What Did They Think Would Happen?
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 6 years ago • 61 commentsBy: Sarah Longwell (The Bulwark)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
An awful lot of Trump's defenders in conservative media appear to be shocked by what is happening right now in America.
But I'm kind of curious. What did they think was going to happen?
The president has a real job. His words have real consequences. Electing someone to that position who has no compunction about stoking racial tensions and a history of incendiary, violent, racist rhetoric—and totally uninterested in even the idea of national unity—was always a ticking time bomb.
None of this is to absolve the looters and rioters—they should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. But no one should be surprised that we've gotten to this point.
There was always going to be an intervening event, be it police violence or economic strife, that would reawaken our country's underlying racial tensions and inequity. In a country with our history - with our present - this might be the most predictable catastrophe in history.
The argument made in 2016 by conservatives who thought that Trump was manifestly unfit for the job went something like this:
Sure, we might get judges and tax cuts. But the potential downside of having a senescent, wannabe gangster as president of the United States is that (1) he might push us into a constitutional crisis and that (2) if he's confronted with a real-world crisis, there's a non-zero chance he could cause radical, real-world harm.
Well, here we are.
These possibilities seemed so obvious then that I could never tell if the people denying them were really blind, or if they were working overtime to pretend not to see them.
Did they really think that putting a man bereft of character, decency, and empathy in charge of the country wouldn't make a difference?
Did they really think that dismissing each instance of his racism, bullying, fecklessness, megalomania, corruption, lies, and stupidity it wouldn't have a cumulative effect?
Trump accommodators, of both the direct and indirect variety, will scoff at the idea that what is happening to the country right now is in any way related to Trump's incompetent and toxic performance.
They have to scoff. Because to admit that Trump played any part in bringing us to this moment is to admit culpability for the role they played all the times they covered for him because, you know, Gorsuch. So instead they tweet outrage at the cities on fire and the protestors in the street with a studied blindness to the fact that this is the logical conclusion—to paraphrase John Heilemann—of putting a pyromaniac in charge of a tinder box.
What did they think was going to happen?
We have an incurious narcissist of a president who was warned over and over by his advisors about an imminent pandemic. He ignored them. Then he engaged in "one day it will just disappear" wishcasting instead of spearheading a coordinated federal response. Then he said that he "take[s] no responsibility."
What did they think was going to happen?
This pandemic has left more than 104,000 dead in 12 weeks and sparked an economic crisis that has pushed 40 million into unemployment. And during this time the president used his bully pulpit not to rally the country to unity or try to vent some of the pressure that was building up in our communities, but to promote fake medical cures, push fake Obama scandals, and to spread conspiracy theories about a fake murder.
What did they think was going to happen?
You may remember that time when the president told American congresswomen of color to "go back to where they came from." Or the time he told cops not to "be too nice" when arresting suspects. Or the time he laughed when one of his supporters suggested shooting immigrants. Or all the times he told his followers to punch people he didn't like.
Donald Trump has spent his entire political career using maximally divisive, racially charged, rhetoric that glorifies violence while winking and nodding to those eager to receive the high-pitched dog-whistle of hate.
What did they think was going to happen?
The president's behavior sets the tone for the country. When the president lacks restraint, he creates permission structures for less restraint from everyone down the chain—politicians, cops, citizens. When the president lacks character, there is a vacuum of leadership. And chaos always fills that void. When the president relishes violence and promises to unleash "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons" on protesters, we should not be shocked when things escalate.
Again, I'm not excusing the looting and rioting. The people committing that violence should be held accountable for their crimes. But this isn't an either/or situation. You can hold those people responsible and also hold the president accountable for the toxic atmosphere he has recklessly nurtured.
And you can hold to account the people who, for reasons of either convenience, or ideology, or profit, made themselves willfully blind to what Trump has been doing.
As a young conservative in the '90s and early aughts I was told, over and over (and to this day still believe), that "character counts."
Peggy Noonan once wrote of Ronald Reagan:
In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant; Harry Truman wasn't brilliant, and he helped save Western Europe from Stalin. He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever. White Houses are always full of quick-witted people with ready advice on how to flip a senator or implement a strategy. You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him.
Well, President Trump didn't bring any of those things with him. And rather than demand better, conservatives and Republicans surrendered. Many of them eagerly. They put policy over decency. They prioritized political power over everything.
From the day he came down the escalator, Trump promised to burn it all down. And now Conservatism Inc. is surprised the country is on fire?
What did they think was going to happen?
Sarah Longwell
Sarah Longwell is publisher of The Bulwark .
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That's one promise kept
People have been warning what would happen. What is happening, at this moment, has been foretold. Those who ignored the warnings are only trying to shift blame elsewhere.
Donald Trump didn't create the racial tension at the center of what is happening. Trump's crime is that he hasn't hidden the racial tension behind platitudes, excuses, and an empathetic facade. Trump hasn't spoken kind words and made empty promises. Trump hasn't kicked the can down the road and allowed those racial tensions to smolder until the next predictable outbreak of violence.
The racial tensions are there for all to see. Trump isn't letting the country off the hook. If the country doesn't confront those racial tensions now then there is no one to blame but themselves.
I think he enjoys the racial divide! He's rubbing his hands with glee while watching Fox News and OAN on the bunker TVs.
