readers to comprehend the totality of the government's ineptitude. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Are you really stating that you're impatient? Aren't we all?

[ProfessorGAC]

56. Minus 10,000

A waste of electrons.

[certainot]

58. reich is not alone in pointing out the problems but he's good at it. the problem is

Last edited Sun May 31, 2020, 05:42 PM - Edit history (1)

like most of our pundits and observers they live in cities and have no clue rw radio dominates 40 states with 80 senators. they can eloquently state the 'obvious' but don't know why or blame it on symptoms of letting 1500 coordinated putin-influenced radio stations short circuit and distort any rational fact based discussion on any major issue.

they might as well be studying fish without water.

and our universities do worse than contribute to economic distress.

87 + of them keep RW radio alive. 87 of them broadcast sports on 260 limbaugh stations and for 30 yrs he has led the excuses and rationalizations and lies used to make racism more 'acceptable' and sell the idiocy that racism is over, there is no institutional racism, and white men are the real victims. and those 1500 radio stations he leads are the reason trump is in the white house. they also lead the way with a constant drumbeat for privatizing public ed, fighting student debt relief legislation, and reducing funding.

if a few of those schools were forced into public discussions of why they support radio stations that are making excuses for the racism that most of their student athletes are hit with every day, others would follow and pretty soon advertisers would abandon those stations and the ad industry would have to break up the 30 year monopoly at the heart of this disaster.

all it would take is someone like reich to mention talk radio once in a while, or maybe michael moore can ask why u of michigan and michigan state support 18!!!! fucking limbaugh stations while they make excuses for lead in the water and calll kneeling athletes traitors.

[Done_Playin]

63. This... All this. n/t

[usaf-vet]

6. K & R

[LiberalBrooke]

7. He never did any of those things.

He has no interest or even understanding of what a president is supposed to do. Why in the hell did anyone vote for him?

[gab13by13]

8. Why did people buy snake oil?

Hopefully, people only buy snake oil 1 time.

[lagomorph777]

49. Well, yeah. Often they die before they can try it again.

[MyOwnPeace]

9. Honestly, Lib......

I keep asking myself that same question EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!

[Skittles]

61. misogyny and racism

with help from Russian bots

[madaboutharry]

10. In a thread last night, I called

Trump the un-president. That is what he should be called from now on: un-president Trump.

[dmr]

24. That, or PINO

That's what I've been calling him. It angers my neighbor who's a magat that has a defense, or reason or excuse for all of Donald's antics.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

11. Easy peasy...

Never ever considered him president, always a pretender.

[Six117]

12. Turnip WAS NEVER PRESIDENT - That thing is illegitimate.

First and foremost: American presidents do not ask for, receive, and gladly use the help of a FOREIGN ADVERSARY to "win" an election. It is a fact that this is exactly what that cretin did: which also broke the so called law. In what sane world do we accept a "president" from Russia? Turnip was always the enemy of America. The vegetables are cool with any of it as long as they can hold on to money and power.

Yes, I know legally the thing is what it is, but since when in this country has the law been something you could truly trust in and believe is for the good of the People? This nation is infested with bad laws -that do irreparable damage to its citizens.

Trump is illegitimate.

[gademocrat7]

13. K&R!

He is a complete failure.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

14. If he were an NFL coach

He would have been replaced by the offensive coordinator three games ago and the fans would be wearing bags over their heads in the stands.

[Wawannabe]

47. Point of order!

Three SEASONS ago.

[AwakeAtLast]

62. Don't forget he battled the NFL

He couldn't even weasel his way into becoming an owner!

[pazzyanne]

15. IMHO he has never been the president!

Enough said.

[oldsoftie]

16. I think Biden should start acting like he's already been elected.

Start announcing policies. Start announcing cabinet picks. Things people can look at & think "wow, this is SO much better than what we have now!"

[disndat]

18. Thank you.

This would be one better than just trying to ignore the imbecile in the Wh until Nov3rd.

[tavernier]

22. Not sure about that.

In theory I think it’s an excellent idea because he could be off and runnng from day one, but our votes are precious and no one should assume they have been elected automatically. I think that would backfire.

But I bet Joe is already organizing and preparing and vetting more people than just the VP candidate.

[oldsoftie]

40. It WOULD be a narrow line to walk. Between arrogance & hope.

It would have to be presented the right way in order to NOT turn off swing voters.

[yellowdogintexas]

42. I expect the VPOTUS selection to be announced prior to Convention and

It would not surprise me if he introduces his Cabinet at the Convention.

It would be a stunning move, and pretty much establish a Shadow Government ready to rock n roll from Day One of the Transition Period.

[Joinfortmill]

17. Amen

[BigmanPigman]

19. From Day 1 I said, "He's not MY president".

That is why I refer to him as tRump (or a nastier name) instead of President. He should never have been addressed as "President".

[yellowdogintexas]

43. I have collected a very long list of the various names which have surfaced over the past 3 yrs

Some of them are spectacularly funny. The best ones of course come from our own Ferret, who could teach a Master Class in creative name calling.

A few of my favorites:
Pumpkin Spice Pol Pot
Tangerine Idi Amin’
Government Cheese Goebbels
Hairplug Himmler

the Hairplug That Ate Decency

[ProfessorGAC]

57. PINO Is My Go To

The acronym fits and it kind of has a mob nickname feel since he desperately desires the status of a mob boss.

[wnylib]

66. The RINO PINO

And HINO.

(H = human)

[Chainfire]

20. But yet,

43% of Americans still approve of the way Trump is conducting the affairs of the country.

There is a lot of hate in this country and Trump is their poster boy.

