Trump's a Nationalist. That's What All Presidents Should Be!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Thomas Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner with a distinguished career as columnist, reporter, author and TV host. I have admired him and his work for as long as he has been visible. I’ve never met him but our careers overlapped in London and we both spent time in Beirut.
Recently he wrote a column called, “ George Washington for President .” The subtitle was, “Patriots put love of their own people first, while nationalists put hate for other people first.” This came right after President Trump proclaimed himself to be a nationalist.
Friedman really teed off on the president, calling him a
...disturbed man whose job description – to be a healer of the country in times of great national hurt and to pull us together to do big hard things that can only be done together – conflicts with his political strategy, which is to divide us and mobilize his base with anger and fear.
Thomas Friedman, World Economic Forum, 2013 (photo credit World Economic Forum )
With that, my admiration for Friedman took a deep dive. I had to ask myself: is this the comment of a rational or even sane person? Here’s my problem with Mr. Friedman. He managed to avoid the real situation and in fact spun diametrically away from the real story of Donald Trump and those who would destroy him.
Oh, Friedman also said, “Our country is in danger.” Well, at least we agree on that sound bite.
In recent times, trying to play the role of healer and unifier has been a weakness for Republicans, such as George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. They and others, including Reagan and even McCain, tried to various degrees to act as healers and unifiers. But the other side had no intention of letting them get away with that.
These Republican presidents and candidates let themselves be turned into punching bags taking the crap thrown at them while trying to be perceived as "presidential" by remaining above it all. Remember, "Bush lied, people died!"? Remember the full pass McCain and Romney both gave Obama on so many critical issues including his relationships with Frank Marshall Davis, Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Tony Rezko, Rashid Khalidi, George Soros, Sayed Hassan AlQazwini and others?
Now, the liberals and progressives are outraged that President Trump refuses to play traditional Republican, that is, refuses to play patsy. Their heads have been exploding over it. Listen to the late night talk show crowd, left wing Hollywood types, the pussy hat crowd, crazy Democrat politicians, Antifa mobs and other radical groups funded by George Soros. Tell me Tom, who is really blasting away with anger and fear?
And since November of 2016, it’s been going on non-stop day and night on a daily basis. And then there’s the media itself, the big three broadcast networks, CNN and MSNBC. On these networks, Trump has been called a “white supremacist,” a “Nazi,” a “virus,” “unfit to be human,” a “bigot” and other lovely terms. Tom, talk about dividing the country! Hint: It ain’t Trump.
This is what Friedman is not discussing or dealing with. The abuse and hatred aimed at Trump, starting the moment of his inauguration, has been unprecedented. It explains perfectly why the role of healer has not only been not possible, but not appropriate.
It's the same reason Israel has not been able to make peace with the Muslim Arabs. Much of the other side doesn't want peace except 100% on their terms.
We are in a low-grade civil war. These are the people who intimidated and basically destroyed the reputation and presidency of George W. Bush (who, regardless of what you thought of his politics was one of the most decent men to ever be president). He was totally disrespected and made to look weak. It set the stage for Obama.
This is why we love Trump. He is our Netanyahu. Yes, it's a terrible time. The opportunity for healing at present is minimal. If Trump doesn't fight to protect America from these people, our country will irreversibly slip into socialism or worse and will be totally taken over by the Antifa thugs, the leftist academics who have already shut down free speech in our universities, the progressives who are demanding open borders, the left wing media that has become a cheering squad for the Democrat Party, the Democrat election fraud ballot stuffers, anti-Semites, and the likes of Maxine Waters, Al Sharpton, Keith Ellison, Linda Sarsour, Louis Farrakhan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Andrew Gillum and the rest of them. Somehow Friedman didn’t get around to mentioning all of this. Maybe there wasn’t enough space.
The Trump now infamous press conference last Wednesday with Jim Acosta was highly revealing. For those who didn’t watch it, all you probably know about it is that Trump got into a shouting match with the great grandstander CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who was subsequently barred from the White House. That sucked all the oxygen out of the story. So of course what Trump really said was ignored.
