Trump Has Essentially Abdicated The Basic Responsibilities Of A President
And people within his own administration are starting to notice.
It was a stunning moment. On Sunday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested that the president of the United States does not speak for American values.
After deflecting questions from Fox News’ Chris Wallace about President Donald Trump’s failure to condemn white supremacist groups who incited deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, by saying that he and the State Department “represent America’s values,” Tillerson said that “the president speaks for himself.”
Tillerson’s statement caps a tumultuous two weeks in which Trump demonstrated that he has abandoned essential duties of the office, failing to provide basic, measured responses to violence and natural disasters.
Throughout last week, he continued to defend his widely condemned response to the violence in Charlottesville — in which he delayed and then backtracked on a denunciation of white nationalist, KKK and neo-Nazi groups — including during a campaign-style rally in Phoenix.
Trump’s failure to provide the most elementary leadership earned criticism from lawmakers and leaders around the world — even from a United Nations panel on combating racial discrimination, which expressed deep concern about “the example this failure could set for the rest of the world.”
The night Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas, unleashing potentially historic rainfall, Trump announced he was pardoning former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who illegally targeted Latinos and was convicted of criminal contempt for violating a court order. In doing so, he bypassed the Department of Justice’s normal pardon procedures. (Trump reportedly asked his attorney general about closing the criminal case against Arpaio months earlier.)
On Sunday, as residents of Texas began evaluating the flooding and damage from the storm, Trump issued a stream of tweets congratulating authorities and himself for the recovery effort, which he bragged was “going well!” The tweets about Hurricane Harvey were sandwiched between posts on unrelated topics, including the president’s personal grievances.
For example, Trump immediately followed the announcement that he would visit Texas with a tweet boasting about his election victory in a different state, while suggesting that he would help unseat the state’s Democratic senator.
Tillerson is not the only administration official attempting to distance himself from the president in recent days.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis can be heard telling U.S. troops in Jordan to “hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other,” in a video posted Thursday on Facebook. Mattis also said the U.S. will “get the power of inspiration back,” which many interpreted as criticism of Trump’s leadership.
It’s unclear exactly when Mattis made the impromptu remarks, though he stopped in Jordan during his overseas trip last week.
“You’re a great example for our country right now, and it has got problems,” Mattis said in the video. “You know it and I know it. It’s got problems we don’t have in the military. And you just hold the line, my fine soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines.”
The president’s economic adviser, Gary Cohn, told the Financial Times that he contemplated resigning after Trump’s Charlottesville remarks, saying the administration “can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups.”
Of course, many in the Trump administration still unambiguously defend the president. After Trump delivered a scripted but conspicuously vague speech on his Afghanistan war strategy, Vice President Mike Pence insisted Trump’s primetime address signaled “American resolve.” Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the speech demonstrated “the signs of a president.”
The next day, Trump reverted to form at his no-holds-barred Arizona rally, making it next to impossible to believe that he will treat the presidency with the gravity the office is meant to hold.
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I watched the full interview and in full context that wasn't what he meant. Leave it to leftist Huffpo to make up something.
Comment removed for skirting the CoC. [ph]
A real news source?
Considering the source, you don't know how hilarious that is.
I watched the full interview and in full context that wasn't what he meant.
For extra comedic value, please tell us what you think he meant.
I consider it more reliable than the bias site the article is from. Notice that none of the MSM reported this? Why? Because huffpo and the rest spin their stories to suit their political purposes.
Fox put the interview up without commentary. That was surprising since Wallace seems to be after Chuck Todd's chair.
Because of the storm in Texas, some of the nation's attention has been turned away from trump. This will be intolerable to him , so watch for some big/and or outrageous tweets/baloney from him as soon as the storm subsides.
Actually, Trump took advantage of the hurricane and its anticipated viewership, by pardoning Joe Arpaio when it would get maximum exposure - and then bragging about his strategy.
I'm not sure Trump could "abdicate" responsibilities he never exercised in the first place. His entire life has been one irresponsible, if not corrupt, act after another. No wonder the right admires him so much.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis can be heard telling U.S. troops in Jordan to “hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other,” in a video posted Thursday on Facebook. Mattis also said the U.S. will “get the power of inspiration back,” which many interpreted as criticism of Trump’s leadership.
With Antifa constantly attacking anyone whom is protesting peacefully in favor of Trump, these comments are supposed to be about Trump's leadership? Come on. I just posted about the irony of Antifa being actual Fascists and mimicking the National Fascist Party as lead by Benito Mussolini in the 1920s, and Mattis is criticizing Trump instead of Antifa?
"which many interpreted as criticism of Trump’s leadership."