[Docreed2003]

21. K&R

Trump is a con-artist and, in my opinion, never viewed the Presidency as anything other than another reality TV role which would allow him to have unlimited reach in enriching himself and his family. He holds the power he does and isn't being held to account because he is allowing the GOP to achieve all sorts of horrific things on their wish list, not because it is a part of his own personal beliefs, but because it allows him to continue his grift unabated.

[Eyeball_Kid]

35. Can't argue with THAT. n/t

[crickets]

51. +1

[uponit7771]

23. THANK YOU !!!

[Mr. Ected]

26. If Trump was a Democrat, that's EXACTLY what Mitch McConnell would be saying

We couldn't push a SC nominee through because Obama was a lame duck, they fervently hated him, and therefore we needed to put everything on hold until the election.

What's good for the goose is good for the turtle.

[PatSeg]

27. And he doesn't inspire people

Well, except to commit violence.

[Fritz Walter]

29. This is all according to plan. Putin's plan to destroy the USA

He's Putin's bitch. Has been one for decades and will remain one until he departs our wrecked planet. And that can't come a minute too soon!

[Dukkha]

30. Way ahead of you

I never once recognized him as a legitimate leader since 11/8/16. This really needs to happen with all the world leaders. Enough with diplomacy and the futile attempt at playing along with the political charade of pretending 45 is on the same level.

[zentrum]

31. Good Luck with that.

Now what do we do about it?

No one around him will defy or expose him. Barr? The Repug Party? Who?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

32. He's still president. He can name justices and judges for Mitch's rubber stamp senate.

So he's still a danger to the country.

Eight more months.

[MontanaMama]

38. This.

I never considered him a legitimate president. And, he’s still grifting, he is training his kids to steal from us too. He’s got Jared selling our secrets to the Saudis and who knows who else and Moscow Mitch telling him what judges to install for lifetime appointments.

8 more months...and a hell of an election between now and then.

[Six117]

39. What do we do in those 8 months?

ACT UP!

[Pepsidog]

33. Trump should be asked everyday about Resigning!!

[yellowdogintexas]

44. Malcolm Nance : "every post or Tweet, should include this:

#TrumpResignNow

Someone mentioned this morning that it is trending on Twitter....

[bucolic_frolic]

36. The country is run by the Triumverate plus One

Kudlow, Mnuchin, Pompeo, and Steven Miller

[DeSmet]

37. I'm just an older white man living in rural America

A blue drop in a red sea as they say so I could be wrong about this. I believe George Foley's murder was a last straw if you will. The build up to this boiling point was fomenting in no small measure in communities across this nation that knew they were disproportionately ignored during the pandemic response. How many premeditated homicides are on trump's head in these communities. Genocidal.

[yellowdogintexas]

45. DU ers have been wondering for years what it would take to get us into

the streets like Paris did last spring.
Well, now it's here.

I hope it doesn't become another ''Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it" outcome.

[NCjack]

41. America's newspapers and TV news companies should be demanding that

that Trump and all GOP senators resign now.

[Wawannabe]

46. Just like RayGun

Off his rocker and being propped up by cronies and users.

[Grasswire2]

48. yeah, and stop calling him SIR

Pet peeve.

[BunnyMcGee]

50. He is no longer president. The sooner we stop treating him as if he were, the better.

'Amen' to that

[smirkymonkey]

52. K&R

[Lock him up.]

53. Actually, the Coronaorange is an unpunished sexual predator.

Nothing else.

The level of injustice all aRound him is mind boggling.

[Wildfire1324]

54. werrrk.com article about the same topic....

This article on werrrk.com talks about what should be done in light of the President's dereliction of duty.....

"Therefore, I am calling for our major news outlets to make time available for our four other living Presidents, Obama, Bush, Clinton and Carter, to address the nation remotely but jointly, not as members of their respective parties, but as Americans, as we try to hold our union together at this crucial moment in our history. As the current occupant of the Oval Office deems the American people not worthy of his time right now, turning to our former leadership for comfort, honesty and guidance at this time is needed. While these four men do not wield the powers of Presidency any more, they have all stood before the country and provided solace in trying times. Tonight I am calling upon their familiar faces to do so again. They cannot remain on the sidelines any longer. Things are too dire."

[link:https://werrrk.com/2020/05/31/protesting-a-pandemic-of-hate/|

[NRaleighLiberal]

55. I suspect he has not been the actual president of anyone at DU, ever.

He has certainly never been my president. I've considered the US devoid of actual leadership since election theft night.

[joanbarnes]

59. what I said and why I follow President Cuomo.

[Blue Owl]

60. Time for trump to hunker down in the Fuhrerbunker

n/t

[Warpy]

64. Better late than never

Any pretense of having an executive branch has long since evaporated, I'd put it about the time he was cleaning house of anyone who'd stand up to him like Kelly, Mattis, Tillerson, and a few others. Since then, he's had a claque and nothing has been done except by the Mercer plants who are busily wrecking the government, one department at a time.

We've pretty much been without an executive branch since 2018.

It should come as no surprise that this country is in a meltdown with complete paralysis at the top.

[Retrograde]

65. Isn't this about the time that the Orange One

goes to daddy or Deutsche Bank or Vlad to bail him out? Who does he think is going to save his ass this time?

[roamer65]

67. Time for governors to call a convention.

Topic: Secession...who wants to leave.

Time to start arranging the referenda.

[bucolic_frolic]

68. To be able to make this claim with such a high degree of probability

speaks to the idea this will be a watershed election. We have work to do. Voters are angry, and that is the main ingredient to kicking the GOP out.

[Doreen]

69. What does he mean "no longer?"

He never "was" president.

[mwb970]

70. President? trump is no longer HUMAN.

The sooner we stop treating him as if he were, the better.