But did Friedman or any of Trump’s detractors pay any attention to Trump’s important comments? The President made a number of conciliatory statements during the press conference that any fair person would say were attempts at unifying the country .
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And I give her a lot of credit. She works very hard, and she’s worked long and hard. I give her a great deal of credit for what she’s done and what she’s accomplished. Hopefully, we can all work together next year to continue delivering for the American people, including on economic growth, infrastructure, trade, lowering the cost of prescription drugs. These are some of things that the Democrats do want to work on, and I really believe we’ll be able to do that. I think we’re going to have a lot of reason to do it.”
Trump went on to say,
“I really think, and I really respected what Nancy said last night about bipartisanship and getting together and uniting. She used the word “uniting” and she used the word the bipartisanship statement, which is so important because that’s what we should be doing."
And then this ,
“Now is the time for members of both parties to join together, put partisanship aside, and keep the American economic miracle going strong. It is a miracle. We’re doing so well. And I’ve said it at a lot of rallies. Some of you have probably heard it so much you don’t want to hear it again. But when people come to my office — presidents, prime ministers — they all congratulate me, almost the first thing, on what we’ve done economically. Because it is really amazing.”
I haven’t been able to comb through all of the reporting on the press conference, but my guess is none of the MSM headlined or even reported this huge olive branch that Trump threw out. Certainly CNN didn’t. The event was overshadowed by Acosta and another reporter who tried to bait the President with a white nationalist comment. Trump aggressively and appropriately pushed back.
“Hi, Mr. President. Yamiche Alcindor with PBS NewsHour. On the campaign trail, you called yourself a nationalist. Some people saw that as emboldening white nationalists. Now people are also saying . . . .
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t know why you’d say that. That’s such a racist question.
Q: There are some people that say that now the Republican Party is seen as supporting white nationalists because of your rhetoric. What do you make of that?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I don’t believe that . . . . . Why do I have my highest poll numbers ever with African Americans? . . . That’s such a racist question.”
Trump was understandably insulted by the question and said so. This is what people like this woman and Friedman refuse to understand about Trump. In fact, they don’t want to understand him. They hate him so badly, they can’t do their jobs. Or, in some cases, hate has become their job.
I believe Trump tends to see Americans as just Americans regardless of sex, color, gender or any other inherited characteristic. He doesn’t play the identity politics game that the left thrives on. Friedman quoted Charles de Gaulle as saying, “ Nationalists put hate for other people first.” Trump’s answer: “I love my country.”
That’s what they don’t want to hear. That’s the Trump message they want to bury. Yes, there are white nationalists. Our country also has more than its share of communists, socialists, progressives and anarchists. But just as all left-wingers don’t fit into those categories, it’s unfair and outrageous to stick Trump and other nationalists with the label of white nationalist.
For America, Trump is the right man for the times we are in. He’s a fighter and a brawler. He has been belligerent and rude and, at times, even over the top. But any fair-minded person can see this is what Trump has been faced with from the beginning. Trump is both a patriot and a nationalist who puts America and Americans first. He clearly loves our country and wants to see it succeed.. That’s been apparent in all the interviews he has given over the years. But he will not be bullied by these people. That's what Friedman doesn't seem to comprehend or want to talk about.
Frank Hawkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Associated Press foreign correspondent, international businessman, senior newspaper company executive, founder and owner of several marketing companies and published novelist. He currently lives in retirement in North Carolina.
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“Trump was understandably insulted by the question and said so. This is what people like this woman and Friedman refuse to understand about Trump. In fact, they don’t want to understand him. They hate him so badly, they can’t do their jobs. Or, in some cases, hate has become their job.
I believe Trump tends to see Americans as just Americans regardless of sex, color, gender or any other inherited characteristic. He doesn’t play the identity politics game that the left thrives on. Friedman quoted Charles de Gaulle as saying, “Nationalists put hate for other people first.” Trump’s answer: “I love my country.”