Well, that kinda shoves the racial divide into everyone's face, doesn't it? How is the public going to ignore the racial divide now?
They can't because his supporters love the divide he has escalated
The racial tensions and racial divide was already there. Trump isn't escalating anything; Trump is shining a light on what was already there.
Since the racial tensions and racial divide persists, what have all the excuses, platitudes, kind words, empathy, and empty promises accomplished?
Donald isn't shinning any light.
He is stoking the flames.
The protesters are carrying the matches.
And donald is pouring gasoline.
The protestors are carrying the light. Donald is driving the propane tanker
Some people will just refuse to see what is right in front of them.
Sicking dogs on people, talking about shooting, calling governors idiots, placing blame...
Everything I say will just try to be justified.
Again, some will only see what they want.
Nope. [Deleted]
It is sad really. I have seen people that have normally been objective turn into complete zombies when it comes to donald. Cheer on things they use to be against. Defend every asinine thing he does or says. Now act like half the country is an enemy.
Now we had donald clear out a peaceful protest just so he could walk through the park and have a photo op. Using our own military against us. All for a photo op.
We have him wanting or going to militarize the nation and you all cheer. Even as you all complain about it in other nations.
He is saying we are a country that was formed by law and order. No, it was formed from anarchy.
We have Gaetz saying he wants to hunt people down, Americans, like middle east terrorists, and you all cheer.
Really a shame people cannot open their eyes and actually see what they are advocating and defending.
I would rather use my own hands and money to help rebuild a business than have the military control cities.
Nope. It happened before curfew.
So all you advocate for is laws? Like slavery being legal or prohibition?
Laws change as does society.
America is an idea, not a law.
Oh please. This was escalated long before Trump ran for office. How quickly you forget Ferguson and Baltimore. Trump wans't President and the racial divide was escalated.
But I don't recall ANYBODY blaming Obama for THREE racially driven riots during his term.
Racial divide, political divide, economic divide, education divide...seems like a country where division is more important than unity.
And millions of others...
Did Obama fan the flames? He had racial epitaphs thrown at him himself.
He would call for understanding.
Not blame and threaten.
Trump didnt have to mention dogs at all. Everyone knows that if they go onto White House grounds unauthorized they will be stopped by force.
Trump mentioned "vicious" dogs.
This is what "vicious dogs" means to a lot of black people.
That will go over a lot of people's heads.
I dont know why it should, it's US history.
He is Nero without the fiddle.
He's fiddling with a drum stick....
The thugs must have made it past the first line of defense.
“More than 60 US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers and special agents were injured starting Friday night through Sunday morning near the White House as protests rocked Washington, DC, following the death of George Floyd last week, according to a statement from the Secret Service.“
He didn't do a damn thing to put them out.
Trump bigotry is out in the open !
And? Would you prefer bigotry be hidden?
People on both sides of the aisle have been warning that slapping a coat of paint on the dry rot wouldn't solve anything. Out of sight doesn't doesn't mean out of mind.
Bigotry isn't confined to one race, one creed, one gender, one religion, one nationality, or one culture. Bigotry is multiracial and multicultural. Only a bigot views the world in shades of black and white.
A white cop killed a black man. When has the black population burned and looted because a black cop killed a white man? Haven't the protests been motivated by racial bigotry?
And you think what you are saying helps anything? Have white people been slaves in this country and continually oppressed for centuries?
Are you blaming the looting and arson all on black people?
So it's ok that the Chicken Shit Coward in Chief espouses his bigotry, misogynism, and all around hatred about people that are different than him?
Do you know what that's led to? People calling police on black people barbcueing in parks, black people watching birds....hell just black people being ordinary every day Americans!
And if they don't call the police they start shouting hateful words at them. And it's not just black people. It's all people of color. Can you honestly sit there behind your monitor and say it's ok that The Chicken Shit Coward in Chief has made it popular to be openly bigoted towards people in public?
Some of the comments we see here defy belief.
Gaslighting doesn't address the issue of racial division.
That's one of the questions that needs to be addressed, isn't it?
Is it okay to achieve racial unity by relying on rhetoric that stokes racial resentments? Donald Trump isn't the only one stoking racial tensions. And white people aren't alone in delivering a hateful message to achieve racial unity.
Who is responsible for motivating the riots, looting, and vandalism? Who said that was appropriate behavior? And why should the public simply accept what is happening?
Nobody knows yet who is responsible for it. It could be antifa terrorists or it could be Proud Boy terrorists. Maybe there will an investigation and the truth behind all this violence will come out
You have to really be a STUPID SOB to actually think that what we are seeing is because of Trump.
You have to really be a STUPID SOB to actually think that what we are seeing is NOT because of Trump.
The pandemic response was abysmal, US has worst outcomes on the planet because of dishonest Donald's downplaying of the threat and refusal to act swiftly when they were warned as early as January.
The response to the protests where some turned into riots was also disgusting as instead of uniting us he chose to use divisive language and try to turn this into a political win while his piece of shit white supremacist supporters have been attempting to stir up more racial hatred by pretending to be ANTIFA.
Did you blame Obama for the riots in Baltimore in the same fashion? Your ignorance to think that this divide is because of Trump is just the stupidity I was referring to. The division has existed for a very long time.
So you think the pandemic and it's response that is being felt GLOBALLY is on Trump? Exactly how does that work?