The Obots, Clintonistas and RINOs are the only ones who see it that way. The rest of us see it as a criticism of Obummer!
MAGA
MAGA!
That reminds me of the article I posted a while back, right here:
MAGA - Morons Are Governing America
Thanks for the reminder!
"With Antifa constantly attacking anyone whom is protesting peacefully in favor of Trump, these comments are supposed to be about Trump's leadership? Come on. I just posted about the irony of Antifa being actual Fascists and mimicking the National Fascist Party as lead by Benito Mussolini in the 1920s, and Mattis is criticizing Trump instead of Antifa?"
You expect the left to criticize their own creation?
There it is again!
MAGA!
Reminding me of the article I posted a while back, right here at the following link:
MAGA - Morons Are Governing America
Thanks again for the reminder!
So now you are calling Trump supporters morons?
MAGA!
Are Trump's 'supporters' governing America?
Perhaps you feel they are, since Trump has apparently ABDICATED his Basic Responsibilities as President.
Is that what YOU feel?
MAGA - Morons Are Governing America
Are Trump's 'supporters' governing America?
Is that why the left is so apoplectic?
MAGA!
The hissy fit is unending.
MAGA
BTW your "MAGA" is meaningless if the president can't deliver. And he can't and never has.
Are Trump's 'supporters' governing America? Yes!
Can you guess when it became public knowledge?
Let's put it this way: MAGA is the dumbest shit slogan ever used. First it implies that its users don't think of this country as great which is something that, if said by liberals, would have exploded the heads of people like you in their fury to condemn them as traitors and America haters. But more importantly, the America you people are trying to go back to was not great. It was the America of Jim Crow, the KKK, racism, xenophobia and isolationism.
First it implies
It only implies the Obama administration is over and Trump will overcome the garbage Obama left. So far he is doing just that.
If you feel that it implies the racist hate you claim then you are just wrong. Sour grapes?
MAGA!
MAGA - Morons Are Governing America
As a matter of fact, I would be honored if you would consider doing that.
Well said!
Maga this, I have it on good authority that the gloves come off October 1st, 2017.
So enjoy your ability to insult a great many members without any consequences....
What goes around does come around....
That is going to be very interesting for sure! The influx will be fun to watch.
Maga this,
Maga what? What does that even mean?
Seriously, tell us ALL exactly what you mean by that. If it is meant to be an insult, then say so.
Also...
I have it on good authority that the gloves come off October 1st, 2017. So enjoy your ability to insult a great many members without any consequences.... What goes around does come around....
Is that supposed to be some kind of a threat?
On whose 'good authority' do you have that?
Please explain, honestly.
BTW: "MAGA" is meaningless if the president can't deliver. And he can't and never has.
Watch for October 1!
Newsvine folds and the influx begins
The fun begins.
MAGA!
OK everyone.. this taunting and vague threats back and forth has got to stop. The NV members will be greeted warmly as we have done to all of you, and after a period of adjustment will have to follow the CoC here, just like any other member.
You will have an interesting time Perrie. The place became a zoo after the announcement was made. One reason I left early.
Like I said before, I don't envy you.
She has always been a sweetheart, giving people a lot of leeway in learning how things are different here than anywhere else.
Those of us needless to say who helped build it, don't really have a problem with it as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
But some have taken it out of hand, Way out of hand.
Just a little fact, most everyone here is a NV refugee, we know what it was like over there and we won't tolerate it here.
So your going to have to expect a bit of frustration with the above normal level of angst being demonstrated. WE left there to get away from the hate.
This place was created as a place to not have to deal with the hate.
Most people here are experienced posters and bloggers, the bullshit your pulling has been pulled before, we got a handle in it then we will again.
Lets not throw out the baby with the bathwater before we have a chance to pull the plug and drain the swamp.
Trust me she knows what she is getting into..... (and how to deal with it)
Trust me she knows what she is getting into
I agree and have no doubts she will handle any situation. I still don't envy her job.
Almost all our members have come from NV. They usually make the adjustment and if they don't they usually just leave. I am not concerned.
I still don't envy your job Perrie.
Maga this, I have it on good authority that the gloves come off October 1st, 2017.
So enjoy your ability to insult a great many members without any consequences....
What goes around does come around....
LOL. A big gust of wind blew through this thread.
What kind of silly azz threat is that?
No threat, if it was it would have been deleted.
Prediction of the future would be much more precise.
the gloves come off October 1st, 2017.
What do you have, some toothless right wing horde descending on us on Oct. 1 ?
I'm so scared.
some toothless right wing horde
It will be from the left John. To some of them you are a conservative.