That’s what they don’t want to hear. That’s the Trump message they want to bury. Yes, there are white nationalists. Our country also has more than its share of communists, socialists, progressives and anarchists. But just as all left-wingers don’t fit into those categories, it’s unfair and outrageous to stick Trump and other nationalists with the label of white nationalist.
For America, Trump is the right man for the times we are in. He’s a fighter and a brawler. He has been belligerent and rude and, at times, even over the top. But any fair-minded person can see this is what Trump has been faced with from the beginning. Trump is both a patriot and a nationalist who puts America and Americans first. He clearly loves our country and wants to see it succeed.. That’s been apparent in all the interviews he has given over the years. But he will not be bullied by these people.”
All American presidents from beginning to 1976 except Wilson were nationalists. Since then, only Reagan and Trump.
Macron is wrong. Nationalism is patriotism. Like with anything, excess is bad. Putting ones country first and being proud of our exceptional America is healthy and right.
The opposite of Nationalism is Globalism. Globalism is the latest failed European policy (along with Socialism & multiculturalism), which amounts to nations ceding their authority to some elite international bureaucracy operating for the common good. As Merkel leaves, Macron will be the last Globalist.
No, Trump is wrong. He (and you) are trying to redefine what nationalism means. It is NOT just patriotism. It is now attached to the racist nationalism from recent times specifically and that can't be undone just because somebody decides. When Trump talks nationalism he is talking to the racists. Because they hear him loud and clear. While you want to remake nationalism into that 'rah rah patriotism', you can't escape the dark - white supremacists and neo-nazis hear the call. You know excess is bad, so don't try to whitewash the excess hate of the nationalism of the last century.
Nope, only the radical left tries to connect those things. They hate.
False. Nationalism is unity based on language and culture. Patriotism is unity based on beliefs and values.
When the only way you can express that is by denigrating other countries you're loosing the argument.
Really?
Close, but, no cigar. And, by the way, this is what Trump is talking about,
No, the WORLD connects them. And so do the fricken racists, so just stop pretending otherwise.
You saying that dosen't quite make it so.
Watch film below. It's really CNN describing the left
Racists hear what he says and get the message. THEY SEE THE RACISM. And that is who it is meant for. I don't know why you are trying to redefine nationalism to ignore what just happened in the last century in the name of nationalism, but JUST STOP! Go back and study WWII and the rise of Hitler and how he used it. And stop pretending the term is innocuous. Trump uses the term for a reason.
Do you feel like you just stepped into a George Orwell novel?
Give us an example of what exactly he says that sends the message?
Nationalism is a word to describe putting one's nation first. It's been around for a long time. That wouldn't do it.
You are old enough to know, and there are plenty of sources to go to for information. I would be happy to break it down in little pieces for you if I thought you really wanted to know, but you don't. So go and use the term at your pleasure, but don't be surprised when you are judged by it. And it won't be pretty. The ball is in your court.
Now, do you really need schooled in how his message is heard by racists? Obtuse isn't a good look.
I'll take that as an admission that Donald J Trump is NOT a "racist"
Nope, try again. Like I said, obtuse is a bad look. Or do you want me to think you are stupid? Do I give you more credit than you deserve? Not trying to personally insult you either, just trying to gage your ability for critical thinking.
"All pigs are equal butt some pigs are just more equal than others"...
Another example of how a person can be leader of a country and say something that sounds like it came out of Alice in Wonderland.
The Left just loves to change the meanings of words. It makes it a lot easier to win arguments.
Hey, I'm just happy Trump came out and, admitting he was a White Nationalist finally, I mean anyone with any idea of what he has said in the past knew he was a racist, it's just nice he came out and, said it, finally.
When did the words "I am a white nationalist" come out of Trump's mouth?
No white nationalist could say what Trump said in this rally after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting:
He was told to stick to the teleprompter which is too his left, those were words written by a speech writer for the White House, they weren't his words. His words are more like this,
Friedman is not defending nationalists. He opposes them.
