“I never met her. She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well. She was a professional, and I respect professionals.”
That was Donald Trump’s comment about the death of the highly respected journalist, Cokie Roberts, this week.
I’ve got to hand it to him. Trump is an amazing man, more capable of making himself look as small as a human being can look, seemingly without effort, than anyone I have ever seen.
I think it comes naturally to him
It takes skill to make the death of a woman journalist about whom no one had a bad thing to say, who was universally viewed as the best of the best in her profession, all about yourself.
I, of course, jest, only because you have to laugh at Trump to keep from crying.
He leaves me speechless with just how petty and childish he is.
Which is why I must confess to having no clue why people support him. I wonder if they ever stop to think about what that support says about them.
Trump is the kind of person you wouldn’t even want to have as a neighbor, much less President.
I heard a commentator this week described the Trump’s presidency with three simple words: chaos, corruption, and incompetence.
I can’t think of any words that capture his tenure in office better.
The chaos is so constant that it is emotionally draining us as a nation. What is more, as difficult as it is to imagine, every time we think things cannot get any worse, they do.
But the chaos pales in comparison to the corruption we are witnessing. What can you say about someone who breaks rules, laws, and ethical principles in using the presidency to make money for himself? He has made the unthinkable real.
And now the potential for war with Iran is laying bare the dangers Trump’s ubiquitous incompetence poses to our nation and to the world.
Things are so bad that I am beginning to think thoughts I have resisted until now, that our nation may not be able to recover from the Trump presidency.
If that turns out to be true, future generations will confront first-hand the impact of his years in the White House, whether it be his assault on climate change, economic inequity, racial and social justice, the separation of church and state, the survival of our government, or his corrupting influence at every level of the administrative branch, to name only a few.
They may already be thinking this is their fate, angry as they are beginning to be at older Americans who are letting it all happen, indeed, in many instances, helping it to happen.
They already know what we knew before Trump became President, that his record in business was also shot through with chaos, corruption, and incompetence, yet there were enough foolish Americans to elect him anyway.
I just hope as the future unfolds that they will also know that some of us, in fact, the majority of us, truth be told, tried to prevent Trump from being elected and stood against everything he stood for once he did.
It won’t make their world any better, but it will let them know that many in our generation did care about them and fought on their behalf against formidable odds.
linnposts.com 
Re knowing he was bad but electing him anyway:
The trumpsters outside New York never bothered to check the locals to see what they thought of him…ethically, businessy, legal-y, etc. If they had they would have run away. Lord knows there were plenty of other candidates to choose from.
A similar thing happened in Wisconsin with Scott Walker. People in Milwaukee County, where Walker was a commissioner knew him to be a slimeball. The outstate supporters did not care. Walker did real damage to the state that is and will be a long time fixing.
Re incompetence: one commentator has referred to it as “weaponized incompetence.” I think it’s apt.
Charlie, “weaponized” incompetence may help explain why there is so much chaos and corruption.
Jan,
I wish I could add something of substance to what you have said here. I will not dignify him by even trying! Simply put, the man is scum!
Bill Blackwell
That says it all, Bill. Thanks.
Watching the BBC News this morning, my attention was focussed on the story of Trump’s feud with the state of California, which has higher limits on vehicle emissions than those set by the US government. So the decree has gone forth that California won’t be able to restrict exhaust emissions in future, thus throwing into reverse recent progress made in that state against atmospheric pollution. From where I sit, the Republicans are supposed to be the party of “states rights” – evidently no longer.
Nigel, the Republicans are no longer the party of anything good, decent, or responsible. They have joined with Trump to become a threat to American democracy. We have to defeat them and him in 2020 to save our country. The crisis is that real.
Jan, I was sorry to hear of Cokie Roberts death. My earliest memories of listening to her take place nearly 40 years ago in Lynchburg, coincidentally about the same time and place I started listening to you. Regarding the damage Trump is doing to this country, I recently read about Red Summer of 1919 and was reminded that the US has gone through some terrible, decisive times. I’m hopeful we can survive this one, too.
Wilbur, I am not sure the past gives us hope because we have never had a president as corrupt and disturbed as Trump is. I’m afraid this “great experiment” in self-governing is going down faster than any of us ever imagined.
Just finished reading your posts and want to say thank you for saying what many of have been thinking. I am doing my best by not arguing with those who have made up their minds. Time is better spent working to motivate thinking people to get out and vote.
Les, the good news in all of this mess is our youth. They are leading the adults and their votes in 2020 will help to make the difference in moving forward instead of backward, as is the case now.
Here’s a thought. If it’s true that Donald Trump ‘respects professionals’, let’s see him up against one in a TV debate – against Miss Greta Thunberg.
She’s too smart for him, Nigel, and too mature.
jan, very scary.
It truly is, Nancy, more so than many people realize.
Jan, your 8th paragraph says it all, sadly.
Cheer!
Gene
Thanks, Gene. Good to hear from you.