Trump is a great American. He’s doing a great job as our American President. He’s a patriotic nationalist who puts America first and has made America great again.
Trump is the furthest thing from a 'great American'. If he is the epitome of your idea of a great American success I don't even know what to say. He absolutely does NOT PUT AMERICA FIRST! What a ridiculous thing to say! The man only cares about himself. It's all about Trump, all the time. He is certainly a 'proud nationalist', but not the way you try to claim, he is a nationalist that the race baiters and haters love - and they get exactly what he means. So do most of us, so enough trying to make nationalism great again.
What is the reason that you posted that picture?
To show us the definition of an anti America American.
I post it every time somebody falsely accuses Trump of associating with the KKK or "white nationalists". A better question might be why was it hidden for 8 years?
So more whataboutism. Got ya.
I read about it when it was released so I already know the answer.
So is everyone who took a picture with Farrakhan an 'anti-American American?
It's not whataboutism. Trump did not associate with racist extremists. Obama did
Yes it is.
BTW, I can't count how many times I have seen Al Sharpton called a racist here on NT. Need I post one of the countless pictures Trumps took with him at events in NY?
Other than taking a picture with Farrakhan, what 'association' did Obama have with him? Please be specific.
The problem is that the term "racist" has become subjective, thanks to it's overuse and misplaced usage.
Other than taking a picture with Farrakhan, what 'association' did Obama have with him? Please be specific.
Other than the suppressed photo itself, there is no story to go with it. It is however more than appropriate to use when liberals want to call Trump a racist based on nothing more than open ended statements or who is inclined to support him. I can trade Obama statements any time you want. Do you want to go there?
Actually, the term 'racist' isn't subjective.
The problem is that the term is misused in comments like yours, especially when done purposely in an failed attempt to make a point.
When it's applied without any evidence it IS subjective. Just now on NT somebody called an entire political part racist. Another member called an entire religion racist. Hillary Clinton called millions of voters racist
Then why keep doing it Vic?
That's kind of a liberal thing, isn't it?
Well you inferred that Obama was a 'racist extremist' because he took a picture with Farrakhan, did you not?
inferred? I believe I explained why it was posted. You may want to go back and look at the comments I pinned that picture to, if you still don't understand. Anytime you want to compare the current President's views on America as opposed to the previous president's racial comments, let me know.
My bad, I should have said insisted.
Yes you did. You INSIST that because Obama took a picture with Farrakhan, he 'associates' with 'racist extremists'. It's total bullshit, and the fact that you haven't defended it, bolsters that fact.
BTW, you didn't 'pin' any comments to that picture. Your reply to me on the other hand makes it clear that you felt that you pic proves something that you've failed to articulate.
It’s standard operating procedure on the left to label their religious, political, and ideological opposition as racist merely for being their opposition. The SPLC is a prime example of this hate on their part directed at us.
Yet in this instance we are talking about what a neo-nationalist said. Do try to keep up.
Wow, you are so concerned about Obama's reputation, but are fine with all the filth thrown at Trump.
Here is my opinion of Obama. He deeply resented white America and he demonstrated it in his words and actions as president. If he was as concerned as you are about his affiliations he wouldn't have had the Rev Wright as his pastor nor would he have allowed that picture to be taken.
As a white person I NEVER saw resentment from Obama about race, in words or actions. When he spoke on the subject it was about specific things and it was everything I also thought, nothing like how you see it at all. Rev Wright is no different to me than ANY other religious figure, including Pat Robertson, the Schillers, the evangelicals........... As for your problem with 'the picture', wtf IS the problem? Why does it bother you at all? Do you have a problem with Trump's despot buddies that actually hold power and MURDER PEOPLE?
Trump doesn't need help with filth. He spews it, he tweets it, he screams it, he farts it out, it oozes from every part of him. He is a disgusting human being who gives zero fucks about anything but himself and how he is impacted by any given thing, who uses race baiting and hating to further his political gains. He is still doing it.
Zero Obama campaign or administration officials have ever ever ever been indicted for malfeasence in office. Not One! That is just one of the things most people appreciate about Obama and his honorable administration. Did Obama have sordid affairs with porno stars and Playboy Playmates? No. Did Obama have sordid business affairs with Vlad Putin's Russia? No. Has everyone around Obama either been indicted, convicted or given damning evidence against him? No, not Barack Obama. Obama still cannot begin to compete with Trump for those dishonors. Obama is though, The Most Admired Man in the World. Trump, on the other hand, is the undisputed King of Vulgaria and The Most Dispised Man on Earth. Reality must suck for Trump fans and it will not get any better. History will be unkind to those who suffered Trumpism upon the rest of US...
Get used to the attention. Far right wing fascism is why the SPLC exists.
My criticism of YOUR comment has NOTHING to do with Obama's reputation.
What 'filth' would that be Vic?
Please cite what words and actions you are referring to. Please be specific.
Again, I asked you to tell me what 'association' other than that picture, Obama has with Farrakhan. You failed to answer. Now you're claiming some kind of 'affiliation'. So PROVE it.
Oh and since you brought up Trump, y'all give him a pass on any and every 'affiliation' and 'association' he has. When Trump 'disassociates' himself from them, you accept it decry any claim that he is doing so out of political expediency. Pastor Mark Burns comes to mind. Where is your critique of that 'association'?
It drips with hypocrisy.
Obama is a racist extremist. Trump is not racist in any way.
Both statements are delusional.
Just the people who look like they're happy about taking a picture with him.
Well Reagan, the 'anti-American American' was happy to have his photo op at the WH with Farrakhan and Jessie Jackson when they brought Lt. Robert Goodman back from Syria. It was on the cover of Jet magazine.
You sure are wrong a lot.
The SPLC currently exists only to hate and to give cover to those who would censor others and now have an excuse to do what they personally always wanted to do to us in the first place.
Ha! Good try, but not exactly.
Please proceed.
Really? Is it because it's Reagan? Hell, GHW Bush was there too...
They were all smiles, shaking hands and took pictures on the front lawn and went into the WH for a meeting with a bunch of Reagan's aids and some of the Cabinet. It was a big to-do.
I've seen the cover. It's not like you said.
The Jet cover isn't the only picture taken that day.
Unless it's raining.
Unless it's raining.
Unless it's raining.
Hopefully he and Bibi will be able to commiserate their looming indictments. Its no accident the two criminals get along so well. They understand each other.
Right now, it's Avenatti sitting in jail. As soon as a mug shot is released I'll post it.
lol, knock yourself out. He is only useful to me because he gets under Trump's skin and makes his legal problems surface. Otherwise I give zero fucks.
I think your'e speaking for a lot of liberals there. At least you are one of the good ones. (they are few & hard to find)
And getting harder every day....
There will be no indictments.
Sweetie, there have already been indictments. They aren't finished issuing them yet.
There are no indictments against Trump and there never will be any.
Don Jr, Jared, Ivanka, their shady business dealings are going to catch up. Trump may get his after he is out of office. But make no mistake, none of them are above the law.
And none of them have any respect for the law.
It’s the political left that doesn’t have any respect for the law.
109 indictments already issued, and 50 that are sealed. Keep telling yourself that it's everyone else that is guilty and trump isn't. You are delusional.
Are you serious? It wasn't the left that violated Acosta's first amendment rights, as determined by a judge that was appointed by trump.
Nice try.
And again...109 criminal indictments and 30+ guilty pleas. ALL REPUBLICAN'S, all TRUMP supporters.
Acosta has no personal 1st amendment right to a White House press pass
A federal judge, appointed by trump, disagrees.
Actually, because just about every single public office contains as part of their oaths a portion that states "I swear to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic" ALL public officials should be Nationalists and should enforce Federal laws due to the Constitution's Supremacy Clause which states that Federal laws are superior to State and Local laws: