DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. We expect him to dream up silly ,provocative taunts. NOW, onto the issues.
17
Why don't we all agree to just ignore his tweets? I will, if you do!
30
The very best thing that folks could do about Trump's Tweets is...nothing.
He says what he says on Twitter because he craves attention. My mother taught me long ago that the way to deal with bullies and loudmouths is to ignore them. They act the way they act because they want attention. So, stop paying attention to what Trump tweets. It is difficult to recall a single instance in which anything he's said on Twitter became reality. He's just being a loudmouth. Keeping track of his insults and lies is like counting ties on a railroad track--you can do it, but what, really, is the point? All it does is normalize this sort of behavior.
So, whether it's the president or a third grader on the playground--and in this case, there isn't much difference--just ignore him. He won't necessarily go away, but perhaps he'll keep his mouth shut more often than he does now, which would be a blessing. All this shock and talk just encourages this south end of a horse to keep acting like the south end of a horse.
29
What ever happened in Venezuela? Iran? Epstein? The Muellar hearing? Is the occupant in the White House trying to distract from his failures and crimes?
22
Polls show sour views of race relations in Trump’s America
By HANNAH FINGERHUT
https://www.apnews.com/277fe31ea2234658a991243a9c6f2466
In Pew’s poll, fully 84% of Democrats said Trump has worsened race relations, while only about 2 in 10 Republicans agreed. About a third of Republicans said Trump has made progress toward improving race relations, while a quarter said he has tried but failed.
—
So predominantly white republicans are claiming they have made things better race relations. At every white people should listen to what the minorities are saying.
Unfortunately what I think it proves is that republicans see equality with women and other races as oppression. So they see it as improved for them and it has nothing to do with actual relations as much as subservience being re-established.
—
Graham: Trump a 'race-baiting, xenophobic religious ... CNN
https://youtu.be/2bkDykGhM8c
4
Trump is making suckers out of just about everyone. The media immediately jumps on every little word or tweet from Trump, so Trump can define the news of the day or provide camouflage for his real agenda. He’s like a ringmaster providing fear and confusion in the middle of a sleazy reality show.
There are many Americans who have taken their democracy for granted in the past, and Trump, through his blatant ignorance and bullying, has unintentionally become a catalyst in uniting people toward the common goal of getting rid of him and recovering the lost respect and authority our country has suffered by this man becoming president.
13
Republicans this is your chance as voters and representatives. Step up.
You can’t support s raging racist without being racist.
It is unequivocal at this point. You must step up.
6
NYTimes and ALL responsible press.....PLEASE continue to push for what is urgently needed in our country:
Infrastructure
Affordable Health Care
Affordable Prescription Drugs
Immigration Reform
A $15 minimum wage
Repeat, Rinse, Again:
Infrastructure
Affordable Health Care
Affordable Prescription Drugs
Immigration Reform
A $15 minimum wage
Give the Moron absolutely NO PRESS COVERAGE!
23
How about this? During WWII, to aid the war effort, America sponsored “Wheatless Tuesday’s” and “meatless whatever’s”. How about “Trumpless Thursday’s”? A law is passed...For 24 consecutive hours, media outlets are prohibited from using the name Trump or reporting a single word about anything or anybody he screwed up/over. Not one word! Then, after after 24 blissful hours of sunshine and alcohol, we hold our noses and jump back in the septic tank. Surely, given how productive the Senate has been, this isn’t asking too much...
9
Trump is a pathetic loser who sexually attacks women, cages and displaces infants, and who encourages Putin to hack our elections. For decades he hung out with the pedophile Epstein and called him a great guy ! Republicans ... this is the best you got ? The republicans have prostituted themselves to Trump for power .... America needs a morality intervention and to IMPEACH TRUMP ! America is in trouble with the sleezy thug in the Oval Office.
10
Just stop paying so much attention. He’s a racist. That’s news? He’s a misogynistic xenophobic bully. That’s news?
Not to me.
7
The same Lindsay Graham who said Trump was a " a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot...and a con man " ?
12
Isn't the motto of your newspaper "All the news that's fit to print?" That alone should give you the answer of how to handle President Donald J Trump.
16
I just long to read a newspaper that doesn't have his name in it at all.
15
Donald Trump is a terrible president, but he's an even worse human being.
18
"[Republicans] may well...reject the corrosiveness of his ethnonationalism..."
...or not.
1
Once a master was called to heal a sick child with a few words of prayer. A skeptic in the crowd watched and expressed doubt about this way of healing. The master said to him: "You know nothing of these matters; you are an ignorant fool!" The skeptic became very upset. He shook with anger. Before he could reply the master spoke again: "When one word has th epower to make you hot and angry, why should not another word have the power to heal?"
Just some words for thought. I want Obama back.
8
Ok, well, thinking of America as the melting pot of every nationality on the planet earth, and black, white, mixed, moms, dads, pink babies, brown babies, and yellow babies,red babies, boys, girls,Tia's, Babushka's, grandmas, and Pops, old, young, etc....You know - Us. The fragile and tender amalgamation thats taken hundreds of years - Us. Fighting disease, nursing and healing wounds, purposely boosting immune system in times of stress, warts and all- Us - the body.
Then the flesh eating virus came...
6
I place all trump supporters in a category like his own; Dictator loving, pedophile enabling, mentally unstable, racist, misogynistic, anti-American, anti-religious, money- worshipping, climate change deniers.
6
Our country is based on people being able to protest peacefully their disagreements with government. Beside the fact that the congresswomen are doing what they're were sent to do. Unlike the spineless GOP who keep silent.
Now we know for sure why Trump favors Putin, Saudi Abrabia,
Kim Jong um and Turkey. Their countries do not allow the people to protest. Our thin skin racist President must be voted out in 2020.
8
“We all know that AOC and this crowd are a bunch of communists,” Graham said. “They hate Israel."
Lindsey Graham forgot that Israel practices communism.
4
As much as I hate Trump, I hate you suckers for allowing yourselves to get played time after time after time. With enemies like you, he doesn't even need friends.
8
Here is how you don't give Trump what he wants..... QUIT COVERING HIM NYT. Don't give him pages in your press, don't bother rebutting him. Quit defending the insanity of the "Squad". Quit stumping for socialism. Focus on real substance not this "reality show twitter politics". It is in fact you NYT who needs to get it together, focus on issues that hit ALL American citizens.... not Identity Politics, PC culture, race politics. Cover health care, taxes, infrastructure... focus on meat and potatoes not the garnish.
7
The NYTimes can contribute to the solution by not covering his every idiotic tweet.
9
If the NYT wouldn't provide so much coverage....
7
Apparently this baby boomer white supremacist president who cannot use even a computer can outmatch all millennials in their game. So called " Social media".
However nothing new here.
Hitler's most important power was the Goebbels , his press and public relations person a.k.a DJT's twitter.
So we the democratic people ( not democrats only) learned one more time , only the democratic values can save u s not twitter nor facebook or internet.
Those values never changes with time. 2000 years ago was the same still the same
3
...or better yet, he'll just burn himself out.
1
How can you really distract when you are the BIGGEST LOSER.
3
I do appreciate The NYT opining as both informative as well as instructional it is high time for the Editorial Board and the newspaper to tell it like it is! This was racism plain and simple without a doubt. Quit giving this xenophobic faux potus any wriggle room to weasel his way out again.
2
How? Be Best. Stop covering every word he drools, every tweet he coocoos.
8
As the first grade class returned to their seats after recess, one of the students picked up a small fishbowl filled with water, and scurried back to his desk. As he sat down, he inexplicably dumped the entire bowl of water in his lap.
The boy jumped to his feet, and watched as other surprised students pitched in with paper towels to clean up the mess. The teacher managed to find the boy a pair of dry pants, and was finally able to restore order in the classroom. The next thing you know, the same student took a fall from a wet spot on the floor, and asked to go see the School Nurse.
Later that day, when the bell rang, the teacher dismissed the class, but asked the student to stay after school. “We need to talk,” the teacher said. “I know what you did, and I know why you did it,” the teacher told the student. “First, you wet your pants. Then, you staged a distraction and created a big mess to cover it up. Next, you faked a fall so you could get out of class, and be the center of attention in the health room.”
The teacher paused for a moment, just to let her words sink in. Then she said slowly “Don’t think for a minute, young man, that you can continue to pull these kinds of stunts, to use other people like that, and get away with it.”
Finally, the teacher leaned toward the boy and said “So, let this be a lesson to ya.”
The student was little Donnie Trump, age six. Lesson learned!
2
Donald Trump is married to a Communist and his in-laws are communists! Melanie is our first Communist First Lady.
2
Gee Wiz, another article criticizing the President of the USA. When will it ever stop? One doesn't even have to read what you print to know what you are saying. One of these days you will cast some of your stones at the "squad" who fully deserve criticism for the outrageous statements they have made against the USA and Israel. If not then, as I believe, you are just a pawn of the democrats.
4
Donald Trump is a racist. Check. He's a sexist. Check. He's a liar. Check. He's a cheat. Check. Fear-monger. Check. Hate-inducer. Flame-fanner. White nationalist. Check, check, check. We get it. This is not news. He craves attention; by breathlessly obsessing over his every stupid, bigoted utterance, we give him exactly what he wants. What would the news cycle look like if we reduced presidential coverage to the side-note that it really is: "In other news, today the president sent yet another racist tweet. We'll update you when he has something new to say." That's all we really need to know. Focus on the policies; focus on the actions; focus on what's actually happening behind the fog machine. So tired of us playing into this man's hands.
5
Don't react to it. It's what he wants, and it makes us weaker not stronger. Not caring beyond dismissing it dispassionately and keeping focused is so much more powerful and disarming.
1
Democrats and the media always take the bait. So predictable.
2
How do you avoid playing the con game of Trump? Call him out on the con. Every single time. Here's an example for the NYT's to use:
"The President said (did) something totally racist, vile, inappropriate, immoral, unethical, self-serving, bigoted, misogynist, hateful, demeaning, insulting, corrupting, and quite possibly illegal today."
"We at the NYT's will not cover this latest example of Mr. Trumps ongoing con game. But we will call out Mr Trump, every single time, when he tries to use his bully pulpit of outrage, fear, and bullying, to intimidate the news media, mislead Americans, and generally create outrage so all Americans look away from what he is really doing."
"If, in the unlikely event that Mr Trump says or does something Presidential, truthful, and for the good of others (and not just himself), the NYT's will cover what he says or does."
3
The optics of privileged white men claiming no racism is rich. Maybe they should ask targets of racism what they think.
2
Dan Coates is going because Putin wants him gone.
1
Aside from Mueller's testimony, Trump is most likely rattled by Epstein's arrest and the contents of his safe.
3
Instead of dancing to his latest tune by rebroadcasting every vile Trumpian Tweet, followed of course by outraged responses, the NYT should pick from his long list of ongoing and prior scandals and make those the headlines. If you want the scandal du jour to sound fresh, throw in an update, a picture, do a rehash of his many sins - pretty easy stuff you can write days before. Relocate his disgusting Tweets to a place way in the back of your publication in a special section where such refuse belongs: Fake News.
2
'He's at it again.' Absolutely correct. The grifter in chief strikes again. Waving that shiny object in his right hand to distract our attention while he enriches himself with his left. Ignore all the drama. Keep focused on the prize in '20. Are you registered to vote yet?
2
Dear Editorial Board of the N.Y.T:
As President of the U.S. the Times owes that office & your readership column inches of coverage.
As a political figure you owe the public nothing about him, what he says, or what he does. Why not starve him of the ‘oxygen’ he so desperately needs as a political figure? Political free publicity for him is not something you owe your readers.
2
I get it:
If you're not white or you're foreign-born, then this is how it works:
Disagree with Trump = You don't like it here = You should leave
OR: you can stay if you tow his line and keep your mouth shut.
Its like the 4 he attacked are his employees or something!
Hmm.....
2
Donald Trump is a sociopath. To try to analyze him without this diagnosis is also to be distracted. This is not to deny that sociopaths will not have there own perverse motivations, usually constructed from childhood as a result of a pathological lack of empathy. To what degree this is inborn or a result of upbringing in an individual is still debatable. Nevertheless, these individuals are usually refractory to treatment from a young age. They not infrequently avoid treatment and restraint as has Donald Trump and can cause severe damage as has Donald Trump. But it is a grave mistake to underestimate this dominant aspect of his personality disorder.
The editors seem to be saying there is no cure for Trumpism. The noted philosopher Britney Spears summed it up nicely, "Oops, I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game"! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CduA0TULnow
Vote him out 2020.
4
In light of this editorial, how about some changes to NYT coverage of Trump's tweets.
Don't use his name on the front page.
Don't put the story on the front page.
Post a notice on the front page, sort of a headline but without the story, directing readers to an inside page, perhaps the editorial page, for details about the latest tweet.
Maybe:
The distracter-in-chief is tweeting again. Details on page XX.
Alternate notices could be the liar-in-chief is lying again, the offender-in-chief is offending again, the threatener-in-chief is threatening again, depending on the item.
On the inside page, the first paragraph could be a summary of the tweet and the possible event that Trump is trying to distract attention from. Followed by the tweet. Followed by any background or context regarding incorrect claims in the tweet. Followed by a review of the event that Trump may be trying to distract attention from.
3
To the Editorial Board:
Bravo! Your staff and teamwork do our nation proud! But isn't it time to take the gloves off? You've all read history and know where this is heading: Mr. Trump will take us all to the brink, and the rats will follow his lead. Our three government will become so ineffective and distracted that it's leaders will not see the cliff coming. Remember how distracted we were by the Clinton scandal before 9-11? The terrorists weren't! (Memorize that!).
In the end, Trump will be cornered like the head rat. Take you pick as to what happens next: Hitler, Saddam, Musselini. Bunker, hole in the ground, or mob. Yes, he may simply disappear, but it will be too late for We The People to regroup.
Get Congress to act -- stream live video -- and allow for comments on all your editorials and columns! Nevermind, it may already be too late. Keep Calm and Carry On!
2
I suspect that the best way to combat Trump is to make him a figure of fun, like the British do with their diaper baby balloons, only in this country as well. He has no sense of humor or irony to go with his supposed 156 IQ (yeah, right!), so ostensibly not taking him seriously and thus showing complete disrespect may encourage him to melt down like the Wicked Witch of the West. The application of reason is ineffective and beside the point.
2
I suppose you're all better than Trump because you're not racist. You're also better because you're not homophobic or misogynistic. You're really all just a wonderful class of angels and saints whose ideas are all correct and whose actions are all morally perfect. It must be great to be so flawless!
2
You clearly understand you are being manipulated. Why are you cooperating?
5
Why isn't the NYT reporting on events in Puerto Rico?
Here's a lede from today's, The Guardian:
"Puerto Rico: protesters urge governor to quit after leak of homophobic messages
Thousands march against Ricardo Rosselló after chats revealed sexist
language and anti-gay remarks about singer Ricky Martin"
C'mon NYT you can do better than Trump's tweets.
2
If you're not happy, you can always be the change you want to see. For every woman of color who decides to run for public office because of this racist monster, I salute you. His base isn't the country. It's us. And we thank you.
3
Just keep saying "looks like grandpa missed his nap again"
3
Dear NYT please read this column again and ask yourselves:
Was it necessary?
Does it achieve anything?
Does it change anything?
Does it provide anything new about this so-called president?
Does it provide anything new about the spineless sycophants of the Senate?
8
I am becoming very worried that we will soon have riots and pitched battles in the streets all across urban America. We are witnessing race baiting and racist hate speech on an unprecedented scale. Our nation appears about to explode.
2
I agree with your editorial completely. The question is, why does the New York Times and the rest of the media give that spoiled brat attention when he has a temper tantrum? If any of you are parents, you know what I am talking about. Stop paying attention to him. Stop enabling Trump The Blowhard in his quest to distract, divide and ultimately, destroy our Nation.
3
For the sake of the country we need to start with impeachment proceeding.
By now is clear to everyone that subpoenas, resolution to condemn, etc... don't work on this lawless WH and this senate that for the most part is mute.
CNN Exclusive: Security reports reveal how Assange turned an embassy into a command post for election meddling.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/assange-embassy-exclusive-documents/index.html
This report with it's stunning detailed timeline proves the collusion/conspiracy attack, how the biggest heist in a history of the country was perpetrated on our government.
Atlanta (CNN)New documents obtained exclusively by CNN reveal that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange received in-person deliveries, potentially of hacked materials related to the 2016 US election, during a series of suspicious meetings at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
All the dots are connected with precise dates of his campaign acting as a co-conspirators with Julian Assange armed with directions from Kremlin.
5 times Trump praised WikiLeaks during his 2016 election campaign
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wikileaks-campaign-speeches-julian-assange-2017-11
Trump in 2016: “WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks”
Trump in 2019: “I know nothing about WikiLeaks”
If this does not constitute High Crimes, I don't know what is!!!
Fear to properly address this, as it written in Constitution might result in total FIASCO in 20/20
Start executing your most important duty Democrats.
2
Foul language? Saying terrible things? Was the Liar in Chief looking in the mirror?
2
It should be obvious by now that DJT is not a president, but a tweeter of hate. Instead of following and commenting on his every asinine move, maybe the press should focus on all the disastrous things the people in his administration are doing every day, the gutting of every protection, the selling of every square inch of land for oil and mining interests, and most of all the fact that this idiot hasn’t done anything constructive for this country and it’s citizens. Ignore the man, identify the realities.
1
Meaningless. Absolutely meaningless. This newspaper is in lockstep support of the vast majority of deaths caused by the Trump administration, through invasions, denial of health coverage, mass incarceration ...
2
All of his (DJT's) associates are going to serve jail time. Trump will be next. So far at least, I don't support impeachment. I have a simple explanation. We ALL put him the WH one way or another. I accept my share of the responsibility, and I think everyone else should do the same. It is what it is. Look around at our broken system and all the resentment the voters have expressed. Is it fair? No. Is it just? No. is O.J. guilty? Yes. Is Trump guilty? Yes. How many innocent people end up serving time, or worse- facing execution?
But the biggest question of all is, do we protect our planet and work like crazy to come up with a sustainable use of natural resources, or do we continue like idiots to destroy the very ecosystem that's keeping us alive? Of course we all want that- I don't care who you are. If you don't care about that, you belong in a straight jacket. End of story.
Trump? Who is he ? Of course we all know. He is a rather lousy specimen of humanity. Sure he has his admirers- millions of them. So does the KKK. In any human society there are lots of truely awful people. Nothing new there.
Publicity is the oxygen he craves. Ignore him. His Twitter can be footnotes on page 10. After all they are rantings, not well considered intellectual opinions.
To best way to finish off any politician is to simply laugh at him.
To The "Squad;"
This whole circus of race-baiting, followed by identity-politics outrage, is an endless loop that accomplishes little. Everyone knows Trump is a racist, and everyone knows this is not a good thing for our country (even racists know this, although they don't care.)
Learn to take it in stride, abhorrent as it is. It is not going away anytime soon. Counter the race-baiting by changing the subject to the important issues that need addressing. Every time. Stop reacting like a Southern Belle, swooning with every insult. Listen more to your senior congresswoman Pelosi; she has much more experience than all of you combined. Reach out to the Republican senators who share your dissatisfaction with what is happening to our country.
Just stop giving Trump the attention, and the extreme satisfaction he craves, every time he opens his big mouth.
When TV commentator like Tucker Carlson and some Neo-Nazis are gladly advocating for Trump on race ground, nothing is left to prove whether Trump or Republicans or the majority of Americans are Racist?? Or the definition of Racist need to be changed to make Trump and Carlson and their team non-racist and American.
Looks like it is little bit too late after making Muslims un-Americans and less civilized and untouchable for the last 2 years, to change mind and heart of Trump to accept other non-whites as equal partners in America.
A time has come to accept this fact and used to live as less Americans without branding them Racist.
Here is a workable response to put the the idiot-in-chief on the defensive: every detractor of Trump needs to say, " We will do everything possible to make sure you wind up in jail". This statement would be our 'distraction of outrage', not his.
1
This deranged fool remains in power because the cowardly GOP is afraid that the party will disintegrate if/when he is taken down. He is the rotting tent pole holding that shabby carcass up. The distraction strategy works with his base just as it does with children but children, normally, will outgrow the ruse. No such luck here.
2
Great illustration! The enraged NYT backs up, paws the ground, snorts and charges the red tweet flag and tie. Olé!
1
How do you not give Donald Trump what he wants? It's the same question of "how do you not give a toddler what he wants?" The answer two both questions is ignore the tantrums and institute timeouts.
Surely the NYT can find a way to get DJT's narcissistic and shameful behavior off the front page. Stop feeding his malignant narcissism and instead, reserve the front page for real news. Take all things DJT and move it to a sidebar in the another section. He adds no value to real news.
2
The NYT was leading the way, as usual, breathlessly “reporting “ about Trump’s tweets. Perhaps the editors need to circulate this advice among themselves. Why report what was tweeted? Isn’t that what Twitter is for? All the twits who frequent such a venue can read each other’s tweets.
2
The rocket's red glare will fade away only when the NYT and other media stop giving it fuel. Every single article for the past 4 days has repeated in full his tweets with the following disclaimers - all exactly the same. No new news I guess.
Repeat, repeat, repeat. Constantly. Trump tweets.
If you stopped would the world collapse? Would the sun not rise?
Let's face it, the NYT likes the clicks as much as Trump. It's just politics, it's just business.
Get over it.
2
Well this latest outrage, sure blasted the child sex trafficking of children, by Trump's former long time buddy, off the headlines, didn't it? What was his name again?
1
The NYT should establish an inside page where it places all its coverage of Trump--make people look for it--and keep the front page for news. Cover him but bury him.
2
Interesting use of tactics of the left against the left. By using identity political tactics against the progressive left Trump is leaving the liberals with little response other than claiming he is a racist. The problem is Trump does not care about their racist response tactics. Alice once again goes down the rabbit hole."It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.""It would have made a dreadfully ugly child; but it makes rather a handsome pig."
"Off with their heads!"
1
We will not forget. End Trump's appeals to overt racism and the muted Republican response. 22 Republican Senate seats are set for elections in 2020. They are: Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) Susan Collins (R-Maine) John Cornyn (R-Texas) Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) Steve Daines (R-Montana) Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) David Perdue (R-GA) Jim Risch (R-Idaho) Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) Susan Collins, in particular, is outrageous in her spinelessness.
America is a fascist, bankrupted and socially collapsing global military empire.
Fascism was defined in 1895 by Gaetano Mosca as the result of competing elites (ie Dem/GOP/media) determining a "winner"...which then uses its advantage to marginalize and destroy the other elites. It's very simple.
1
An infant's tantrums to get attn. The attn is via the press. They're the agents who need to stop giving them headlines, and instead to focus on policky issues of substance. Even if the classic technique of p. 7 with his name misspelt won't work here, the press, incl. the Times could do far better.
Constantly writing these articles about Trump only serves one purpose: more profits for the NYT.
3
This twitching ,twitter fingerer may very well keep his 30% ers supporting him but the corrosive results of his words will fuel the media waves of the 2020 election time period. Those nasty, racists words will be repeated enough to disgust the 70% into hiding their heads under the covers on election day.
STOP LOOK AND LISTEN to the unmitigated filth being spewed that may well elect him again. DO SOMETHING....DO ANYTHING to round up thinking human beings to the polls to remove him from our government. Censure him now, U.S. Congress. Vote him out in 2020, U.S. voters.
1
Ignore him.
1
For over 2 years I have been saying to remove him from the news! Quit using his name! Refer to him as “the president!” Or “the WH”! No more photos of him— use a generic WH photo of the building! No photos of him with world leaders! Just a picture of the other country’s leader.
No more attention for the bad stuff!
IF he does something truly praiseworthy, use his name once in one article. Until then, go blackout mode!
2
I am sure Trump is a racist, a misogynist and anti-intellectual. I am sure the views expressed in his Twitter rant against the "Squad" are his. What I doubt is that he himself actually wrote that tweet. It is too clear, coherent, grammatically correct and lacking in his usual spelling errors. It seems to me that his re-election campaign has brought in a ghost writer to write his hateful tweets in order to make Trump appear less stupid than he actually is while sharpening the point of his barbs.
NYT lead stories continue to focus on his tweets. Maybe you should develop a section for them and leave your front page stories to one that cover stories of substance.
2
Trump’s same old traitorous playbook ... distract with his hate attacks because he’s failing “ BIGLY “ ! His pedophile buddy, Epstein, has also highlighted Trump’s complicity in his inappropriate actions toward underage girls. Trump bragging about intentionally walking in on naked girls in his Miss Teenage pageant...because he could. Trump needed a racist firestorm and that's what he did ! IMPEACH Trump our country can’t wait for the republicans who are prostituting themselves for Trump.
1
Please NYTimes, pierce the smoke screen of Trump's latest racist tweets and follow up on the Epstein story that he wants us to forget.
2
Save the fake outrage NYT. If Trump is racist, Omar and Tlaib are racist and worse, anti-Semetic. Until I see an editorial criticizing them as harshly, the crocodile tears of this editorial are meaningless to me and millions of other moderates.
1
Below is a list of Trump's bigotry designed for your republican friends who might vote for Trump. The examples below have no plausible interpretation other than bigotry.
Lying yesterday that a black muslim congresswoman loves al qaeda and says al qaeda is great.
Birtherism- years pushing the lie that our first black president was a foreign-born muslim. "He doesn’t have a birth certificate. He may have one but there’s something on that, maybe religion, maybe it says he is a Muslim."
Judge Curiel- saying a hispanic Chicago-born judge was mexican & thus couldn't judge his case fairly.
Khans- suggesting the mom of a dead US soldier couldn't speak publicly because her muslim faith prohibited it.
9/11- repeatedly lying he saw thousands of muslims cheering the 9/11 attacks in New Jersey.
Promoting false statistics that 80% of whites murdered are killed by blacks. The real number: 15%.
Promoting a video showing one kid beating up another kid titled “Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!” He was not a muslim migrant.
Much more.
There is a pattern. It is bigotry.
1
"This tells you everything you need to know about Mr. Trump’s approach to leadership: It’s all about catering to, and fueling, the worst impulses of a minority of American voters." Those "minority of American voters" elected this idiot. I'd say that his supporters are NOT against what he says--ready the comments of nearly any mainstream news release and they're coming out of the woodwork to support his latest idiotic tweet.
Trump is an open book. He’s a dangerous fool and history will record him as such.
1
How about not making every tweet front-page news? Or fanning the flames of the Pelosi vs Squad dispute by putting it on the front page?NYT, I’m sure it’s good for business but you are part of the problem.
It is high time that Twitter closed Trump's account! It has become a forum for his racist agenda.
1
To the Editorial Board: You might have tried to answer your own question.
What can YOU do as the supposed Paper of Record?
Could you, I don't know, maybe put his rants and lies below the fold, or on page ten, or in a different font, or in a specially marked box labeled,"Today's Presidential Rants", and then lead with whatever he wanted hidden?
Complaint is cheap. And cowardly. And pointless. Don't just complain, guys. Lead!
The thing is... since we are all equal.. then what is racism?
Because we are all equal, there's no such thing as "a minority". Just as it looks more and more like in some circles there is no such thing as objective journalistic integrity.
I look more askance at the loudest voices always fast with the hair-trigger finger, quick to be the ones who point out another's egregiousness, because the action of doing so absolves them of.. what sins do they hide that they imagine their insistence disguises? Protesting too much. Like a Middle Ages inquisition spinning biblical interpretations to suit their brief... and that brief is the desire to obtain and hold power by the crudest methods available. Media doyens and denizens imagining themselves king makers.. or in this case, breakers. I've read Trump's weekend twitter thing via the article link re the Squad, and if this was a court case there would be no conviction. Not once does he mention any of their physical attributes, he refers to them in the gender-respectful title as "Congresswomen". It's the media's insistent interpretation, saying "this means that slur", again, like some inquisitor...or huckster. It's called rabble-rousing. Cattle rustlin'. If the media stopped stoking the fire, 80% of the racial tension in this country would disappear.
"Oh you careful ranger, that circle of friends is really a corral."
- Ernest 'Dusty' Chapswrangler, 1912
1
I wonder when and how we will pick the fruits of Trump's harvest, worrisome..
"The president distracts with outrage."
After a while, the "outrage" becomes tedium. We already know what an incompetent, undisciplined, uniformed, very egotistical person he is. We are coming to expect "outrage" from him on a daily basis.
That is all he has. No plans, no accomplishments, no successes to speak of.
He cannot handle ridicule or criticism.
He needs to be told to his face that he is a loser, again and again and again.
2
I am so worn out by Donald Trump and his abusive and unacceptable behavior that I am about ready to turn off the news feed from the sources that cover him day in and day out. Enough already. Anyone else would be shown to the door, but if he has proven anything, it's what a white bigoted millionaire (we suppose) can still get away with in America. And is there anything more shameful that the Republicans who just stand by and watch? Does anyone really care about our country anymore? Perhaps just the four congresswomen who he chose to blast.
Every Republican Congressman who votes against the Congressional Resolution condemning Trump’s racist comments is voting to get something for himself.
Some honor, some patriotism, some Party.
Most of the world, except for his supporters, are tired of Trump. One can only watch a dumpster file for so long before calling the fire department and going home.
2
This is by no means a moderate, genteel letter, but it is an ugly truth that needs to said aloud whether printed or not: Donald Trump is the contents of an overstuffed sun-broiled restaurant dumpster come to life in a disturbing human form. His public words are cruel and idiotic, as is his public behavior. I will not even contemplate his private words and deeds. Members of both houses of congress, those citizens who blindly follow and cheer Trump on are as guilty as those of us who take no public action to rid ourselves of this perversion of our political system, our way of life, the beauty of what life in America was meant to be.
2
The media continues to “feed the beast” by covering Trump’s lies and bigotry. At some point, America would benefit if coverage the Trump admawent dark.
1
Thanks to David Brooks, I now understand that Trump's latest Tweet blast was not directed toward his base, as most liberal commentators assumed, but toward the Democrat Party. Here’s what Brooks wrote:
"Furthermore, Trump has a vested interest in keeping the progressives atop the Democratic Party, and he powerfully influences that party. When Pelosi tried to marginalize the squad, Trump issued a racist tweet against the squad’s members. Democrats responded predictably, and the squad was back as the party’s defining element. Expect this pattern to recur." http://tinyurl.com/y4o8gbfb
I agree with Brooks: it was a brilliant ploy by Trump. He snookered us all.
2
The way to fight Trumpy is to stop talking about Trumpy 24 hours a day. Stop reporting on everything he says and does, every breath he takes. He has been the greatest boon for the media, they just love to hate him. It is good for business. Let's declare a week-long cease fire where nobody talks about or reports on Trumpy. Like a plant without water in the desert, he will wither and die on the vine. If nothing else he is the biggest narcissist since Narcissus and all the stories about him, both good and bad, are sweet nectar for him.
I challenge the NY Times and CNN and MSNBC and the Washington Post (Forget FOX, someone has to keep the red light on). No TRUMPY stories for one week. Give the country a break. Report on something actual meaningful. If the media spent even a fraction of the time we spend on TRUMPY on discussing and reporting on important issues like climate change, gun sanity, foreign trade issues we would be a lot smarter. Instead we all get a little stupider every day feeding on the pablum that is TRUMPY's sordid reality show.
1
'Anonymous' isn't doing a very good job of saving us.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, did the tree make a sound?
2
I am told pretty often to go back to my country of birth. Somehow it is not racist because I am a white-looking male.
1
July 16, 2019
Readers at the NYT with honorable loyalty the heroic journalism offers the best attack to Trump anywhere and for every distraction. My support as a daily reader, it needs to be said often but certainly in this editorial that uplifts our spirit and reality to the Times heroic energy in setting the discourse in proper accountability as its defender for all the news print to print and needed to survive in the age of this terrible president.
"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail." Pearl S. Buck
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/vigilance
JJA
1
Back in the day, Rudyard Kipling was an up and coming young author. But he looked with a dour eye upon that sudden celebrity.
"Up with the rocket--down with the stick!" he murmured to the friends gathered round to congratulate him.
Kipling had staying power. But Mr. Donald J. Trump?
We'll see. I certainly hope not.
But the COWARDICE of today's GOP--unspeakable! Easier to parody these feeble responses than recount them.
"I was DISCONCERTED, Mr. President, when. . .."
"Your tweets are marked, sir, by a peculiar VIGOR--"
"Might I venture to suggest, Mr. President?. . . . ."
Even THESE, New York Times, hardly amount to parodies. They sound like verbatim QUOTES.
I am reminded of MICE gathered around a mousetrap. Angrily squeaking and gesticulating.
A British author (long ago) spoke of "the nervous industry of SHEEP feeding during threatening weather."
SHEEP? Did someone mention SHEEP?
Yes.
A German statesman characterized some antics of his opponents as "the rage of dreaming SHEEP."
Sorry, New York Times. I am grappling with words and images to convey the utter SPINELESSNESS of today's GOP. A craven timidity that leaves me--literally--
--at a loss for words.
(And it's been a long day.)
I think you're right though.
Millions of Americans really ARE getting sick of this guy. Sick of he angry bluster. Sick of the empty promises. Sick of Mr. Donald J. Trump.
Pray God that shows up on Election Day.
In SPADES.
Trump is here and has a good chance to win 2020. The best we can do is fight him on the land, on the sea and in the air. We must do everything we can to distupt his agenda. If we maintain control of the House then we can control the purse strings of government. If he wins in 2020 we need to tie him up in impeachment proceedings regardless of the outcome in the Senate. We need slow this menace down as much as possible.
Hopefully, we can take control of the Senate and maintain the House. And with a Den as Pres. set this country on a normal course. There is no rule that requires a former Pres. portrait to hang in the White House- Trumps can be hung in the unisex bathroom.
Thank you for this article. We're all responsible for our own impluse to crane our necks to a wreck in morbid fascination. Maybe the NYT should relegate all presidential outrages that are not official presidental actions to a weekly outrage section lower on the page. Real news would be more prominent. You would still cover policies that people find outrageous, but simply stupid racist comments would be harder to find.
It's surreal we have to discuss how to handle this behavior from a US president, as if we were talking about a relative with dementia who sometimes makes a scene in piblic.
While many people agree with him, many (other) people are moral, civilized folks who understand that telling anyone in this country to "go back to where you came from" is not an intelligent rejoinder in a nation of immigrants, it is a pejorative term used to infer "Un-Americanism", and when directed at someone representing a group, is considered a racist idea, for example:
"All of you (insert color, religion, or another differentiator) people are not as good as Americans who are more like me, and you must be from someplace else to not understand that", is the way I interpret it.
I do find that sentiment generally offensive, but also to be an example of low-brow reasoning, un-informed insult talk that you might find on a barstool or middle school playground - though I imagine not very often any more on the playground - even ten year olds understand discrimination can be hurtful, and that empathy is important in a diverse community.
The difference, on a barstool or playground, is the entire world does not get to hear your stupid and ridiculous comments, and in either venue, you might also be likely to get punched, or at least shouted down by bystanders. Not so with our President, with his Secret Service agents protecting him physically, and his minions on the right covering his dumps of stupidity with a nearly deafening silence, he has the Twitterverse to empty his sack of stale quips to literally millions and as always, suffer not one bit.
What are the editors of the New York Times doing to counter Trump's hysterics? So far, NOTHING. Why doesn't the newspaper and website create a separate "Trump" tab/menu choice and move his news OFF the front page, unless it directly and cleanly has to do with meaningful legislation or an international issue. Stop making Trump the #1 clickbait he wants to be. There is other news that is, in fact, more important and meaningful than Trump coverage. I am tired of being manipulated by websites, newspapers, and magazines that Trump is manipulating by proxy. WISE UP! The second Democratic debates are two weeks from now. Why not focus on the leading candidates and the issues they are discussing, including healthcare, immigration, and inequality. It's where citizens' concerns are, too.
1
Trump likes nicknames. Why don't the Democrats call him "The Grand Wizard". It fits.
1
He distracts because it works. It has always worked. He maybe a coward and an incompetent president, but he is very cunning in knowing how to manipulate. He is handing the presidency to the Democrats on a silver platter, but they are going to blow it as usual. He is probably going to be re-elected.
2
You've fallen into the most common of Trump watching pastimes - psychoanalyzing him. Providing reasons why he does those things he does.
Who cares what makes an abuser such as Trump tick? Lets keep the spotlight on the abuse itself, not the psychological analysis.
He's profiting by this all the way to the bank - er - ballot box.
It is the media's job to set the tone. Quit writing 24/7 about Trump and focus on the issues. People cannot learn if you do not educate. Quit recycling tabloid news.
1
I think it is fair to say that President Trump is "a mental case."
Will Nancy Pelosi ever try to do her job and impeach him?
Mr. Trump's remarks are a message to his base, get excited, resentful and angry. I am going to need you to keep America white and prevent the onslaught of socialism from taking over this country. This probably has just as much to do with his real fears as the polls which show any of the top five Democrats beating him.
You're being way to kind to Trump. This act is another one of his Fascist Tactics. One step before the power grab. Communism is reviled, Fascism is glorified. Both lead to Dictators. Which is worse? Once in power they both do terrible crimes against humanity. We thought we had the moral high ground, Democracy was our birthright, even further it was our Divine Right. Now its slipping away as the poison of Fascism invades our spirit. Historical perspective? Think Germany, 1939.
1
"But most Republican leaders appear to be either too delighted by his conservative judicial picks or his deregulatory agenda or too afraid of his impassioned following to speak up." Nonsense. They're also racist. Trump's no more or less a white supremacist than the rest of the GOP congress. You don't have to make excuses for them.
1
When you have no platform for infrastructure, the environment, health care, income inequality , and correcting the situation we created in Central America - this is what a hollow dictator does - reaches for his hate base. The king is naked! He has nothing other than this. This is it! And the GOP is like Goethe's character Faust who sold his soul to the devil. They hide behind the naked king in cowardly silence - taking in the money from the lobbyists who enslave and own them. As someone pointed out - this is "colonial language" - go back because you are not happy with the dictator king whose personality narcisism disorder thinks he now is the nation! Two things to do: start focusing on addressing Central America - take the political theater of fear and hate out of the way - and get a history lesson on Central America and what our support of dictators has done. Address all of the above issues above and expose the naked king.
1
Trump is so unoriginal - a one trick pig. Yet many Americans and the media keep lapping it up. That is the baseline of our country - we have the leadership we deserve. Democrats are clueless, Republicans don't care - in such a vacuum hot air buffoons like Trump reign. I am disappointed at the leadership in Congress - forget the Senate - we no longer have larger than life leaders. Our past presidents like LBJ weren't without fault, but they were leaders. Now we have small town council reps masquerading as national leaders.
Step 1. Introduce the dog whistle to the public conversation. Not from any ordinary citizen--from the White House.
Step 2. Deny that the dog whistle is racist.
Step 3. When the racism is called out, accuse the critics of racism.
Trump does not care about race. He just wants to stir up hatred and division and get his base in a froth. He is a master at playing his critics.
1
We are counting on you, NYTimes, to NOT take the bait. To NOT allow yourself to be distracted.
Think about history now. Think about the job you SHOULD Be doing. Stop thinking about your stock price and parsing out how this plays to your investors and advertisers and the power interests that ofter compromise your primary mission of reporting the news in the best interests of the people. Keep in mind that "trump" is STILL calling you out as "failing" and that means he WILL look to shut you down one day IF he continues to amass power. You are under threat.
And we really don't need or want you to horse-race the democratic candidates. Any one of them is great. Stop looking for excuses to bang them over their heads for the smallest of reasons.
And we don't need you kowtowing to the "president" by avoiding calling him a LIAR in your headlines. When he lies, don't dither, CALL HIM A LIAR. We don't need you giving him ANY credence or respect or deference or ANY normalizing WHATSOEVER.
"trump" is illegitimate and a domestic enemy that is now focusing his attacks on racial lines. That puts us somewhere akin to Germany in the mid-1930s. He's clearly indicated the 2020 election is to be stolen. Again.
The threats could not be graver. The red flags and alarm bells and all the warning signs are all right out in the open for all to see. We all now all warned. The republic is under attack.
1
Health care and climate change, people. And no, we don't have to normalize this. We can simply state over and over, "This man is deranged, and not worth responding to." Focus, people. Get him out and take back the Senate. Shut the heck up about pronouns and wedding cakes and any other pc contests. We can do all that after. BTW, Lindsey Graham is deranged as well. He is not worth magnifying with a response, other than the simple statement that he is deranged.
Trump has one pen-ultimate skill that no-one else has or understands. Trump pushes everyone's buttons. He is a relentless attack dog.
"President Trump is at it again" is an understatement of great proportions. Trump is always at it. He goads, demeans, denigrates, hates, teases, torments and vilifies everyone all the time. Trump creates and maintains chaos. And he thrives on it.
Trump's supporters love him because he's always on the offense and keeps everyone off balance. He creates crisis and then denies that there is one. He calls everyone names. Trump will defend you on Monday and hang you out to dry on Tuesday.
The man has no couth, he is crude, vulgar, ignorant, cares less about convention or protocol, has no understanding of the rule of law, does not understand compromise, can't keep his mouth shut and doesn't care about the damage he does to his friends, his party, the Constitution, and government institutions and organizations. Everyone is fair game and it's always open season.
So, "How do you not give Donald Trump what he wants?" It's easy. Democrats must no longer attack each other and they must begin to focus on the election in 2020. Those wannabe nominees who are beating each other senseless must come together and understand that the enemy is Donald Trump.
Pick a winner Democrats and start on the campaign trail. Forget about civility and restraint. You're facing Donald Trump! He's going to shred you like disposing of bodies in Fargo. Draw your swords!
1
Your headline could be subtitled, “Trump Gives Trolls What They Want.” If I am a member of his national security team I’m almost certainly advising him to cool his Twitter jets because his posts are the main fuel for the foreign disinformation trolls. Mr. Trump MUST know this yet he continues as the “Disinformation Officer-in-Chief.” The question, to which one day there may be an answer, is why?
Why does Mr. Trump want a divided, weakened America? Why does he want to poison civic discourse?
If he were to prepend all his ugly tweets with, “Russia, if you are listening...,” then perhaps we have the beginning of an answer.
Just curious, but are any bills being passed? Anybody governing? Or are we just having Twitter wars and anger, and letting everything else unravel?
5
I absolutely do not agree with taking a bland view of this and rationalizing that it's only his strategy and we need to ignore the road kill and move on. If Trump, in his desperate aim to distract attention from his failures, decided to hit a Congresswoman over the head with a baseball bat. shall we say to one another "He just wants us to be distracted, let's keep our attention on health care." Well, words can cause injury to people. Psychological injury, physical injury. One or more of these women has already had death threats. I may live in Canada but I'm a US citizen as well as a Canadian one, and I think this attitude "let's not get distracted" is playing with fire — fire of which someone else would be the victim if it blows up.
8
He's the President, he gets death threats regularly.
Dear America, keep calling him out - it is needed. However please do not get distracted and increasingly radicalise your opposition to him. In the words of Joe Summer, be "anti-facsist", not another form of radical - that won't work out so well. Good luck for the next 18 months.
1
Re: How Do You Not Give Donald Trump What He Wants?
By The Editorial Board
July, 15, 2019
Who is distracted? I have been reading the NYT comments along with the WaPo comments since Trump entered the White House and there has been no let up In calls for his departure, no matter how, in no uncertain terms. There has been no let up in the fact that he is unhinged, unqualified for the job, a racist, a con man, lacking in intelligence, poorly educated (even some of his professors weighed in on that one), immoral, a scofflaw, all-in-all a poor excuse for a human being. His cabinet selections have been lambasted in like manner, his Republican Congressional sycophants have similarly been skewered, the latest kooky outburst by his new best friend Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina. No, America is far from being distracted, just filing all the garbage from the Trump Administration away until November 2020.
The short answer to "how" is: ridicule him. Thin-skinned people like Trump can't stand ridicule. Laugh at him. Make fun of him and the things he says. Spread it around.
159
@Redant, I was trying to find that special WH correspondents dinner with trump forcing a fake smile because trump could not stand the humiliation from a black man and seemingly to mentally vow to seek revenge at any cost. So fast-forward to today, and I think that I am starting to understand why trump tweets and reacts, the way he thinks ...
5
@Redant
On the contrary, he's one of the thickest skinned people in history. That's why they call him "Teflon Don." The vast majority of people would have dropped out of the race and gone into hiding after any one of the many many scandals popped up. But he persisted...
6
@Redant I disagree...better to ignore him.
7
If you read this piece back-to-back with the social media influencers article published earlier, you might just have your answer.
Since when does Twitter allow racist insults and slanderous comments?
Seems to me that someone should be banned from fouling the ethernet with his bullying, but then, I also expect the republicans to protect and defend the constitution and us from attacks on our liberties.
My bad.
6
Perhaps we would be better off to think of Trump as an invading alien entity who feeds off hatred, rage, fear and misinformation to take over the planet. Clearly this force or entity wants the planet to be hotter and more chaotic, perhaps because their species is more reptilian. All out war is logical but counterproductive. But how DO we challenge such an energy vampire? Withdrawal? Cross the streams? Mirrors? Maybe stop printing his damn tweets and acting like they were divine decrees to start?
3
NY Times, honestly, by writing this editorial, you just gave him what he wanted and by commenting on your editorial, I just gave him what he wanted.
He craves for attention and he can and will go to any extent to get it. His base has completely tuned out his shenanigans and don't give a damn. When I read the comments on Fox News, I see that they are extremely happy that "We" are getting riled up and they love the fact that Trump is able to get on our nerves. They thrive on all the negative energy.
Hence 2 things.
1. Do not get riled up - Don't know how to do that
2. Tune him out - Don't pay attention to anything that he says in Twitter (I guess the media has to do that first by not bringing the news to the public).
3
Several years ago, I attended a talk by John S Carroll. He had recently returned to Lexington, Ky. after leaving the LA Times as editor. He said that newspapers have a professional responsibility to publish real news that educates the readers. He said if it was up to the publisher and the masses, there would be front page coverage of Brittany Spears every day. It would make everyone richer, but less informed on important issues. Sadly, John S Carroll is gone. I think often of him, and David Carr, and Mike Royko.
5
Justin Amash will be the only Republican left standing once Donald Trump is gone. Unfortunately for him, there will be no party to belong to.
1
We have to be way more than outraged by Trump. We have to best him. First, tell HIM to go back from where he came from - from whatever dark, smelly cave of ignorance he likes to wallow in. And then let's get on with something more interesting - like some specifics on how we'll retrieve America from the current nightmare we're living in.
1
My earliest known white European American ancestor was in Virginia in 1640.
My earliest known free-person of color ancestors were in South Carolina and Virginia from the American Revolution where they fought on the side of the rebels.
My enslaved black African ancestors were in Georgia and South Carolina from 1830/35 where they were owned by and bred with my white European American ancestors.
My brown Native American pioneer ancestors came to North America 13, 000 years ago and from 1830/35 they mated and married my black and white ancestors in Georgia. South Carolina and Virginia.
My American roots predate the Trump, Kushner, Cruz, Rubio and Pence clans.
8
So,what’s your point?
My Jewish grandparents survived the Russian pogrom of the early 1900s by coming to America.
Are you more American than I?
2
What's not so shocking to me anymore is not Trump's overt hatred and racism, it's the fact that there are millions of Americans who voted for him in '16 and will do so again in '20. It's as if those people still live in the 1700's and still own slaves. But Trump only cares about winning reelection and will say anything to stoke those people to vote for him again. He does not care what the fallout will be long term for the GOP when the Grahams and other Republican politicians will be voted out in shame for defending him.
6
I never thought this would finally happen, but, Trump is flaming out! This will sink him.
3
@The_Last_Lioness
Trump is playing 3D Chess his opponents play checkers.
1
Yes, Trump does like to distract, and there is plenty of shady dealings and idiotic policies that requires media coverage. But I think the dismissive comments saying the media shouldn't even cover this go too far.
Trump's remark is serious news for immigrants and people of color. All four of the Congresswomen he directed his remarks toward are American citizens, and 3 of 4 were born in the US. To openly tell these Americans of color to "go back" to their countries is a big deal. The media has enough time to cover possible impeachment and the administration's criminal conduct. But this is news, especially when it is related to Trump administration's attacks on even legal immigration and its focus on de-naturalization of immigrant citizens.
And if you think Trump denigrating the American identity of immigrant citizens and people of color is beneath your concern, then perhaps Trump's brand of racism is not exclusive to his party.
2
Trump's remarks were profoundly rude, but I can't see anything relating to the race of the Congresswomen he insults. He may be a racist but this display is all about their far left politics. And yet the NY Times and the whole left end of the political spectrum is up in arms over its "blatant racism". And so he succeeds in inducing the left to portray themselves as lunatics who froth irrationally over something that isn't there. Which becomes more unappealing to voters with each successive episode - mission accomplished.
4
NYT: The time for "stated falsely" is over. It is time for "he lied in saying..." As for his tweets, cover what you decide you must but give equal coverage to the actual functioning of the administration. You seem to be waiting for the time that the tweets are so outlandish that the GOP will condemn them. Not happening. Tell us what he is trying to distract from. Violations of rule of law, failure to have a plan for all that he opposes, testimony. Re-orient our time line so you are stating clearly what readers may be befuddled by. Disarm him. Report on Fox's lies. If we want to be in on Trump's tweets we can go to twitter. You are still the paper of record. History will look to you. You lose no power if you stop being outraged by distraction. Be the news. Let his demands for attention go unfulfilled.
9
We will not be lucky. Anyone who is angered by our current state of affairs must vote.
2
there is no "least racist person" since that "least" is the giveaway. as his base likes the idea of a white, christian America, where they may say the unthinkable and do the unimaginable, so Donnie feels very safe in finally spitting his "white is right" mantra. the repubs in Congress have let him go and he is so far beyond the standard of behavior for a president that they may not know how to pull him in line, or want to. Should he lose 2020, they will be free to say well, we really tried but he was just .. blah blah blah. Just as Ryan waited to say his say after leaving the WH. Congress, the one-third power with the Court and the president. And it is so fitting that women will stand against trump.
Evil needs to be confronted head on
We need to realize that what Mr. Trump represents is the shadow of the American psyche – racism, xenophobia, nationalism, hate of “the other”, a sense of entitlement and superiority… On the Opinion pages of the NY Times we have read “That Trump Is Destroying Our Democracy” (8/1/17) and a “Constitutional Crisis in Slow Motion” (2/4/18). We have been warned by Michael Cohen that Donald Trump is a con man, racist, and cheat. Did he also betray American democracy? Is he in violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S Constitution? Only an impeachment inquiry can reveal the truth.
Mr. Trump has the support of millions of voters and most Republicans because he is delivering them white nationalism, partisan judges, and tax cuts for wealthy donors. On his current trajectory, Mr. Trump will win a second term because of the unfairness of our political system rigged in favor of Republicans. In a second term Mr. Trump and his loyal Republican followers would destroy American democracy.
Left unchecked the evil we are witnessing emanating from the White House will not end well for our nation. We have been duly warned. Congress must begin impeachment proceedings now to find the extent of the betrayal of our values and Constitution!
2
The media, including the New York Times, can simply call Trump's racism what it is. Don't cover it up with euphemistic headlines like "racially-tinged missteps" or "controversial remarks alluding to potentially racial connotations." When Trump calls a bunch of US citizens, 3 of them native-born, to go back to their country...and the common trait among those women is brown or dark skin...it's not rocket science. At some point, honest journalism requires you to just call a thing for what it is.
If you just have the guts to call it what it is, then you can move on to Trump's various shady dealings and ignorant policies. The mealy-mouthed reporting contributes to the dragging out of "oh is it racist or isn't it" distraction.
3
Through all of this distraction and misdirection, I sure do hope that at least some career federal employees are try to move the ball ahead with regard to healthcare, housing, wages, infrastructure, technology integration, climate change, etc. Based on what is reported on a daily basis, it sure feels like our elected representatives are doing very little to nothing.
4
Where is Madeleine Albright when we need her--to describe the docile acceptance by people in government of the wretched behavior of the President?
2
Perhaps those he targeted - the "Squad" should have just shrugged it it off and said it wasn't worth responding to a bigot. he wants outrage, he wants to gin up the base, he wants the news cycle to focus on this because he thinks it helps him (and it likely does). Given the fact the GOP has exposed itself as a white nationalist party, I'm not sure what beyond voting these thugs out of office we can do. Giving Trump a forum just plays into his hands. One thing the media can do is not cover his rallies from beginning to end like the last election. In fact, unless something really important comes out of them, they shouldn't even be mentioned except may as a paragraph deep in the paper. Democrats should focus on policy. Trump doesn't want to have a policy debate because he has no solutions. He wants to have a culture war, and he is getting it.
5
The masses, the media and our politicians are not revolting against this president in a sustained, organize, intelligent and meaningful way. The counterattacks are taking too long as Trump's base and the GOP grow meaner and more entrenched. The fact that any counter attack on Trump has not been successful, is why I think he will have four more years in the white house instead of forty years in prison.
5
He also definitely needs to distract from Mnuchin's report that the US Treasury has run dry. I paid my more than fair share of taxes. How about all those billionaires paying absolutely zero?
Remember Trump's innumerable bankruptcies, usually with other people's money? Here we go!
5
Stumped by Trump's distractions? Here's a simple way out: Deflect attention back by saying what Trump does not want said. Examples:
"The citizenship question is still not going onto the Census form."
"Bill Mueller will be testifying before two House committees next week."
"Sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, coddled last decade by Trump's current Labor Secretary, is being portrayed as a flight risk by prosecutors."
"North Korea has resumed nuclear activities, in clear contradiction of the president's prior claims."
Trump manipulates the media constantly with his trashy pronouncements, using them to displace reality in our psyches. You, the media, can correct this by (a) putting reality back in front of us, and (b) clarifying what Trump is doing so that we all learn to recognize it. After a while, he will become a self-parody.
12
What do you suppose that President Trump's is so afraid of becoming known about him? Will it come from Mueller. one of the New York requests for his tax returns, his secret meetings with Putin...?
1
For Trump, playing the racist card is not a distraction, it is a strategy to win the election. Trump won the Republican nomination by consistently making racist comments about blacks and hispanics, and that activated enough voters to win him the Presidency. These voters and Republican officeholders will support Trump and say Trump is not a racist. If he was, then they would be supporting a racist and would probably be racist themselves. Which they are not, right?
4
The problem with this piece is that the Times, like must of the press, acts outraged while questioning outrage. It won't call this what it is: just Trump pulling another con, for the millionth time.
Further, what's the purpose in even asking Republicans to take a moral stand? They've proven they never will. It is patently wrong to keep pretending that asking Republicans to denounce Trump and his racism will do anything when everyone knows they're Trump's defenders, enablers, and sycophants.
Finally, ignore Trump and start focusing on all the real power behind his racist, authoritarian, throne; the Republican controlled Senate.
If Americans truly want to stop Trump they need to stop Mitch McConnell and his Republican controlled Senate. Without them, Trump is nothing. Trump is allowed, and even encouraged, to foment racism because the GOP benefits from it. A racist figurehead adored by approx. 40 percent of the electorate is what allows McConnell and the GOP to advance their agenda. It is why Trump is never held accountable for anything, whether crimes, or blatant constitutional violations, or blatant racism.
The press needs to start asking much harder question about the Republican controlled Senate. To stop Trump, Democrats must work to flip the Senate. Start with the mealy mouthed Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who is laughably described as "less courageous" for refusing to even mention Trump's racist tweets, but just very politely asking if he'd please delete them.
5
"We’re Outraged, We’re Offended, We’re Distracted"
Don't be outraged, don't be offended, and don't be distracted! I suggest we all could be somewhat encouraged! Because Mr. Trump's recent behavior is an indication that he is running scared. And, I suggest, more than anything else he is scared of losing the next election.
He has been betting that he will be winning the next election and that will allow him to dodge the 29 charges against him, currently pursued at various govermental levels (please see 1). Now he is waking up to the news that recent polls indicate that he will be beaten by double digits in the 2020 election by any one of the top five presidential candidates on democrat side. That must have made him extremely apprehensive, if not hysterical, to the point of going back to racist tactics that he believes were responsible for his 2016 election win.
1. The New York Times' article: "Tracking 29 Investigations Related to Trump." by Larry Buchanan and Karen Yourish; July 11, 2019
5
It does not normalize his behavior for you to stop taking the bait and focus on the things he wants you to avoid...Muller among so many others.
I am just wondering if you are being manipulated or enjoying the ride. Pretty hard to tell.
1
I'd like to point out that Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) Alaska has issued a pair of tweets that condemn President Trump's remarks without any excuses. She deserves credit for this public statement, as most Republican members of Congress have supported, ignored or only condemned with excuses in their statements. https://twitter.com/lisamurkowski/status/1150824131576905728?s=19
4
Frankly, we don't know whether Trump is racist or not. We don't really know anything about Trump's real views, anymore than we know much about the personal views of any other mediocre actor. Donald Trump is a cartoon character, saying things, doing things, tweeting things that he thinks contribute to his chances of retaining the power he has become so intoxicated with. The key to realizing that goal is to throw meat to those among us who have become intoxicated with him and the reality show he has brought to the White House. Race baiting minority women in Congress may seem like the lowest he could go. But I wouldn't count on it.
1
Let's just hope he fades away like a rocket into space.
What a "president." He does not deserve the title and he never has and he never will.
3
The news media, including the New York Times, has to come up with its own answer, for itself. How is the Times - and Washington Post, and the networks, etc. - not going to give Trump what he wants? Perhaps by not automatically treating tweets as news.
This president certainly is not a genius, but he knows that any outrageous tweet he puts out in the morning will be immediately picked up by the media and define the day's news. It's amazing that the Times and other newsrooms are his enablers day after day after day, tweet after tweet after tweet.
Twitter won't shut down Trump. Maybe the media, exercising responsible news judgment, should.
387
@George Judson
Disengagement is generally effecting when up against a predictably, unpredictable force like Trump. The media should try it. He goes for the reaction every time.
Or......
Inflame him so ferociously that he will self destruct.
But then we are left with Pence who is a different type of horror story.
12
@Stephanie Wood
Wow. . . can we just all be where we are now -- and give fresh, full attention to the issues at hand. Bernie had as much of a fair shot as anyone in 2016 . . . (not that anyone really did??!!!) Albeit unintentionally or stubbornly or naively, Bernie nevertheless contributed to the dreadful outcome we are all living with now. Let's ALL move forward in the most positive, constructive ways.
2
Or, if they must report on it, then at least put it on page six or in an obscure location.
5
I am sick of being chided for spending time critcizing the President. We are fully capable of dissecting his latest (idiotic) moves AND focusing on other events - immigration, Iran, etc. Why are so many people concerned that we will be tilted off course? If we let his gaffs go undiscussed they wouldn't garner any attention and these deserve attention.
42
The thing about it, it is that President Trump plays the media like no others. And even if the media is against him, they ended up play for him.
The solution is very simple, but no journalist nor media company has the guts to implement it.
Stop saying his name. Stop writing about him. Stop putting him on the first pages. Ignore everything that is not presidency actions. Do not comment them. Just report them. E.g. "The President met with the Russian ambassador to talk about....".
Give him the respect due to his role (even if he doesn't respect it himself), and ignore him completely.
NO MORE T-word.
That is the only solution.
Remember, you (the media) are co-responsible for his distraction tactics and for making him the center of attention.
6
I've gone deaf to BOTH sides of the daily drama. Toodles.
6
What parent would point to Donald Trump and say to their twelve year old son or daughter, "You know sweetheart, you can grow up to president of the United States, just like Donald Trump," going on to site all the things her parents would like her to emulate.
1
For a man who is as dumb as most commentators seem to presume he is, he certainly has perplexed the heck out of these supposedly intelligent and educated people. This in spite of these same people thinking about little else for about four years now (you’d think that would be long enough to figure some things out, but apparently it isn’t). It ought to make you rethink the answer to the question of who is the teacher and who the pupil.
The problem from the perspective of the NYT is that, even if it could somehow figure out how to deal with a problem like Trump, commercial interests would prevent it from doing so. I note that business for this rag is better than it’s been in the last five years in terms of top line growth, and income is many factors higher than it’s been at any time in the past five years. This in an era where supposedly tech platforms were going to bankrupt all publications like the NYT. You’d have to admit Trump has been good for your business. Multiple of your most popular columnists (in particular Krugman and Blow) have substantially increased their engagement with readers as a direct result of writing about nothing other than Trump. Nothing else they’ve written about has come close to finding the readership they now enjoy, so you can hardly blame them for producing the same (bad) columns week after week after week.
6
Ever since donald's election, we've experienced such an onslaught of sickening statements and actions by him that it's similar to watching a movie so relentlessly gory that after a few minutes we become anesthetized and don't notice.
This is one of those times in history when a leader is committing numerous atrocities and millions of people need to stay attentive and stand up against him.
Ways to fight for compassion: Donate to the ACLU and RAICES. Write to your Senators every time donald does yet another awful thing. Demonstrate in large numbers. Help NOW to be sure everyone is ready to vote in 2020. We absolutely can vote him out. Even if you only spend 5 minutes a week doing something, it will help.
3
The best way to extinguish an unwanted behavior is to ignore it. Putting personal attacks and offensive tweets in a box in the lower corner of an inside page would be a start.
3
"More than two years in, one of the great challenges of Mr. Trump’s presidency remains how to deal with his button-pushing"
Recall Reagan's quip to Carter during their presidential debates. . ."There you go again."
It seemed to have worked then.
1
"how to dismiss his outrages for the cynical political gimmick they are without effectively accepting them as normal politics."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me suggest that we hold IDEA CONTESTS to beat Trump.
Democrats could hold contests and concerned citizen could, too.
For example, the matador image you show, might be a great idea.
People could use this image or a cape to reveal Trump's games.
This reminds me of the upside down US distress flag, too.
This might suggest that Trump is destroying democracy, daily.
I like the "Democracy" song of Leonard Cohen (1992).
He sang, "Democracy is coming to the USA, again and again.
This suggests that a new democratic wave may be coming, now.
"Democracy is coming to the USA."
-------------------------------------------
(I hope the NY Times will discuss this song)
1
I personally would love to see a lot less coverage of the latest idiocy emanating from the current occupant of the White House. I've known for years now he has no moral compass and no filters of any sort. He feeds on attention, cannot live without it.
I would much rather be reading about legitimate legislative proposals on how to fix our broken infrastructure, broken education system, broken health care system, broken immigration system, broken political finance system, ok I'm exhausted.
I guess we don't read about those things because the people we have elected to get them done are too busy pointing fingers at each other. It is truly demoralizing as a citizen who just wants to live and let live and be able to get down the street without jarring potholes rattling my teeth.
Giving the lunatic at the the top literally non-stop coverage over the latest infantile tweet is just fueling the fire and accomplishing nothing but keeping everyone angry.
8
His MAGA message has been that America use to be great but isn't any longer. That is a message of discontent. He should follow his own advice and leave. Perhaps he'll find happiness in North Korea.
I blocked and muted him on Twitter because he is a hateful person and likes to feel popular. I advise everyone to do that to decrease his presence on Twitter. That is a message he can understand.
7
Every time Trump utters or commits another outrage which Republicans fail to criticize, it is a stain on them. Use it that way. Focus the energy on calling out McConnell et al. for turning their backs on American values. This latest instance isn't about Trump being a racist: It's about all those other elected Republicans being racists. Make THEM pay for it.
9
In the words of President Ronald Reagan, a real American president who I often disagreed with, but always appreciated his ability to work with Tip O'Neil to put COUNTRY over party:
"There you go again, Mr. President."
There you go again. Nasty as you wanna be, Mr. Trump, knock yourself out.
And you will …. knock yourself out. I just hope the party of Lincoln doesn't go down with you. I became an independent so I could vote for John McCain in his first primary. For his sake I'll fight for the party of Lincoln.
2
We have dedicated too many an editorial in diagnosing what this man represents and what his party has become. Isn't it the duty of a strong democracy (led by the free press) to now move on and start debating on how we fix this, how we stop the next trump from happening? How do we hold the likes of Faux news accountable, how do we deal with the shameless ignorant Grand Old Poison that is slowly eating away at the morals of this nation? How do we make these wrongs right again?
1
The president is tiresome, the endless questioning of "Is the president a racist?" is tiresome. Calling him a racist gives him too much credit -- it would mean that he actually has agency and an ideology rooted in something other than himself. In reality, he is a reflection of our society's basest tendencies, and his words and actions reflect only what he knows will get him the most attention in the moment. I believe that he would've run as Bernie Sanders if he thought it had more traction.
So call him a racist if you must. But every ounce of energy spent toward calling out his racism is an ounce of energy not used to win over independent voters and beat him in the war of ideas, of which he has none.
1
Trump is an emotional infant who relies in invective, immaturity and outright nastiness to launch his preemptive and counter-attacks against his adversaries — namely those who love America enough to question the psychological stability of the present occupant of the Oval Office. Trump is not so much a president but a bizarre interloper on the political landscape. He no more wants to be president than anyone wants root canal. Yet here is is, wielding unfathomable power over the party he hijacked, driving decent, compassionate Americans to wonder whether this country will survive this brutal regime. Trump showed us all who he was before he was elected; his histrionics are known entities and no one should be surprised by his evil immaturity. The blame now rests squarely with the GOP; if they let him continue to get away with these vile antics and puerile comments and accusations, then America is in deeper trouble than we believed.
4
How should the NYT (and all other media) not give Trump what he wants? Easy. Report his remarks and keep the repetitions and commentaries and editorials ad nauseam to a bare minimum. Oh, I forgot--minimizing Trumps provocations and stupidities might affect sales. Right? David
6
If we were wondering whether Susan Collins is worried about her re-election in Maine, we need only look to her lack of response to Trump's blatant Racism.
Blaming the victim is what criminals do when trying to seek acquittal. It's her tactic, too.
Must be a bunch of racists in Maine who see The Squad as a clear and present danger. How else could she feel safe denigrating them instead of Trump?
Abandon Hope, All Who Enter Here. When someone who at least tries to portray themself as reasonable blames the victims during a racist rant, we are truly doomed.
1
YOU VOTE! That’s the best, most patriotic and realistic way you refuse to give him or anyone else like him what he wants, and if you can’t get people to vote then that’s the dilemma you have to confront, not whose identity isn’t represented or is being offended. Anything else is pure delusion.
1
The answer is simple: Ignore Trump.
If you don't feel alive without your daily dose of outrage, I am sorry for you.
We cancelled our TV. The TV "news" was just feeding the monster. We read the Times. When the word Trump is in the headline we have a choice.
2
I'm exhausted. I think I speak for most Americans. Send help.
7
Excellent points, but without an action plan totally unhelpful. Instead of being played by following well-worn journalistic guidelines, has the NYT considered any different approaches to avoid being knowingly played?
* Please write a story on how the NYT will approach the 2020 election differently from 2016, based upon what you've learned *
I would think the active disintegration to the rule of law, say by the Trump administration actively ignoring legal subpoenas, would be a front page story while Trump’s Twitter Trolling ought to be listed elsewhere (like page three in the tabloid tradition where it belongs). The NYT is full of smart people. A lie is a lie, a racist is a racist, sexual assault is sexual assault. Stop promoting the con with false equivalence.
2
If only trump's tongue and hands could be heavily botoxed. Never fear; the effects will wear off in 15 months or so.
1
One wish would be for every news outlet not to cover this man for 24 hours. That and for twitter to dump him and ban him for life.
4
The brat in the back of the classroom lobbing out spitballs when he gets bored or when he thinks the teacher might call on him.
Too bad there is nobody to take him to the principal's office, make him stay after school to write "I will not throw spitballs" 100 times on the blackboard, or send him to counseling.
2
One of the best editorials coming out about this tactic. Thank you, NYT. Schopenhauer's 38 Ways to Win An Argument is a complete list of conservative Republicans' tactics. No original thinking involved.
2
The left is running out of time to get a clue that exasperation and outrage is not a political strategy. Yes, ignoring purposely inflammatory tweets signals acceptance. But becoming indignant has done nothing to keep his positions from becoming normalized. It's time to acknowledge that he's a master of that game and the left cannot win on that field. On CNN last week, one commentator attacked Trump by saying "...he had the gall" to bring Bill Clinton's accusers to a debate. Have we not figured out that gall is Trump's brand? It's what got him elected president. It's what keeps his base riled and the left distracted. Two-and-a-half years in that we're still exasperated by his "gall" shows he's winning the political battle now and, if the left keeps taking the bait, he will win in 2020.
2
It is all a deliberate distraction that the GOP loves, because while we are distracted and reflexively reacting to his his outrages, the GOP is haply dismantling the bumpers and curbs that have protected our environment, our middle class and our poor. Trump himself has no real thought on these issues but the GOP has placed their minions in the WH do. Trying to reduce solar and wind power only helps the oil co.'s. Withdrawing from the Iran deal only helps oil co.'s, Russia, Saudi Arabia, keeping oil prices higher other than what they might be with the Iran in the picture. While we are all distracted by his tweets the Corporations that back the GOP are lining their pockets.
3
Another distraction. Ignore it. I do wish the 'Fab Four' had posed, big smiles, arms around each other, and flipping a big bird for DJT. Ignore all this drama. Keep eyes on the prize in '20. Are you registered to vote yet?
4
The “Squad” should hold another news conference and ask the following questions:
What happened to the beautiful health care reform you said would be so easy to accomplish?
You said our airports are the worst in the world and you would rebuild them. What happened?
How has your tax reform helped Americans earning $50,000 or less?
How many coal mines have closed since your inauguration?
Why did you not get funding for your wall during your first two years when GOP controlled both houses?
How much more in debt is America since you took office?
How many days have you spent playing golf?
Have you deported the illegals that worked at your resorts?
13
The situation is dire. The electorate is a sitting duck! It’s so clear what’s happening in plain sight! trump is ignoring the raw evidence of russian meddling, and more than that ... when pressed he denies it. He is recklessly and deliberately doing absolutely nothing to stop the Russian cyber attacks, and more than that ... he eliminated the key role of a cyber-security director while real evidence mounts that russian cyber meddling is proceeding apace at this very moment. And the GOP (ie McConnell) keeps blocking legislation to fund the bolstering of Cyber-attack defenses. WHY? Essentially the GOP is counting on a repeat Russian disruption in the 2020 elections that put them in power in 2016. That’s why. A shift to a truly authoritative regime in the WH is in the making, no question.
5
I have a mean and unfriendly poddle. It takes a while for her to become friendly with strangers. So what does my vet do? She walks into the room and completely ignores her patient. No eye contact. Nothing. My dog's growl eventually becomes a whimper and then nothing.
The Times should try this vet tactic. It really works.
6
"Mr. Trump’s aim of stoking an endless culture war puts his political critics in a bind. They can take his bait and fight back, participating in the divisive distraction he’s designed to energize his supporters, or they can ignore his outbursts and risk normalizing his terrible behavior." Trump's infantile antics should in no way be ignored because allowing this insane behavior to go unanswered implies acceptance. It shows weakness and acquiescence. The Republicans have long abandoned any shred of shame or embarrassment. They care only about doing anything they can, legal or illegal, to push forward their agenda despite the fact that the majority of Americans don't agree with any of their positions. The only way for Democrats to counter that is with their own political power. That is the only thing Republicans will respond to and until Democrats grow a spine and start wielding the leverage that they have in the House, Trump and his sycophants will continue to trample over the Constitution and disgrace our nation.
With luck? This has become the solution?
2
Just typical Fascist Behavior designed to distract and divide the American People while the Wealthy People rob the Treasury and rape the Constitution.
2
i would love for the Times to publish a s bio on Trumps family history of coming to America as immigrants. He is first generation right? Please burst his racist hypocritical balloon.
Sa Ha, trump is first generation only on his mother’s side (she was born & raised in Scotland). He’s second generation on his father’s side. Grandfather Drumf - I think that’s how it was spelled - was born in Germany. His father was born in New York, despite Donald’s (incorrect) comments.
It is unfortunate that we have a President who believes that running the country is akin to being a host of a reality TV show. The only "reality" show that is crazier than this Presidency is "90 Day Fiance". The only good thing about that is "90 Day Fiance" is so ludicrous, that it has crossed over into campy satire of American relationships. It is possible that this President has crossed over, too, but the troubling part is that he controls the nuclear codes, not just some crazed relationship(s). My point being that we should just recognize what his Presidency is, ignore his Tweet rants and other reality show behavior, unless he does something so vile that even the Republicans will go along to impeach him. However I doubt that will happen, unless all of the open Federal Court positions have been filled.
Why can't we just denounce him and then move on? Every day there is so much analysis, etc. giving his racist comments and controversies oxygen that people forget about his failures. We need to put to gag this president by not giving him attention. Don't give him what he wants.
2
Time and again, Trump has made it clear he is racist white America's president.
He detests the rest of us.
Trump has never even pretended to want support from the millions of us dark-skinned Americans.
Of course, he's made racially insulting remarks throughout his presidency.
As of this week, he's dangerously ramped up his war, depicting women of color who disagree with him as having no place in America.
There has been nothing approaching a crescendo of criticism from Republicans.
Their silence is what's most ominous.
It means that millions of our fellow Americans agree with Trump.
There will be no impeachment and the Democrats' plan to subpoena officials will die a quiet death.
We are witnessing a dictator greatly tightening his stranglehold on our government.
And there is no one willing or able to stop this madman in his tracks.
5
Dear Times: You are giving Trump exactly what he wants. Keep up the good work?
2
If the "squad" could only recruit a white member we'd be able to know for sure if Trump is actually a racist or just doesn't like people who attack him regardless of gender or skin color.
As far as I can tell, Trump is an equal opportunity insulter. AOC seems to be going that way too.
3
"Love it or leave it" a stupid argument. It assumes there is no middle ground. Middle ground arguments might sound like "love it enough to stay and make it better" or "Love it enough to bother learning what the Constitution says" or even "love it more than you love yourself."
Sadly, those behaviors take courage, hard work, and integrity, which, along with nuanced thinking and honesty, are not parts of the intellect or character of DT.
I just hope recent Trump voters have the character to admit they made a mistake.
Republicans are bullies. Ignoring a bully does nothing but encourage him to terrorize further. The Electoral College needs to be abolished or bypassed and Republican voters need to be overcome at the ballot box. I'm not sure why the Democrats are not moving forward with symbolic impeachment proceedings; the Republicans moved forward against Clinton even though they didn't control the Senate. At any rate, good people are horrified at the Trump Administration's kakistocracy and I hope the 'Allies' (Dems) win and not the 'Axis' (Repubs).
2
I imagine someone 100 years from now reading this editorial -- their eyes bugging out, gasping at what they are reading.
It is truly amazing at how we all absorb this information and not lose our collective minds, bending over backwards in our attempts to respond reasonably when confronted with the behavior of one so unfit who happens to hold the office of president of the United States.
This may be the end of democracy as we known it -- or the beginning of this new style "democrazy" we are sliding into.
Heaven help us.
Without question he was trying to shift the news cycle away from his clumsy capitulation on the census question. The nutcases in his ear were pushing him to use an executive order to violate a Supreme Court ruling and, as usual, he caved. So then the infantile man decided to try to remove anyone who was not a citizen (and who might complete the census without a citizenship question) by trying to deport them first. Not going to work either? Cue the distracting rants. Go back to printing articles about how he got soundly defeated on the census question just to drive him more bonkers.
2
@MMohler I believe you are on to something there with your last few sentences. Each time President Trump tweets this kind of disgusting bile, Dems, independents and those GOP who might have morals, all of them should point out his latest failures, come up with something short and sweet to diminish his latest epic failure (hugely) and retweet it and repeat it again and again and again until he begins to learn that his tweets will only come around and symbolically smash him in the tweeter.
1
I am not distracted, you are. I am perfectly capable of consuming more than one news story per day but that is all that is offered me by the media including the times. The Times can cover Trump's comments and other scandals as well.
2
I have been thinking for some time that if you are dealing with a child mentality, you must think like a child. If we would simply IGNORE his ridiculous temper tantrums and name calling and stick to the issues, instead of engaging with him, we would take all of the strength out of disgusting rhetoric. The MEDIA has a huge part in this. Remember the saying from the 70's? "What is they gave a war and nobody came"? While I understand it is important to keep checks on the president, depriving him of every single second of our media and personal time would greatly deflate his power. Like your mom always said "Just ignore him and he'll go away". In the president's case, lets ONLY focus on policy issues, holding him in check and the upcoming opportunity to make him GO AWAY forever. His ignorant "I know you are , but what am I" comments? Don't give him the platform. Don't ALLOW the distraction.
2
Give Capt. Bonespurs something shiny but not too sharp so he doesn't hurt himself and put him in the corner.
2
Isn't racism and sexism akin to hate speech? Doesn't hate speech violate Twitter's terms of use? If anyone else were tweeting out the same content, wouldn't their account be shut down?
2
Trump's brand is Political Incorrectness. Amazingly, his loyal and devoted followers love him for it. Nothing is too taboo, hateful, offensive, or extreme for them. Donald is just being Donald.
But perhaps just enough voters are less devoted and enthralled. Perhaps, come 2020, these voters will have had their fill of Trump's divisive antics. Yes, let's hope Trump fatigue finally helps defeat him.
Lindsey Graham, meanwhile, is an embarrassment and a shameful disgrace. He cannot be counted on as a voice of moderation in the Senate, no matter how much he tries to play nice on occasion, and he also richly deserves to be defeated.
By the way, there may be a method to Trump's meanness, but I seriously doubt our Tweeter-in-Chief can help himself. I don't think he could stop if he wanted to. No, if there is anything we can confidently count on in our politics, it is that Trump will continue to outrage the reasonable, decent and civil among us.
2
trump claims he inherited a 'lousy' economy even though it had created 16.5 million jobs before he took over. He ignores the plain fact that the nation is a darn sight better off from the huge chasm left by Bush when the economy was in absolute free-fall, leaving in its wake a record deficit of $1.3 trillion (an unprecedented unsustainable 10% of the economy) after more than doubling the national debt, and racking up trillions more in un-budgeted costs for two wars. Obama stabilized the economy while containing a chaotic war footing in the ME, and grappled fiscally with that massive deficit reducing it at a faster rate than during WW2 demobilization to a manageable $500 billion (2% of the economy). This was a remarkable feat to which trump is totally oblivious. Now in one fell swoop this so-called president rather than building on a sound fiscal construct is recklessly throwing it all away with deficits going through the roof and mounting national debt at unprecedented levels. This is sheer lunacy.
3
Outrage is millions in the streets like in Hong Kong. Outrage on Twitter is what the right would call "virtue signaling". The online outrage meter has been at 11 now for a long time and now when truly outrageous things happen the world is numb to it. That is how Trump works, and it is very effective. So instead of spending so much effort on echo chamber outrage with like minded people, get out in the streets or help the campaigns out of people looking to beat him.
1
What frustrates me the most about the American press is that they continue to fall for trump’s distractions. They ask inane questions such as “doesn’t he realize that three of those women were born in the United States and they are all citizens?” (Of course he does, it doesn’t matter to him), or “does he not understand how it would sound racist to some people?” (Of course he does, that’s why he said it that way). So the press spends days talking about it and turning it over and over, when they should be looking into something else entirely.
The question that should always be asked when he does this is “What is he trying to draw attention AWAY from?” In this case it’s his connection to Epstein. But just like in 2016, when the press pursued Hillary’s emails instead of spending an equal amount of time on his Russian connections and his campaign’s interactions with them, the press continues to fall into the same trap. Press, use your resources to ask the right questions for heavens sake!
5
@Craig Williamson
It is the same Press that carried the drumbeat without flinching for "W" after 9/11 and sold us on blaming and killing Saddam Hussein.
It has to do with circulation.
2
It all started when Donald Trump descended down his escalator to make the announcement that he would be running for the Presidency. The American Press would never again leave his side, even to this day. It has always been all Donald all the time. That is what put him in office and that’s what will keep him there. Even to this day, you barley hear or read about the important issues that desperately need to be addressed. Journalists, for reasons unknown, don’t take Trump to task for just about anything that comes off his thumbs our out of his mouth. They just like throwing it out there and letting Americans quarrel over his outrageous statements and actions. It’s always about Trump, and he loves it, just like every other dictator.
1
“Unbecoming “? “Inappropriate “?
Utterly unacceptable and indefensible.
Repeated tantrums in a child are considered the responsibility of the parents until they become public concerns.
Why is this unbelievable behavior being allowed in a person in a position of high authority? The only good to be found in the present experience is a severe lesson in totalitarian government and an unavoidable demand for election reform.
Expletives deleted for the sake of dignity.
Remember dignity?
2
On the metaphor of rockets -- sure as media outlets and orgs you all certainly light it up, fan it up, keep it up. So he'll probably still get good mileage out of his next rocket. In other words -- I'm dismayed his Twitter gets a megaphone and that when I come to your paper for the latest news it's front and center "here's what Trump tweeted" and before I read any further of course it's the worst possible tweet. What I also find dismaying is that politicians on the left are behaving on Twitter in the same manner as Trump -- name-calling, put-downs -- granted they haven't been racist but it's nonetheless that low-road behavior that Trump goes for there. Example --Ms. Pressley's and AOC's tweet-backs to Kellyanne Conway.
Here's an easy solution for Democrats. Stop the woke Olympics competition to see who can yell the most loudly about how outraged you are and focus on policies that actually matter. The outrage over one insensitive tweet when actual people are struggling to pay bills, save for retirement, find housing, etc is why the Democratic Party is viewed as a bunch of coastal elites.
Personally I find Ilhan Omar's comments on 9/11 and US/Israeli relations more offensive than what Trump said, but here's the thing both are (rightfully) a blip on the radar. The only significance to Mr. Trump's tweets is that they demonstrated that he's not a good person. But newsflash... did you really just realize that now?
C'mon guys! Eyes on the prize. Not only is this a distraction but frankly rallying around fringe legislators with their own history of offensive and stupid comments is a great way to make it easy for Republicans to brand Democrats as the Party of AOC and Ilhan Omar.
These young women have more in common with Mr. Trump with a love of the spotlight, a tendency to ignore facts, and a complete and utter lack of real world accomplishments before being elected. Let these losers argue on Twitter as long as they want. Focus on issues not tweets.
3
How about drawing more attention to the complicit silent majority of Senators and their House partners in enabling and endorsing tRump's savaging of norms, ethics and democratic principles. Congressional silence is Congressional complicity and they must be brought out from under the maggot-infested rocks and into the sunlight to be held accountable for their behavior.
1
Thank you for the perspective. Ignore Trump. Get off of Twitter and Facebook and other social media platforms. Who cares what he has to say. The more people react with horror, the more pleasure he takes. Enjoy the summer, a long walk, exercise, cook a good healthy meal like I’m doing right now, go to a funny movie. Begin to work with local Democratic Party organizations to money and feet on the street to win back the Presidency and the Senate in 2020.
We can control our destiny, but, if we react to every insult and provocation, we give him the power.
Let's face it. Trump's brand is Political Incorrectness. To his loyal followers, nothing he does is too extreme, hateful, or offensive. To them, Donald is just being Donald.
But, come 2020, perhaps just enough voters will tire of Trump's incivility and divisiveness. Yes, let's hope that Trump fatigue helps to finally defeat him.
Besides, while there may be a method to Trump's meanness, I seriously doubt he can help himself! No, if there is anything we can reliably count on in our politics, it is that our Tweeter-in-Chief will continue to outrage the reasonable, decent, and civil among us.
2
"They can take his bait and fight back, participating in the divisive distraction he’s designed to energize his supporters, or they can ignore his outbursts and risk normalizing his terrible behavior."
Those aren't the only choices. For example people could rally around those he denigrates. They could write their congressman to voice their disapproval. They could stop purchasing products from companies that support the RNC, etc.
Not if you keep writing about it. This is what he wants. While this editorial is better than most columns that simply pile on the outrage, this is how he won the White House and how he plans to do it again. At least you all show a little awareness of that fact. He goes over the top and gets liberals to respond. As liberals respond to more and more outrageous comments and actions, they become more outrageous themselves (Open borders and free health care for immigrants?! Really?! When some Americans still don't have access to health care and many are struggling to afford it, we're going to give it for free to anyone that crosses the border?!). With positions like that articulated in debates, Trump doesn't even have to campaign. Democrats will self-destruct.
1
Well articulated. Thank you.
Trump’s approach to leadership: “It’s all about catering to, and fueling, the worst impulses of a minority of American voters.”
NYT, you have it backwards. Trump’s personality disorder compels him to cater to, and fuel, his own worst impulses. He’s delighted and emboldened by a minority of American voters who revel in his worst impulses. But for Trump, garnering the support of those voters is incidental and secondary to his own need to protect the unstable Ego that is at the core of his being.
This is why he will never leave office voluntarily and will continue to disrupt American democratic institutions for as long as he has a voice. He has stumbled on a wonder drug that feeds his inner beast.
"This tells you everything you need to know about Mr. Trump’s approach to leadership: It’s all about catering to, and fueling, the worst impulses of a minority of American voters."
Sadly this 'minority' got Trump elected. Unfortunately, we may be facing another four years with this abominable man in the highest office. Because, as my husband says, Democrats march, Republicans vote.
1
"Rockets burn out. With luck, maybe Mr. Trump’s politics of indignation are on track to do the same." I strongly doubt that Trump will even quite making racist and inappropriate remarks. He lives in a bubble where whatever he thinks is correct and everyone else is wrong. I was married to a narcissist and can vouch that such people continually need to be right and the opinions of others are wrong.
The President uses outrage against his words to distract us from his actions. Right now, he is wiping out the right to request asylum. That's where we should direct our outrage!
2
Thank you NYT Editorial Board for saying that you are outraged and offended. I am a naturalized citizen of color and a women. I have been told to "go back where you came from" and worse. Donald Trump's America is frightening. It feels like it is getting worse with this recent Trump episode and the America I was raised in is hemorrhaging.
I am brutally disappointed by the leadership among white Americans. White Americans may be divided as Democrats, Republicans or otherwise parties, but they are the white majority. We need more action from white America, demonstrating outrage against racism and commitment towards saving our democracy. We need to hear that white America is not racist.
1
I think the Times should consider a Trump-free on-line version. You are giving him what he wants.
2
Let me give another example: A couple of years ago, late at night, a headline broke stating that Trump would allow foreign steel to be used in the Keystone Pipeline. I went to bed wondering what the headlines would look like the next day, and what his "America first" supporters would think about that. When I checked the headlines the next morning, there was nothing about the foreign steel. The headlines were dominated by Trumps early-morning tweet claiming that Obama had wiretapped his campaign office. The foreign steel story was buried. Coincidence? Not a chance.
4
I've got my countdown clock on Presi-Tweet. I hope my fellow Americans will join me and vote. Anyone but this poor excuse for a human being. My dog could do a better job. Our once most envied country is now the laughingstock of the world. It's time to regain our power, our dignity, our compassion and our strength. Don't be distracted by orange hair, hatefulness and the ability to tweet. We need real leadership.
2
It is time for those of us who wish nothing more in life than the impeachment of Mr. Trump to take peacefully to the streets to accomplish this. We must occupy the avenues of our greatest cities. We must not leave those avenues until Mr. Trump is removed.
Nancy Pelosi: It is time for you to govern. It is time for you to impeach Mr. Trump.
Cordially,
A shamed and mortified, American.
Perhaps we shouldn't depend on luck. Perhaps the first order of business at the TOP of every story should be a summary of related headlines from yesterday, last week, last month and last year just to help sort through what's fluff and what still matters.
You know,who loves laughing at this sort of playground mud slinging? Putin. It is as if Trump's outlandish tweets were cluster bombs tearing America apart from within. Real leadership is going to rise above these taunts and show the country how it can be made whole again. Responding in kind won't be the way. Media, you're being played, as well. Trump is clueless about government, but he knows how to manipulate the media. Help us focus more on policy matters.
Having a serious discourse on every dumb tweet that our wanna-be dictator bothers to tweet is rather tiring and very time consuming.
Many of his tweets do not deserve having a small tome written about each of them, but as "official government communications" (Yikes!) they need to be maintained in a public record. They are no "better" than using a private email account for official business. (Didn't that cause a big issue with a presidential candidate a few years ago?)
It might be more efficient to simply list the tweets as part of a sidebar, and to decide later which of them are "worthy" of lengthy discourse. Simply indicating which ones are factually wanting (e.g., are lies) would be useful.
We can all comment on the more egregious ones, but I am afraid that the only problem with that idea is that many of them are egregious.
TIME TO IMPEACH.
Even if the frightened republican cowards of the Senate will not remove him from office, a full public airing of his grave wrongdoing will compel us all to think again--and may disqualify him from re-election.
1
Here’s an idea: how about if we just ignore trump for an entire week? If that works we can then try a month. Denying him the attention he so desperately craves could be the most effective response to his inane and ridiculous presidency. With this new found time and energy we can direct our attention to more positive and hopefully much more effective use of our precious time.
Would love to see this become a national movement: “Just Ignore Him!
He’ll be gone sooner that way!”
We have strange definitions of racism. We are mostly focused on language, rather than actions. Currently, NY State's High School graduation rate (63%) for black students is lower than Texas (84%), Tennessee (79%), Kansas and North Carolina (75%).
Failing to graduate is an immense roadblock to long-term success. Hundreds of thousands of minority students pass through NY public schools without even gaining a high school diploma.
This is the insidious, damaging racism that actually hurts people. Words from Trump directed at 4 individuals serving in Congress (earning $170K per year) is tantalizing for the media, while black kids who dropped out of high school failing to thrive is widely ignored (see NYT opposition to charter schools).
1
How do we not give Donald what he wants? By ignoring his garbage tweets and focusing on the destructive policies of his administration that voters would be interested in knowing about. "The Squad" played right into his hands because they are too enamored with the attention they are getting.
Trump wants attention. Stop giving it to him.
1
How many times has a member of "the squad" made a comment referring to white males? Not racist? They are characterizing people by the color of their skin.
Racism is not a white characteristic, it is a HUMAN characteristic.
2
Outrage? What's there to be outraged about? Donald Trump doesn't like the politics of Cortez, Omar, Tlaib, and Pressley. So what? Many people don't.
Attacking those four women is not racist. Or sexist. Or misogynist. It's just a petty, political attack that should be ignored in order to focus on things that matter.
2
Bannon may not be visible at all times but his anarchic "culture war" rolls on. Trump and Miller are his prize dupes. What is the cure for the common culture war? A unified front against the horrors of collateral damage. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, observers from the court of human rights at the Hague should be streaming toward those horrific black holes of Calcutta on our Southern border. Trump enjoys nothing more than the useless sqabbling which threatens to tear the Democratic party to pieces.
1
I wish newspapers would take the lead in not allowing him to distract the public. I don´t feel like any of his latest rants deserve to be lead stories, no matter how awful they are. They definitely need to be reported; they definitely affect us; but let's put the thing from which he is trying to distract us first, along with stories about things we can do to mitigate the damage he causes. I'm Latina and find him and his statements appalling, but stewing in the outrage contributes to the toxicity and gives him what he wants. I don't want this to sound too critical. I love the job that the NY Times and some other outlets are doing. I'm just sharing what I would find helpful.
1
Turn the other cheek. Don't report it, don't agonize over it, and above all don't react to it. Get on with the business of making America prosperous, and harmonious for all its citizens. That's enough of a retort.
4
In the 60s and 70s the cry was "Love it or Leave it." aimed at the opponents of our involvement in Vietnam.
2
The "love it or leave it" trope is one I remember from the Viet Nam protest days. It was wrong-minded and unAmerican then and is wrong today. We still have far to go to become a "perfect union." Protest, change, and inclusiveness are part of our free and evolving society.
5
I'm really hoping that his continued bad behavior is also a continuous reminder to moderates everywhere that he has no interest in representing them. Hopefully then they will turn out in the next election and do the right thing.
3
Long story short, and it is a frightening one, Trump's antics have become the new normal. Evidence? The utter silence of republican leaders in congress and in state houses or, worse, read what Senator Lindsey Graham said on Fox News in response. He and others are helping Trump plant toxic seeds. Watch them grow. What is the old line about reaping what is sown?
2
The response needs to be unity. Every day two people with different backgrounds united in moving forward need to speak and the press needs to report their unity. The Obamas and Bushes. Waren and Kasich. Sanders and Pete. Blacks and whites. Hispancis and whites. North and South. Men and women. Progressives and moderates. All the others I left out. The Republicans have their motto - Make America Divided Again. The Democratic motto needs to be - Make America United Again. Unity has to come first. The Dems can talk about their differences - but their public front has to be unity.
5
"We are one people chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny. We all share the same heroes, the same home, the same heart, and we are all made by the same Almighty God."
So much for that multi-million dollar speech on 4th of July.
He's additionally peevish because he is sufferring from a bout of low narcississtic supply, after coming off the high of his Independence Day extravaganza where he crassly showed off 'his' military props.
4
There will be no widespread GOP condemnation of Trump. Ever. McConnell has a plan. It's working. Divide and conqueror. Unite and rule. The GOP has always understood something important about Congress that the Democrats simply can't wrap their head around. Control the Senate & you control the most important lever of power in government: the judiciary. The courts are the source of the Republican's power, their blunt instrument in the cultural war that polarizes us. The GOP is not going to worry about confirmation battles anymore. They will put up whoever they want, the more to the right the better & get them quickly confirmed. The GOP is playing a long game. Trump will be gone soon. They will still be here. The GOP will wait him out & achieve all of their objectives. Their main goal is to nominate 3-4 very conservative Supreme Court justices. Trump has gotten two SCOTUS appointments, he may get more. He’s moved much faster on lower-court appointments than Obama did. The legal arm of the conservative movement is the best organized & most far-seeing sector of the Right. They truly are in it — and have been in it — for the long term goals. Control the Supreme Court, stack the judiciary to the sky, obstruct when necessary and you can destroy the progressive movement, no matter how popular it is, no matter how much legislative power it has. Nothing will get in the way of that goal. McConnell & the GOP has always had a carefully laid out plan. For now, it's working quite well.
9
Very well said. This sums up exactly my discomfort with this ongoing game of Trump's, and how to (or whether to) respond to his bait and switch. His vileness clearly needs to be refuted, if for no other reason than to tell our children that this is not how an honorable person thinks, speaks or acts. And yet, it's what he wants.
There's no easy answer, but in my head I keep hearing the end quote from the movie, War Games: "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."
1
My father was allowed only to speak english - Serbian was left behind in Serbia. Because those who failed to embrace and assimilate AMERICA and speak the language were referred to as "Guineas" - essentially isolated from America.
Don't get me wrong. We enjoy our heritage, the food, the celebrations, the religions - not in an effort to make America like the Old Country - but only to remember those who were brave enough to break away from the Old and come here to freedom.
If you want America to be like the Old Country - go back to the Old Country..
6
No one is saying that one has to mimic the old country, just to stop picking on immigrants because they are not white or Christian.
Thanks for this editorial. I am glad to see that the NY Times is aware of his media manipulation games.
Unfortunately, cable news shows are happy to play along. If Republicans are silent because of their own self-interest, so are the TV news shows that talk about Trump nonstop because of their own self-interest in ratings.
I think that both things can be accomplished: reporting on his purposely outrageous tweets and reporting on multiple other things. If virtually everything on TV continues to be about Trump, then he will get re-elected (it worked the first time, remember?).
Notice how one of his cabinet members finally left over the Epstein scandal: when the media kept doing multiple reports on Epstein (i.e., not Trump). Whatever you want Trump to do, just focus the spotlight on that issue (and away from him).
4
I'm inclined to believe that DT is not a racist. When it comes to public discourse, he's an equal opportunity polluter. "Crooked Hillary", "Low energy Jeb", etc. If the Squad were composed of (insert your favorite gender/race/sexual preference here), he'd find a way to insult them, too.
It's been observed over and over that the Republican Party, since the Goldwater wing seized control in 1980 by installing Ronald Reagan in the White House, has become an enterprise completely antithetical to an America whose guiding lights are Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, not to mention Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Susan Anthony. Lee Atwater, Roger Ailes, Tom DeLay, Richard Armey, Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell all preceded Donald Trump, and have dragged the GOP so far to the right that even Reagan might recoil from it. This is the party that
- Denies science (climate change, human sexuality and reproduction, etc.)
- Makes vote suppression and gerrymandering a central component of its electoral strategy
- Promotes tax and regulatory policies that continually favor the wealthy and big corporate interests
Trump is the symptom, not the cause.
Despite GOP efforts to rig Congressional districts, Democrats still won the House in 2016. The key to not giving Trump and his GOP enablers what they want? Citizens everywhere aware enough see what's happening to our country must make sure they're registered to vote, and come out in force in 2020.
15
@David Paul "This is the party that
- Denies science (climate change, human sexuality and reproduction, etc.)
- Makes vote suppression and gerrymandering a central component of its electoral strategy
- Promotes tax and regulatory policies that continually favor the wealthy and big corporate interests"
The same could be said for the Democrats, let me summarize:
1) Covers for illegal immigrants by calling them "undocumented" and giving them free healthcare while middle class Americans struggle to pay for their healthcare;
2) Protects illegal immigrants in "sanctuary cities" from the Federal Government even though they broke laws to come into the country; and
3) Pretty much call anything and everything "racist" even enforcing laws against their beloved "illegals" while half our country has no money already. I can go on and on to describe the ugliness, hate, racism and intolerance of the far left but it is too easy to take down a deeply flawed ideology filled with hate and rage.
See I can play that game! The holier than though left that pretty much calls everything "racist" and trashes the country's history is not so good either. There is a reason why much of the Western world is rejecting the far left ideology, because the far left is filled with the real haters, bigots and intolerant.
2
@ David Paul, "If the Squad were composed of (insert your favorite gender/race/sexual preference here), he'd find a way to insult them, too."
I was wondering, Would Trump continue his racist rants if one in that group included a Jewish woman? I wonder. Do you think he could hold his tongue? His tongue that is a platform for hate speech.
Remember his unrelenting tweets and calling the press the enemy? What followed? Khashoggi butchered, the journalist gunned down last June in Maryland.... Remember the murder of those in synagogue by a rabid Trump follower? Remember his hate speech directed at other members of Congress that radicalized a Trump follower to send mail bombs? The power of life and death is in the tongue. Trump always chooses the latter.
1
"Mr. Trump, who has never shown any interest in winning over most Americans," - you are correct in this assessment. However, he only needs to win over the most electoral votes, in which he has shown very much interest. The real question is why do so many Americans feel the same way Trump does. This is the root issue that our country is facing. Let's focus on that.
3
As a naturalized citizen of color, I am proud to call this country my own. I am as much an American as any other citizen of this country, not on ounce less. Donald Trump will pass, as will his filthy xenophobia, relegated to a stained blotch on this nation's history, a cautionary tale of how a society needs to remain ever-vigilant against the demogogues who will rise up periodically to sow hatred and divisions.
623
@The Path of Moderation One can only hope you’re right.
40
@Philip
You are indeed an eloquent citizen - and I for one am glad that you are a citizen! Thank you for what you add to our nation. Liz
46
@The Path of Moderation,
Thanks for your comment, it gos to the heart of this side show trump is putting US through. I don't like bring this up, but sometimes it's necessary to reveal oneself. My family immigrated to America in the 1650's as a large group of Quakers seeking religious freedom. My family has been in the country for 20 generations. The Quakers were the first to establish the intellectual framework for the Abolition of Slavery among other farsighted progressive ideas. Fair treatment of the Native people, women's health and sexual rights, the underground railroad, the list goes on. As a direct descendent to these enlightened ideas, I'm appalled at the language of the "So Called leader of this country" We have always maintained that it doesn't matter when you came to these shores, or the color of your skin, sex, or religion. We are all citizens looking for a better life . I applaud our diversity along with the millions who have come here for a better life. Including the " First Nation People" who have occupied these lands for thousands of years. We can do better than this, we have to do better than this, our country and way of life depend on doing better for all citizens, not just for the white people.( I am one of them ), but for all people of any color, sex, country of origin, education level, or religion including lack of religion. We are the United States, not the divided states. Lets Unite together and cleanse the air of this hatred. VOTE!
29
Yes he is distracting from the upcoming Mueller testimony. Ever since it was announced, he has been on one red-faced tear after another. The man is terrified of exposure. It sounds like angry rage, but underneath is unquenchable fear. I almost pity the man. Almost.
But there is more to it than that. He has a willing audience. You have to dig deeper into the racist elements of white evangelical conservatism. Modern high culture is not conversant with theology; so be it. But if you do not fully understand where and when mainstream Christianity (not the “religious left”) and evangelicalism parted ways—or rather when and where evangelicalism walked away from the mainstream church— you will not understand the strength of Trump’s support.
He is confirming prejudices that are so terribly powerful because they have been solidified by a toxic and malign misunderstanding of the Christian gospel.
Some will want to say: get rid of Christianity and you will get rid of Trump. But you will also of course get rid of Ocasio-Cortez, Pelosi, Buttigieg, Warren, etc etc all of whom are practicing mainstream Christians.
It is essential to recognize: in this upcoming election, American Christianity itself is at a crossroads. That is not the whole story, but it is an indispensable theme.
443
@Paul McGlasson Thank you, these are very insightful comments you have made. i think some people too easily try to make Christians a monolithic block, but you are right, there's a toxic element that stands alone and fuels the Trump agenda.
61
@Paul McGlasson
Thank you for articulating this. I would only add that the it's hard for practicing Christians to respond, when the GOP has turned religion into a political weapon. Faith & religion are too important, for most people, to trivialize as political weapons. But, as you remark, so many people have now grown up with the "Christian Right" being the face of religion that they can't take religion seriously. It has become an urgent question of defending religion against a Christian Right out to destroy it for its own power.
53
@Paul McGlasson You have eloquently stated the problem. Thank you! How do you think it could be combatted?
13
In 2016 I woke up to a population of neighbors I truly thought were in the minority, hard core, angry racists who won him the election. Attitude defeated aptitude.
At this stage in the game of' Distraction by outrage' I strongly suggest that Democrats and the media not make all of these tweets headline news. It adds fuel to the fire of emotional outrage he sells ' his people.'
Democrats, 'walk and chew gum' and start an impeachment inquiry. Place the onus of the Republication Senate to answer to the on-going corruptive actions he and his defunct adminstration continue to excute.
Make this headline news and you will rip open the curtain this weak and cowardly man hides behind called the' art of the tweet.'
181
@mary. Respectfully, I think you are wrong. The average person wants to have a job, their kids to go to a decent school, save some money, drive a car they can depend on and save some money. This isn't Europe with a bunch of long standing social programs, an educated, mostly employed population with a fairly unifying culture and language. We are becoming Balkanized and suspicious of everybody else's intentions and motivations. Many people see not well thought out or planned chaos on the horizon and don't like it. If somebody proposes we slow down an out of control frieght train vs more not well explained change and upheaval they don't care who puts the brakes on or how it's done.
3
@Al You need to care who puts the brakes on and how it is done - I want to continue living in a country where everyone has a chance to be what they want to be not just "white" people and I am outraged at the behavior and tenor of this administration. Not everyone now has a job, or proper health care, or some other necessities of life- and we are a diverse country with a pretend leader who does not realize the impact of the seeds he is sewing.
19
@mary I totally agree. I really don't want to see so many articles in the headline news all about what "Mr. Trump says...". Headline news should be real NEWS!
7
All this is just noise.
So, on to the truly important issue, tell me again, how are you going to beat Trump in 2020? With what candidate? With what candidate AND what platform?
2
Having just spent 2 weeks with my in-laws I have to tell you for some it's beyond hope. They came to visit their daughter, my wife and we both agreed to keep the politics on the down low unless they brought it up. On the last day my father in law Jay made a comment about contractors and the economy -- I forget the exact context--at 86 he is a retired contractor. I said something along the lines of had he, Jay, done work for trump he wouldn't be paid and if Jay sued, trump would drag it out costing him quite a bit in lawyer fees and if he did settle it would be for pennies on the dollar. Jay didn't say anything and I said Jay you know it's true and he sat there silent. I could tell he was praying at that point and I knew there is no hope of convincing any of the "christians" to turn against trump. They follow franklin graham who tells them "god is in charge." So his religious base is strong; he has their vote solid. His racist base needs propping up from time to time but they're on board. The 2020 election is already in strong play and at this point trump is well on his way to a 2nd inauguration.
I've said this before and I'm saying it again-the Democrats need to focus on the economy and health care and leave the racism, rapism, and those issues for another day. They can't win if they don't. I think they need to narrow the field to 5 or less and then hammer out the platform and begin honing their message so that whoever wins the nomination has the rest of the field on board.
3
@Citizen 0809 They also need to focus on helping middle class Americans getting healthcare before handing it out like candy to illegal immigrants.
2
To avoid being distracted, focus. Focus on the corruption. Follow the money. Discover the larger system of corruption that makes Trump possible. Same with Epstein. You can't ignore Trump's tweets. You can only become consumed by what's important to the degree that you don't have time for distraction.
6
You'll need more than luck, you'll need a political strategy to defeat not only Trump, but the Trumpist MAGA base. Not only for the next election, but for the long haul. The Republicans are now a confirmed party of the radical right, not conservatism, that wants the USA to take the road to fascism. The few individuals who think otherwise will be primaryed and politically eliminated.
The first thing that conservative Democrats - today's true conservatives - must do is dispense with the traditional idea of "bipartisanship". That has been dead for some time and will never be revived now. That also means stop enabling Trumpism with the sort of sloppy political leadership exhibited in Nancy Pelosi's gratuitous swipe at the "green whatever", and let's spare for now the commentary on the infamous insularity of the Democrat leadership. Pelosi thereby set the Squad up for Trump's latest tirade. Pelosi may have not intended to do so, but lazy foolishness is no recommendation for leadership. Journalists also need to stop pitching softballs or setting traps that invite or trigger such foolishness. Imagine the new flood of death threats these courageous women must endure. Could any of us stand in their shoes?
Prepare for a long political war, people. The lights are going out all over America, they won't be back on in our lifetime, and the troops won't be home before the leaves fall. Hunker down or burn the barns! Or learn your history.
2
@Matt
For the first time in my life, I am fearful that our democratic republic will not survive. Are we approaching the brink of total anarchy, civil war and suspension of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights?
From the start of her tenure, AOC has antagonized Pelosi in so many ways, including showing up at her office along with other protesters re: climate change. This is why Pelosi has been so dismissive of "The Squad" (not because of their race or ethnic background). Recently, when AOC complained about Pelosi with her ill-considered "women of color" remark (a rookie mistake), Trump intervened (in his sick way) so as to exploit the racial differences within the Democratic Party. Trump is looking to peel away white Democratic-leaning voters because he thinks that they are as racist as he is. The sad part is that this strategy might work. In fact, he is hoping to make the Democratic Party, an all non-white party with his stoking of racial animosity. I hope that the Democrats don't lose the 2020 election because of AOC's comments.
3
We know what Trump is doing and why he's doing it. So why does the media and half the democratic caucus fall for it every time? What happens after Mueller testifies? We all need to stop walking into this like a bunch zombies!
6
@Maryellen Simcoe you refer to zombies when Trump tweets, I see chickens with running their cut off. And here we are talking about the distraction, getting further distracted...we're spiraling.
1
It is going to take more than luck to stop this snowball of racism from rolling down the hill and gathering in size as it passes. It is going to take everyday Americans to stand up to the ugliness of the Republican Party and vote them out, while bravely facing up to his racist and sometimes violent followers. This includes standing up to the Evangelicals who have brought so much hatred and division to our country.
2
@SherryWacker
Many older evangelicals including majority of their preachers were very strongly supportive of racial segregation and completely indifferent to the injustice of the Jim Crow laws. They called Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a “communist” and many still believe African Americans are inherently inferior and prone to violence just like slave owners believed. It is not surprising that they are now indifferent to Trump’s racist words and actions. In fact, it’s entirely consistent.
1
A lot of Trump's followers are not happy with the US. They should definitely leave.
8
@nickdastardly After the "squad" leaves first.
1
@MM
They were unhappy before the squad. They didn’t even think the US was great. Talk about being unpatriotic. They should go to Russia. It’s a white, “christian,” authoritarian, nationalist state. Definitely a patriarchy. They would feel right at home.
2
Trump was not instructing "congresswomen of color." He was instructing congresswomen of communism. Love it or leave it rhetoric has been around for ages. The only reason it is being equated to racism these days is because screaming "racist" is about the last card the Democrats have to play.
5
There is an important difference from having socialist programs, such as Britain's national healthcare plan, or America's social security, and communism, like North Korea. No one is advocating we become more like North Korea.
The MSM (mainstream media) has long been the major purveyor of drumpfs insulting, hateful, corrupting comments on twitter and elsewhere. The MSM, in their greed, chose to broadcast the hatefulness to increase their revenue. And may there still be a MSM that can chose what to broadcast when this fiasco comes to an end, if it ever does.
I call for a one week moratorium on Donald Trump. No news stories about the latest inflammatory tweet. No reporting on the resulting twitter 'war'. Trump's twitter feed ignored completely.
What would we be losing?
It's called 'trolling'. And everyone is falling for it.
The more he can muddy the waters, the more he succeeds because every new 'outrage' distracts from what he's actually doing. The more he can set us against each other, the stronger he is.
Please stop playing by his rules. Please stop letting him drive the narrative.
Attention to Trump is like gasoline on a fire.
You have to ask yourself, is it really worth it?
7
A huge, collective snub...great idea!
I have stopped reading about what Trump says and does weeks ago. It's apparent to me that he rarely follows through, so I got tired of jumping on his see-saw.
All of his shenanigans have actually gotten boring, and I think he realizes it.
2
@Suzabella This has been in the news between Sunday through now -- it may be boring but the media and politicians on the left are putting this front and center for us.
@pvks20016 I agree. Putting this continually out there just gives Trump more FaceTime. It's exactly what he wants.
Mostly when I see a news article about Trump my eyes glaze over.
Trump is a genius at controlling the flow of news. He detracts from his lousy performance as president by making one outrageous statement after another and the press eats it up. The best way to counter his nonsense would be to just ignore him but that is not about to happen. The press will continue to facilitate his annoying habits until he is hopefully voted out of office.
4
This editorial certainly exhibits some weird cognitive dissonance.
How do you not give Trump what he wants? You ghost his cult of personality.
Report on the administration, don't report on him. The administration is an "it." It has policies, looming consequences, real-life aftershocks.
Talk about *its* actions. Not Trump's word-dysentery (we get that by now). Most serious journalism is doing both, but still.
Stop covering his incessant noise.
4
Broadcast news media should acknowledge its hand in this ongoing disaster. I have practically quit watching MSNBC and CNN because so often it feels like they carry Trump as first level news more than the Trump channel. Every utterance is rebroadcast and reviewed with outrage over and over - as if that process was going to change anything. All of which has led me to think "well, that is what we've come to expect from this person...but is he still president? Because if he is, all this spewing of outrage hasn't made any difference anymore." He is dismantling our government and our country with a destructiveness from which we may never recover. It's time for the non-Trump broadcasters to find something else to talk about.
In the days of paper newspapers Trump's tweeter tantrums would be buried on Page 13 of Section D.
But you can't do that easily with the digital edition where EVERYTHING has to be on the front page and is "breaking news".
I've been reading the NYT for about 60 years and Trump's daily diatribes don't warrant being splashed in my face each morning, and, frankly, I object that they are.
You are smart people find a way of dealing his distractions -- I suggest relegating him to the Food Section.
6
He's a demagogue plain as day. Ginning up the racists for support because it worked in 2016. He is counting on it working again, but must ramp it up now for 2020.
His racism and misogyny is the feature not a bug of his presidency.
We will show who we are in 2020. Are we a nation with a soul and a heart, or will we revert to our most base instincts?
1
“I used to watch it like a rocket ship when I put out a beauty,”
What an emission of trump gas.
1
The prime minister of New Zealand has lead by example. She refuses ever to speak the name of the racist killer who shot so many people in Christchurch mosques, and has encouraged others to follow her example, thereby denying him the recognition that was part of his motivation. She still spoke out articulately, vehemently, and repeatedly against this man's heinous crimes.
Deny this president the recognition he wants by no longer using his name. "The president," "the current president" or "the 45th president" are sufficient. Make him the "it" he makes everyone else.
And stay factual. Do not play this president's game by escalating the rhetoric with editorial flourishes. Make the case clearly. Show the consistency of his misdeeds; don't treat each attack as an isolated event. Be unrelenting with the truth, omitting only the actual name of the current president.
5
Cassandra, I'm not sure how not using Brenton Tarrant’s name helps New Zealand any. That's just a political ploy that doesn't mean anything.
Same with not using Donald Trump's name. It's just playing games and would not change a thing.
Better to stop focusing on meaningless words and start focusing on actions. Actions matter.
1
The Times and other mainstream media dismiss President Trump's tweets as "old racist tropes." Republicans are likewise painted in one broad brush as complicit and/or cowering racists as well. True, "Go back to your country" has been hurled many times out-of-the-blue at minorities as a prejudicial, hurtful insult. This is NOT what President Trump said: Rather he was firing back at people who have benefited SO GREATLY from being welcomed here in the USA, only to turn around and viciously criticize it every chance they get. To those he says if they are so unhappy and angry here, go back to where they came from and fix the problems there. If they can, then maybe they can say with some authority that they know a better way. And if not, shut up!! What is wrong with that? Maybe the majority of Republicans are silent not out of fear--but because they agree with that sentiment and idea. Certainly NOT racism, but the notion of not biting the hand that feeds you and to appreciate the bounty that this great country has to offer!!
4
@toddchow, you conveniently forget that 3 of the 4 women were born here!!
Besides exemplifying his mental unfitness, Trump's use of Twitter is a form of Abuse of Power and Abuse. Twitter should have shut him down a long time ago. The Abuser in Chief should have the access to his addiction removed.
1
When is Twitter going to remove DJT from their accounts for inappropriate rantings and offensive comments? Is that user above the laws of decency? He offends me and that should be enough to toss him. I have seen other social media remove subscribers for less than what that man in the White House spews out 24 hrs a day.
1
Maybe trump will burn out, he is mortal, after all. Isn't he? Just flesh, and lots of it, and blood like the rest of us, isn't he?
But his base and the zombified GOP won't burn out. They have been around since time began, fearful of what they don't know, and that's everything, and eager to blame somebody for that fear.
They are the barbarians who destroy the finery of our civilization, civility, politesse. They are book burners, science haters, climate deniers, willfully ignorant, fake news purveyors. They are gullible, viz falling for trump's multitude of lies and Russian propaganda.
Don't they ever question where the Mexican pesos are to build trump's wall? Or where the wonderful infrastructure is? Or where the beautiful healthcare he promised them?
Some of them may realize that they have been duped by trump, but that just makes them dig in their heels even more and poke their fingers in the eyes of opposition.
Trump will go, maybe not before he slimes every institution in our government and corrupts the courts. But he will be gone some day.
I fear the impulses behind trump and his vile base will be with us forever.
2
I was hoping this op-ed actually contained some ideas for "not giving Donald what he wants" but it doesn't. Perhaps if the media would point out his boring and tedious repeat of tired old racist cliches? Perhaps if more "news articles" pointed out that he has done this over and over again, by starting their stories with "Again" or "Once more" or "Yet again". It is becoming normal, and continues to be very destructive. Why doesn't the media call him what he is... an old racist totally without value?
1
It is time to face reality and ask the question... While Trump is known for his shock and mock, what is his real goal? At first, I thought it was to distract from the border, from the fact that he has not been exonerated according to the Mueller report or that Mueller himself will soon be testifying.
But this president, like most malevolent dictators of the world wants to prove his power by appealing to those he knows will be in his corner. In this case, it is white nationalists.
It is a symbiotic relationship in that even though they may just tolerate each other, they feed and nourish each other to get what they want. Trump wants their approval and applause and they want what they got this week, a president who will not only be their mouthpiece but will promote their agenda to obtain their racist dreams.
Thank God for the free press, for the four courageous women who speak so eloquently and for the hopes that sooner than later our democracy will bring us back to sanity.
I’m in a lunch group that meets once a week. All but one of us dislikes the current occupant of the White House. I’m also the most vocal about my feelings. But after this last racist outburst (and it was racist) a few of the others ventured opinions out loud. That was interesting.
But the best thing to do with an attention junkie is to ignore them, point out the false news and leave at that. No boundaries deserve no attention.
1
Please don’t succumb to purposeful outrageousness. Don’t become the media — giving unprecedented coverage to stupidity — never asking about his knowledge of anything in 2016.
Please investigate Trump/Epstein connection & accusations, updates re: NY State’s decision to release tax returns, a looming recession, decaying infrastructure & consequences, & so much more - all the things these tweets help so obviously divert attention away from.
The NY Times with such smart people allow ridiculous antics immediately bury stories closing in on his multiple ties to corruption. Please stop.
Your editorial lacks deeper reflection of the most important dilemma facing the media, politicians & our country. You are successfully and disappointingly submitting to manipulation by a self serving person - with self serving supporters while progress & our democracy are being dismantled.
Trump is a dumpster fire. A fire is a chemical reaction.
To exist, a fire needs oxygen.
So don't give him oxygen. Don't feed him with reaction. Smother him with response.
When Democrats attack each other as not progressive enough, that's a reaction to Trumpism. When the people respond to Trump lies with the calm truth, that's a response.
Don't fuel his fire, but don't let it burn unchecked. In 2020 vote out Trump and every Republican who has failed to oppose his un-american and possibly criminal activities.
We're a lot better than Trump, and need to let the world see that.
I try not to pay too much attention to the outrageous White House.
By calling him out as racist, we ignore that he called the four Communists and alleged they were non-Americans.
I would like a simple list of daily Trump lies in the news somewhere down low on the first page.
Please stop responding.
2
Ignoring Trump's outbursts doesn't necessarily normalize his terrible behavior. We can keep him in check by not legalizing his attempts at legislation and silently ignore him otherwise. If nobody listens to him he might just shut up.
The point is we elected these 4 congresswomen to lead. More than 1/2 the country doesn't want you to lead Mr trump and we wish you would leave especially the white house bc you don't know how to lead
Here's a solution to the Catch-22 of not caving to giving attention to the Malignant-Narcissist-in-Chief and his self-created chaos that becomes 'newsworthy:'
(1) Create a special section in the NYT called "Narcissist-in-Chief." Put all tweets, rants, screeds, op-eds (including every piece by Charles Blow), comments, etc. in there--and keep it OFF the front page.
(2) Report every day on how Dump's "base" supports what he does and says. They really do. The real villain here is the one the NYT never addresses out of political correctness: the electorate. (Think "basket of deplorables.")
(3) Identify the "undecided" and "swing voters" (many of whom belong in the above basket) and interview them on what they really think of the content in (1).
(4) Rinse and repeat.
1
@JCX Comments like yours are why Trump will win again. The arrogance and hate of the far left knows no bounds.
1
Here we go again, the Times and moderates learned nothing last cycle.
How the man who bragged about sexually assaulting women can ask anyone to apologize for anything boggles the mind.
3
Clearly, the WE who is distracted includes the New York Times. As soon as this spit-fight, this tempest in a teacup began between four members of the House and Trump, very little else has made it to the top of the Times' front page.
1
The illustration says it all, dummies, quit falling for it, put all of this person's tweets in a special yellow pages section of the paper with no comment or editorializing and let them speak for themselves.
How about for just one day the NY Times and other media outlets refuse to print or say anything about him or his administration. ONE day is all I am asking. Give that space to the candidates or news about the rest of the country. International news, stories about puppies or baby goats in pajamas anything but him. Show him that we are tired of his antics. Would you constantly tell your friends and family all the bad things your child does? Would you keep giving a bratty kid attention? The parents that do continue to have bratty children. I am sorry that apparently his paretns did not give him the love and attention he needed as a child but that is not our fault. Stop giving the brat attention!!!!
2
America. Love it or leave it. Or better yet, claim you have bone spurs.
1
Here's an idea: ignore President Trump. You are all adults. You can all think for yourselves. Just ignore him. You can do it.
Trump is blowback from 30 years of P.C. overreach. Enjoy.
1
Trump has done very little for America other than to provide an interesting show. He is the perpetual showman. who knows how to change the subject quickly to retain interest. But what has he accomplished? His tax cut was minor for some (and an increase for some) of the middle class; it was a boon for billionaires and for corporations. Despite his protestations he personally gained. And at what cost? An immense increase in the deficit, which would never have been tolerated by Republicans in the past. He is doing nothing for infrastructure repair ( hopefully no bridge will collapse), nothing for climate danger (on the contrary, exacerbating its deterioration), increasing deregulation which dirties air and water for the public, harming health and shortening lives.
Drug costs haven't gone done by much, and have increased for some. Nothing done in more than two years. No cut in nuclear warheads in N.Korea (where Kim seems to be adept at playing the president) or any other country. Iran is growing into a greater danger. Our former allies (from whom he has managed to estrange us) now suggest that we strive to bring back the Obama pact with Iran. He has turned the Attorney General's office into a personal attorney to protect him and ply his policies (e.g., Eric Garner case) and has pushed the Supreme Court to the extreme right, where rights gained in past are seriously threatened ( e.g., labor unions , abortion). Focus on what he lacks , and forget about
the four.
1
Meanwhile back at the ranch in the US the EPA is being gutted (already air quality is plummeting), the CFPB is being dismantled, Dodd–Frank is being compromised, the deficit is going through the roof, huge chunks of public lands are being sold off, world free trade is being seriously assailed, the justice department is being revamped with a slew of GOP biased judicial appointees, and all while the FBI is being disemboweled.
3
First of all, stop using his name. Call him the leader of the Republican party, or the GOP leader -- something that will call attention to the GOP party's complicity, and get attention away from the name. All he wants is attention - it doesn't matter what kind.
2
Does the news always have to be about the new? Why not article series that emerge over days.
For example, the market is up again -- but revenue is down and the debt is set to rise -- I would not let it rise -- when will the balloon pop?--Where is the essay on the topic of decreasing the national debt via taxes.... or will I learn that in a democracy (sic) we can't make laws to lower taxes?
What' s the update on conditions at the various immigration facilities? I assume the extra billions were allotted to throw at the problem?
This editorial is just more of the same old, same old. Nothing new here folks.
Something new? an analysis of the perspectives between Pelosi and the squad that doesn't rely on age differences. And more to the point, what are the folks back home saying regrding their electeds. Not just the supporters/opponents, but the ordinary people that voted for them, but didn't give them money. What are these districts like? I'd be interested to know.
1
Everyone slows to stare at a car wreck as they're driving by.
It's human nature.
That doesn't mean you have to vote for more car wrecks next time around.
Unless you're into that kind of thing. Which one-third of American's, at least, truly are.
2
Maybe the media should simply ignore many of his tweets, or at least point out the falsehoods.
2
Trump's strategy exploits most people's inability to approach things rationally when history and emotions are involved. Unequal results of human achievement conjure up simplistic notions of injustice which can result in people misunderstanding better actions that require difficult choices. Any civic minded citizen worth their salt has to follow politics and current affairs closely as the decisions made at the seat of power aren’t simple and/or transparent. These acts naturally impact the future success of the country and require continuous attention. I recognize my life is in process and what works for me may not work for someone else. Regardless of person, we must be accountable, transparent and surrender to our individual realities. We all have to contend with our capacity to do good and evil. Far too many of us set ourselves up for defeat because we're unwilling to acknowledge the destructive side of our being. Opting instead to create counterproductive narratives in our heads instead of chasing the difficult task of surrendering and objectively seeing ourselves. I see myself as the epitome of the American dream despite many underwhelming truths relating to the treatment of (fill in race) in America. Or do I create a narrative in order to rationalize and morally justify choices and behavior that are counterproductive to my country and myself? Let's talk to each other not through each other. #love #listen #ignorepotustweets
1
What the fake president wants is for the russians to steal the election again. He is just a cheating con man and you and the rest of the media keep giving him all this free publicity. He needs to be in jail not in the white house. So stop it before he does something really dangerous like starting a war.
1
I hesitate to renew my subscription because the NYT does not even try to ignore the sleazy TV guy.
3
I'll bet Melania wishes she could go back home.
1
Switch from reporting the latest outrage to analysis of real problems and solutions. Remind people how much better the Democratic plans are. Summarize the damage he’s doing over time (e.g., deficits up 40% over decade, 2 million more without health insurance, higher costs due to tariffs.)
4
In all the comments about Republicans not objecting to President Trump's behavior, vis a vis his tweet storms, why isn't anyone commenting on the fact that their silence may be due in part to the desire and need to maintain funding from the RNC for their next campaigns?
Greetings from Florida's Space Coast.
In response to the allusion by Trump to his tweet rockets, let me tell you what he left out about rockets, based on more than 60 years experience observing rockets:
1. They use toxic fuel and emit toxic exhaust gasses by design. Trump's rockets are just like that, and too many at one time are toxic to all in the area.
2. It requires great effort to protect those watching the missiles take off and fly from being injured. Trump's poorly aimed and controlled rockets do a lot of collateral damage after the rumbling and shaking ends. The public, even those approving of the spectacle, need better protection.
3. Rockets have on several occasions destroyed their passengers. Even expert passengers capable of flying them.
Trump should launch his rockets exercising more mature judgement and capability. If he won't, someone needs to take his rockets away until he grows up and shows some responsibility.
2
@Roy
I love your analogy.
1
"With luck, maybe Mr. Trump’s politics of indignation are on track to do the same."
The Editorial Board is deluded.
The "Resistance" has a disabling outrage Jones, and the Fake News is making too much money.
This show is slated for renewal.
3
Trump's outrageous actions and statements are all about publicity, and the media always rises to the bait, giving him exactly what he wants.
1
Trump once bragged he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters. If we view that as a metaphor for his racism and xenophobia, I suspect he is correct. If this latest outrage does not move the needle, then nothing will.
Democrats must broaden their attack on Trump beyond the bounds of race and immigration, and they must emphasize that their policy agenda will improve the lives of all Americans. They must rise above internal squabbling and identity politics or go down to defeat. Even the four Congresswomen who were so viciously attacked understand this.
Take heed, Democratic leadership, or face defeat.
4
No one should be surprised by what Trump's been saying. Everything he's done since taking office is driven by his hatred for Obama, a black man.
Obama made fun of him at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner, and ever since then Trump's been obsessed with getting revenge. Eliminating Obamacare, getting out of the Paris Climate Accord and Iran Nuclear Deal, and rolling back numerous regulations are examples of his desire to erase the Obama name from anything and everything positive.
Trump can't get over the fact that Obama twice won a majority of the popular vote and left office with one of the highest approval ratings ever.
Everything that's wrong in Trump's world is Obama's fault. If Obama saved Trump from drowning, Trump would blame Obama for not telling him to stay out of the water.
Few things bother bigots like Trump more than knowing that his enemy is smarter, more successful and better liked than he is. So we can take some solace in that this eats at Trump every day and will until his last day on earth.
5
"Love it or leave it!"
That was what was told to anti-Vietnam War protestors.
Who was correct about the war?
As a Vietnam Veteran and I can say with certainty that Vietnam was a war which was deliberately and unjustly entered into.
"You are unpatriotic if you don't support our efforts in Iraq, because they possess Weapons of Mass Destruction!"
Who was correct about our need to topple Saddam Hussein and how we would be greeted as liberators?
"If you feel the need to criticize America, you don't deserve to live here and should leave. Go back to where you came from!"
What is a definition of insanity? Doing the same thing while expecting different results!
5
What you do is to bait Trump into increasingly ugly remarks - he won't be able to help responding to criticism - to the point where he turns off enough voters to lose the election.
Let's try to not wake up offended, then spend the rest of our day finding a target for why. Let's try to not always be a victim, and not let one of the political parties keep us there. Let's not be like Kamala Harris, and dredge up acts from 40 or 50 years ago, with the goal to divide and create hate. She is using this for her own political purposes and it is hideous.
6
Why not start with yourselves, NYT? When he tells the congresswomen to go back to their country, why aren't you asking them what country he thinks they are from? When he states that Congresswoman Omar supports Al-Quaida, why not ask him to state specifically when she did that and what she said? Your organization is allowing the distraction by not holding his feet in the fire when he lies. Ask him for the specifics to back up his statements then report what is said. That is what we need from the NYT and other news organizations. Force him to state the facts.
3
He said this, then she said that then he said this. I cannot believe that the mainstream media is calling this news. So silly.
2
Pelosi is right to try to pivot the focus away from the “squad”, and the Democrats would be smart to do the same.
Everyone knows Trump is bigoted. This is nothing new and it should always be called out. But these four congresswomen are incredibly polarizing and unpopular outside of their narrow twitter following. And Omar is just as much of a bigot as Trump.
If the Democrats are smart, they would do something, anything, to get the news cameras away from them. The sooner the better.
4
I can just imagine what he was like when he was young....no wonder why he was sent to military school. But right now, he's having the time of his life....as empty as it is.....saying what he wants, ignoring what he wants, feeling he is the most powerful person in the world, and so empty. Once he leaves office, who will be around him? Perhaps as long as he has money he will have empty friends. His philanthropy, christian upbringing, and intelligence have been cast aside at an early age. Those are things that the older you get, the older you appreciate and eventually long for. What good will his secret coding, money deals, girl grabbing, hair dye do for him then?
3
One way we do not give DT what he wants is to point out what it is he is distracting from, yes, his failures, but more than that, much more. The day before Trump created his latest disgusting racist distraction, the headlines were ablaze with the story of a billionaire child molester who was given an extremely light sentence by a man Trump picked as a head of his administration.
Part of the story was that Trump and the serial child molester had a private party at one of Trump's resorts, with a bevy of what was referred to as calendar girls. And as Trump said himself, the creep he was having this private party with, likes them... young. That story disappeared from the headlines, replaced with a story that plays well with his base, Trump is a racist. Better a story about his racism than a story of his cavorting with a known child molester.
Maybe it's time to give Trump a dose of his own medicine - as in tarring, feathering and parading him down Pennsylvania Avenue. A vile act, true - but befitting of a corrupt, narcissistic autocrat with no ethical or moral standards. The lowest common denominator has been reached with this president. Vote him out in 2020 or we are doomed as a nation.
3
How much institutionalized racism, misogyny, deceit, avarice, egomania and evil can America survive?
We're finding out day by day, aren't we?
I wonder what the country will be like next year?
There's a pretty good chance that racism, misogyny, deceit, avarice, egomania and evil will prevail given Trump's bizarre approval ratings and the non-Trump opposition's preference for shooting itself in the head and calling it transformative.
"It's not dark yet but it's gettin' there."
2
As bad as Trump is Mitch McConnell is worse. He is the one responsible for blocking Obama's supreme and other court appointments, blocking any bill that does not advance the republicans holding onto power. Trump would just be a clown show if Mitch was not preventing congresses' bills from being considered in the senate.
2
If the New York Times wants to stop pandering to Trump's tweets, the editors should aim at the Republican leadership, particularly those who are vulnerable in the next election--and on Fox. Watch what they do. Report on their obsequious behavior. Trump would be nowhere, despite his tweets and his ugly-popular behavior, without McConnell and the Republican Senators and Representatives and their propaganda machine. Focus on them. Don't be a puppet of the Liar-in-Chief's outrage machine.
1
Trump’s strategy of distraction has been obvious and remarked upon for years. I don’t believe it works on anybody but his mesmerized base. The rest of us protest his many lies and vocalized hatred but we are not distracted by it; we remain aware that Mueller will soon testify before congress, that lawsuits targeting his pernicious policies and his numerous violations of law and the Constitution are successfully working their way through the courts, that Nancy Pelosi is besting him at every turn... The only honest thing this guy does is give voice to the bigotry that he believes in. I hope he keeps it up - what better way to inspire the majority of the people in this country that believe otherwise to turn out in droves come 2020 and correct the mistake made in 2016 that put him in office.
162
@Pen I'm looking forward to the day when I stop seeing the ubiquitous headline "President Lashes Out"
13
@Pen
The more that the Trumpster can convince the mainstream Dems to support the Squad...
and the more that he can convince the world that:
The Squad = All Dems...
then he may squeak out - horrors of horrors - another four years.
The sooner that the "Squad" dial back their 'provocative' [me being polite] rhetoric - the better.
8
@Pen it's still very distracting - his tweet was front page news on Monday... as if there weren't any other fires we needed to be concerned about. So not seeing how you think it's not working. It works and the media is making it work for him.
8
The ironic and tragic aspect of Trump's increasingly contemptible statements is that the media benefits from them. The more abhorrent and sensational his deflective comments, the higher the media's audience and the higher their revenues. The MSM must re-examine it's editorial criteria for echoing Trump's tweets.
1
It is not a distraction to attack racism, it is our duty. We have a duty to create a society in which people have substantive equality, and this requires attacking racism wherever it occurs, and especially when it's weaponized by the people wielding political power. This should not be ignored or tolerated. It has to be stopped, and we need to speak up, we need to speak louder, and we need to speak up more often. We can fight racism and do public policy at once, and we must.
1
Trump has played the electorate like Lucy played Charlie Brown. The football is here for us to see and kick, then disappears before we can reach it.
3
I respectfully disagree with the Time's editorial board. This is NOT a distraction: it is, in fact, the main event. It is our intense desire to avert our gaze from the march into outright open and official racism that is the problem. Liberals have a tendency to think that identity issues are always secondary to material questions. And ceteris paribus that appears to be true. Under normal circumstances most people are interested in primarily welfare related issues. And correctly so.
BUT, there are times and moments when identity issues become primary. The religious wars in early modern Europe, the French Revolution, and most ominously, the authoritarian regimes of the early to mid-20th centuries. And when we do enter these periods in which the political stakes are raised to include questions of identity the logic of politics becomes more intense.
The instinct to dismiss all of this as a sideshow is a noble one. It is, however, a dangerous one. We must not delude ourselves about what is at stake in this current moment of American history.
4
@Vivek Sharma I think you are correct and that is the real problem with Liberal/Left internationally... Left-wing political movements are all econocentric and have no real solutions for identity related concerns.
This is the reason they are losing on Europe also in a very big way because they either ignore the problems of illegal immigration or try to make it look normal... both do not fly. I read the former and latter from Democrats, claiming statistically illegal immigration is so low, it should be "normal" or claiming ignorance about the problem dangling aid to central america as a solution... it is not.
In USA illegal immigration is happening in a very big way, what is the solution espoused by Democratic nominees... 100 percent health care to illegal immigrants and 90 percent promise to abolish ICE.
LULAC which is the main body of Latin American candidates warned them four days ago that such extreme positions will cost them the presidency as even they do not agree with them, at the heart of it... citizen latin americans do not agree giving such things to illegal american latin americans... what a shocker right?
Trump will force Democrats to take a side on immigration and use which ever side they take to bury them on 2020 elections because that is the weakness of Democratic party.. for too long our party played both sides, now they have to pay the price. Republicans are united in their positions on immigration, we are not.
2
Here's an idea for the news media (each outlet could share in the costs): every time Trump makes one of his demagogic claims, the media should quickly organize and implement a national poll asking voters whether they agree or disagree with Trump. Period.
For example, Trump is brushing away criticism of the four Members of Congress by making the argument that "a lot of people feel this way." On the one hand, it is classic Trump, creating a stir and then putting responsibility on others. But more importantly he is suggesting -- no stating as fact -- that many Americans, perhaps a majority, share his xenophobic hatred of those who don't constantly -- and slavishly -- praise the U.S. as the greatest nation on the face of the earth, ever and for all time.
Force Trump to be responsible for his inflammatory claims, by showing whether citizens share his views, or don't. If there is one thing Trump cannot handle, it is being responsible for his behavior.
@PaulB67 Perhaps they could do the same with the hateful, anti-semitic comments by the circular firing squad.
1
I can't help but think about the large number of citizens who can't identify the three branches of government, the meaning and wisdom of separation of powers, the five basic freedoms, more than a couple of the founding fathers (if even that). They can't identify who is the chief justice of the SCOTUS or who are the leaders are of the House and Senate. They can't identify any significant SCOTUS decisions or their meaning, or any recent legislation, Yet they are committed to their political tribe - without any real understanding of what the tribe represents to them. Perhaps because of family members, friends, or community. Perhaps they like the rhetoric emanating from a particular tribe, or perhaps got hooked on Fox news. Their engagement with their government ends there. I've seen folks in 'red' states at protests - and when interviewed by media can't explain what they are protesting against. I've seen folks in red states in hospital - there on Medicaid who don't understand that their political leadership is trying to eliminate funding for their care. We've cut back on funding and requirements to teach history and government in high school - so generations are now entering adulthood without this educational foundation (let alone not be able to read above a 4th - to 6th grade reading level). Somehow we have to reverse this trend and see to it that more of our citizens are educated about how government works and to be more critical and informed consumers of politics.
5
@Sigma0 I've spoken to blue voters who are equally, or more, clueless than the ones you describe. I've asked those who say 'Anyone but Trump' why, and can't get an answer other than the rhetoric they are fed by cnn. The ignorance is not just the red voters you so one-sidedly cite.
1
@Sigma0 the current GOP depends on the stupidity and ignorance of his base in order to perform their most draconian measures.
That news conference that the "Squad" gave was spot-on about this opinion here. It was actually thrilling to see and hear intelligent, perceptive young elected representatives declare these things so clearly and firmly. Ok, they reinforced my already-held positions, but then some!
4
Distract and divide. That's his modus operandi. Must have done his NY real estate deals by sowing confusion and division, pitting one party against another, resulting in shear exhaustion for everyone. Dems need to get behind one candidate -- I'm for Joe -- and start hammering away with a message that lots of Americans can agree with.
5
@Sara You could say the same thing about the left - distract and divide, hate and attack. With all of that, I don't see anything that they are doing well, or anything they are doing for citizens.
2
4/5 headlines feature his name, words or tweets. You can't escape this mirrored funhouse of Trump, no matter where you turn. His voice is on the radio, his visage on cable news, his scowl greets me from every internet story.
It seems like this is the new normal, and until we all learn to ignore him, we'll continue to fall into his traps.
Unplug and work for change at the local level, and stop feeding the troll.
4
Thanks for addressing the key point of Trump’s latest outrage: distraction. As you note, he has a history of sending over-the-top tweets when bad news hits. I encourage the Times to continue coverage of the underlying issue, and minimize coverage of his “squirrel” distraction. Help us stay focused.
3
An idea,, hire a “Hulk Hogan” Democratic spokesperson ( All garish style, no substance) to meet Trump’s WWE verbal style. Refer all Trumpian distractions to the Hulk for rebuttals. Let the Trump showman behaviour be relegated to its Royal Rumpus Roots.
Thus, let the Trump rumpus continue, but refer it to a WWE style backdrop.
Meantime, ask of the legislators policy discussions and legislation.
2
". . . He feels moved to compensate with a remark aimed at refocusing the spotlight."
Yet, the media--willingly or not--is always quick to help with that.
2
Drama and theatre. Overwrought and poorly acted.
It's time we all let our attention focus on policy, not another desperate and obvious performance.
1
@Bradw Agree totally. I haven't seen any positive or realistic policies come out of the 2020 dems, just hate and anti-Trump. Go nowhere hearings and investigations. Fighting desperately for illegal criminals at the expense of citizens. Etc...
2
@Katie - illegal criminals? You're part of the problem.
1
Trump wants people that he respects privately to respect him.
You know, like the elected leaders from the G-20.
That will never happen because they know him too well and see what a shallow know-nothing he is.
Thus, we can never give him what he wants.
4
The NYT headline asks "How Do You Not give Donald Trump What He Wants?" I had hoped the article would actually answer the question and that the NYT had figured out how. But as Mark Thomason says below, the Editorial Board instead does exactly what it so accurately describes here: it plays right into what Trump is doing.
NYT - please figure it out. Please learn how to frame the Trump stories in a way that stops encouraging Trump's un-Presidential behavior. We parents learn how to get ahead of our manipulative and immature children to teach them proper behavior from which comes proper action. US media can do it too.
3
I don't know enough about US Rep. Pressley to question her positions, but I do know that US Rep. AOC is (from my perspective) the first of a wave of young people with little understanding on what this country means to those yearning to be free. If she did, then I am confident that she would have voted with Speaker Pelosi on the major Border Bill passed by the Congress and signed into law by POTUS Trump.
US Reps. Omar and Tlaib are the first Muslim women elected to the House. This (under more normal circumstances) would be treated as stunning accomplishments and a beautiful example of E Pluribus Unum.
Unfortunately US Rep. Omar has uttered many thoughtless musings on anti-Semitism and many uninformed comments on Al Qaeda. Likewise, US Rep. Tlaib was FOR IMPEACHMENT of POTUS Trump roughly concurrent to when she took her Oath of Office. She, like the other members of the Squad (save US Rep. Pressley) has continued to prate in an inappropriate manner on many topics; in some of these she is grossly misinformed.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects, within reason, what these women opine, much like, within reason, the US Constitution protects POTUS Trump's often misguided Tweets.
While two wrongs do not make a right, as my late Mom used to say, after 11/3/20, it is possible that not all five (5) of these women and man will still be in DC. The People of this country will ultimately do the talking.
4
@dmanuta It's sad that the NYT's and others won't call out the anti-semitic and profane language these women have used. Thank you for pointing it out.
I disagree with the Times' use of the words 'home countries'.
It reinforces the very idea that Trump is propagating. The home country of these citizens is America. 'Ancestral countries' would be a better phrasing.
2
@Al Bennett Well, there is Somalia. Hateful anti-Semitic remarks may be welcome there, but not here.
1
Why does the media keep giving Trump this publicity for his so-called "outrageous" behavior. Democrats need to stress the awful things that the GOP and Trump have done to America in two years, i.e., a 21% tax break for corporate America, billions to corporate farmers, billions to a failed migrant policy; all resulting in an empty Treasury for the things that middle class Americans depend on. If reelected, Trump has vowed to go after Social Security and Medicare. We can't let the GOP continue on the desolation of American values. Vote them out!!
4
Funny thing is that Trump is an easy read. Republicans not so much.
This is exactly what David Cohen was talking about when he addressed Congress. Step by step, inch by inch, you give more and more into his sense of self.
Collins, what a shame and for that matter, also a woman who did not have any easy path to the Senate. Graham, most likely the winner of the "Brown Noser" award. And the bulk of the rest are simply too terribly self-serving that they have long forgotten even the vaguest reasons that propelled them to run for public office.
If love of country and our Constitution was ever on their list of "motivational stuff", they have totally abandoned any youthful aspirations and dreams. They are truly the ones that are destroying America.
4
@It Is Time! Susan Collins is to be admired. When being attacked and threatened by the left, she delivered an amazing FACT FILLED speech regarding Kavanaugh, which I suspect you didn't watch. Too bad you attack accomplished intelligent women. You could turn some of that disdain on the circular firing squad of morons that get so much press these days.
Today’s home page of The Times has nine separate stories or commentaries, including this editorial, related to the Trump vs progressive vs liberal Democrat matter. Perhaps we would all be less distracted if our major media focused more on substantive issues and less on the sideshows that Trump creates and that some of the progressives seem to relish as well.
4
Hmm? Have you no awareness that behavior of this kind, including Trump's failures, is exactly what republicans want (to one degree or another). Their reaction is emotional, not rational. They are cleansing themselves of the effects of the great harm and suffering done to them by blacks (Obama as president), and others (women, 'other" people, immigrants, et al.).
Trump is doing all this to win re-election, and by all accounts, that is exactly his behavior will precipitate. He is fully aware that whites in America, to one extent or another, have a morbid fear and loathing of losing their socioeconomic status, willing to vote in a thug who kind of squeezes the life out of people they dislike - regardless of the cost.
Trump is an emotional response, not a rational one, from a country where the demographic profile is rapidly changing, where women are making gains, LGBTQ are less institutionally ostracized, technology is changing, a premium is placed on education, red-neckery ensures penury. The religious right is deeply afraid of a post-religious nation.
Democrats cannot win by pointing to Trump's errors of omission or commission. They are called to organize and unite, both impossible. They can never produce an acceptable candidate who is simultaneously black, Hispanic, women, immigrant, LGBTQ, charismatic, unblemished, and makes everything they want totally free.
If Trump and his followers are diabolical, democrats seem entirely delusional.
2
Stop with Trump Trump Trump
Start with Mitch Mitch Mitch and the names of every Republican in both houses of congress.
4
Trump's need for attention trumps everything
Ignore Ignore And Ignore Some More...
4
@berman And yet here you are. We really need to ignore these 4 ignorant women who spew lies, ignorance and hate every day.
Need one point out that, by means of this lengthy editorial, the Times is doing precisely what it laments: amping up Trump's ego? The best way to deflate the Bellower-in Chief is to ignore him. I propose a 3-day moratorium, wherein none of the major media: print, TV, radio or cable; say the name "Trump." Watch what happens to his ego then.
3
Yes, you are distracted. In fact, you are complicit with Trump's strategy by giving time and space to his Twitter outbursts out of proportion to the larger issues affecting most Americans, like his failures on healthcare, infrastructure, and foreign policy. How many bills have passed the House only to die in the Senate? You are distracted and complicit.
5
Trump’s “go back” comment was a button push, as you noted in the piece he’s fond of. And most of the media and commentators fell for it. He did NOT say go back to your country. He did not use the word country at all. But everyone added it. And he knew you would. That is Trump’s genius. This button should be labeled “Press here for Dog Whistle”. He’s a master manipulator with incredible evil in his every action. I think he learned valuable techniques for sowing discontent from the Russian disinformation campaign. If we allow him to manipulate us like this whose fault is that?
5
@Glenn Stasse How hypocritical to point out the deceit of the media and then blame Trump. You are part of the problem.
Organize and vote him out. Take back the Senate.
That is how you deal with Trump.
5
With luck, maybe the NYT and other media outlets will stop giving the president what he wants - front page, above the fold attention. While his rants should not be ignored, they don't need to be emphasized!
5
"If you're not happy here you can leave"
A politician actually said that, and it's not even a headline.
I can't be any more gobsmacked.
2
And just wait until 2020, as election time closes in. The TNY Times, and other media, will I hope, avoid using his streaming, lying, tweets as free advertising for the man. It's like that little boy who cried wolf -- a few hundred tweets should be enough to keep the villagers from running just because he calls out.
1
@cheryl I just hope they keep focusing on the hateful, ignorant remarks of the democrats, so that we are fully aware of what we got when they were elected.
The media can balance and thus neutralize trump's tweets, while reaming "fair and balanced". Just report them as follows:
-
"The president revealed his fear over the upcoming Meuller testimony by tweeting the following racist remarks..."
"The president showed his embarrassment over the failed negotiations with North Korea in his attempt to distract with this tweet..."
-
And so on. Give the context, remind him and everyone else that it is weakness that drives him, not strength. Keep it relevant to issues and policies, on which he is universally weak. Remind Republicans that they are guilty of not only supporting his tweets, but in his failures of policy.
That way he focuses with outrage, not distracts. That way the media does not give him what he wants, but just the opposite, the media gives facts and focus to the American people.
I’d actually like to see more analysis of this tactic of “Distraction by Outrage.” Maybe a timeline of Trump’s outrageous comments. What issues and events were in the news at the time? How much media space and how many days of news did he commandeer? What did he distract us from?
It’s not just academic. He will undoubtedly try to manipulate the national conversation throughout the election cycle and an informed public might be our best defense.
1
@Ribollita And maybe an equal timeline of the dems outrageous and hateful comments.
Trump is a master at distraction—and lying. The answer to the question this headline asks would seem to be not to be fooled by the distraction, yet the media falls for the distraction and soon the story Trump didn’t want in the news is gone. If media clearly stated that the tweet, lie, new executive order, illegal action—whatever—is just another in his ongoing assault against his perceived enemies and THEN went right back to the original story, we might have less distraction. The media—yes, you NYT—has for the most part given Trump a pass. It was clear from his statements supporting white supremacists at Charlottesville indicated racism, but the media refused to call it that. For months, they avoided calling blatant lies out, referring instead to misinformation. Giving both sides of a story is important, but not when one side presents almost nothing but lies and exhibits blatant bias toward people of color. Presenting lies and hatred of others as if they are just different viewpoints is not an example of balanced and fair treatment.
1
Just stop playing along. Minimize your coverage of him. I mean, we all know that he is president. Everybody's mind is made up about him. Just cover NEWS and not everything Trump says or tweets is NEWS.
1
There have allegations for some time that there is a tape of Trump being racist on the set of The Apprentice.
Time for congress to subpoena Mark Burnett and find out, and release it. Maybe then, Republicans will have to start publicly addressing Trump's racism.
@Chiz Yes, by all means let's examine every video or statement of every person ever. We all know that if we breathe we're racist, so there is sure to be a treasure trove of information out there for us to be offended by. BTW, what ever happened to the dem racists in Virginia? Have you turned your faux outrage on them yet?
Laudable sentiments by the Editorial Board. What the paper can also do is focus its investigative attention, and press the House to similarly focus, on the issues Trump wants to distract us from. And highlight such issues in the very coverage of Trump's tweets, so he doesn't succeed in changing the subject.
For starters, there's the story that came and went all too quickly recently, about the private party Trump hosted with Jeffrey Epstein for a couple of dozen young women who could well have been under-age.
4
The media, including the New York Times, feeds into Trump’s insatiable need for attention by publishing every incendiary tweet he releases, over and over. Why not summarize his tweets in one article a day instead of numerous articles reacting to them? Reduce them to less “air time”.
2
"They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind".
Well, yes. Now, what to choose....authoritarian dictator or democratic republic?
There were a few other things that happened yesterday and over the weekend that Rachel Maddow last night brought out that probably ticked him off, too.
Trump's buddy Manafort was sentenced to 7.5 years; his buddy Flynn was knoodling with a Russian spy during the transition; and the big one, it turns out the Equidorian government was spying on Assange for years and now it's come out that, yes, he was getting dirt on Hillary from the Russians. Those are the news items the media should be talking about.
4
A few years ago, when Trump was relentlessly attacking President Obama's heritage and governance, why didn't he go back to Germany??
2
My older brothers used to tease me, and my older sister finally said just ignore them. As grade schoolers we learned to say " sticks and stones will break my bones, but names and faces will not hurt me". Okay it's an imperfect metaphor, but to translate it means pay attention to what the current administration is DOING - to the air, soil, lungs, allies, voters, and press - not so much to his tweets. I value words a lot, esp. NYT, and I have learned finally that nice words can disguise mean actions, lies often repeated can have a numbing effect, but most of all, one can think that by expressing outrage, one has done enough.
1
Social media is the toxic sauce that led us to this. How many people actually read papers online or print anymore and give them any credibility. We are in the midst of the most distractionary theater in history. Sadly this may foretelling of the future political landscape. Simply use tech algorithms to scour whats trending and what incites people, keep the tweeting going on a constant basis. The masses then fight among themselves over this entertainment fodder and no one pays attention to what is truly transpiring.
Your last line about luck. Luck has nothing at all to do with this.
1
Just know that when the Trump and his supporters come for you and your loved ones the GOP won’t say or do diddly squat. They will in all likelihood laugh.
Listening to Trump yesterday, I had a passing, fanciful thought.
Is he using the moment to try to get "fired" from his job?
Does he hate being President so much that he's purposely being despicable?
Is it a cry, a wail, for help?
"HELP. Get me out of here!"
1
The President is admitting to playing games via Twitter in order to create a stir amongst the American people. How can this not disturb the Republican Party he represents? How can this not sicken and outrage the population that he takes his duties as President as a game of attention seeking behaviour? I hope there is a backlash against every single Republican that does not speak up against this childish behaviour by the supposed leader of the free world. He acts like a child. You would not accept this behaviour from your children or grandchildren! How can Americans think this man makes the country great again?
2
It is past time to trade barbs with the president. Now is the time to march to the White House. Trump dismissed the question of whether he thought his comments were racist with, "It doesn't concern me because many people agree with me." Well, for someone fixated on crowd size, we should show that many, many more people disagree with him.
1
What if the reactions to all those offensive tweets were seriously analysed by marketing experts. What if he said something like this a month before the election? A week or the eve of the election?
Voting for Trump is intrinsically irrational. What can he say or do that will get people to vote for him. One day, he courts the racists, the next one, pro-life people.
Yell wolf and you are 100% sure how the sheep will react. Why are you so sure? You tried it.
Sometimes I fantasize about what would happen if President Trump were simply and totally ignored. Imagine if none of the opposing media organizations ever printed or broadcast anything he said. In this fantasy, his actions would be made public- but in simple, short sentences- without opinion.
Take it further and imagine what would happen if the entire political opposition simply never reacted to anything the President said- ever.
Wonder if his Tweets would increase or decrease. Wonder what his mental state would be after a few weeks of the silent treatment. Wonder what happens to a narcissist who looses his narcissistic supply. Would this be the ultimate revenge?
4
How many months ago was it that republicans were calling for the resignation of a democratic governor because he committed the unforgivable sin of wearing "black face" at Halloween (?) party while he was in college in the early 80's?
Yet trump's blaring, glaring racism is on full display for the whole world to witness, and all they've got is a few barely audible tut tuts or a timid finger wag.
Can it be made any clearer that the whole GOP establishment is of the same mind? The base that supports this gives the word "base" its truer meaning: low, mean, despicable (per Webster's).
Speaking of rockets, today marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
This could be a time when the entire world unites to reflect on the technological achievements of mankind. With the United States as the fortunate country that led the way.
No, instead the civilized world is united in condemning the racist tirade unleashed by totally unfit for office current resident of the White House.
My God, Putin got his money's worth.
3
“How to lose the popular vote! Again!”
That really irks him.
The current smoke and mirrors have only one intent: to distract the marks, while the grifter picks their pockets.
Who are his marks? You and me? Nope. Trump voters are his marks. And they lap this up.
1
"If you're not happy here you can leave." Trump doesn't appear to be happy here. We're waiting.
1
And yet, this is all the media, including the NYT, reports, Trump, Trump, and more Trump. Take some responsibility for the monster you helped create.
2
Since yoy asked—
Historically, when the president spoke publicly, it was newsworthy and reported in news outlets to keep the public informed. Even unpopular ones spoke to us in the tone of a leader, saving coarse and vulgar comments for private moments with insiders.
Not anymore, and you say it seems the public is tiring of it. Seems? The world is tired of it. And it’s only 2& 1/2 years.
Why is there an article on every cringemaking tweet and rally bluster? Our time is precious and we need to keep up on what is important. Most of what he says is not. He seems to spend his days hate watching Fox tv or wool gathering when he isn’t lashing out at the many enemies he counts.
As you say, it would help if Republicans stood up for decency and confronted him, but we all know by now they won’t. He has demonstrated that there is no line he can cross to incur their disapproval.
2
The president doesn't distract us with outrage, he distracts YOU with outrage. YOU get outraged and distracted and he is winning in this strategy. Every breathe he takes makes you SO OUTRAGED that you all turn into a crazy mess. It's been over two years and you still constantly fall for his bait.
1
Your editorial makes it seem as if Republicans disapprove of Trump's racism but are not saying anything because they are getting what they want out of him. Please consider the possibility that many Republicans in Congress are themselves racist and for that matter classist.
2
My usual suggestion when the media starts wringing its hands over what to do to deal with Trump -and any other politician’s - idiocy is to have a page dedicated to that person, be it Trump or McConnell or whomever, whenever they do or say stuff that borders on too stupid for words. On that page, in fine print if need be, a reminder of what that person has done and said over the last six months to a year, or longer, depending on space. There can be a column for tweets, by day, with a corresponding column, also by day, of what really happened, what were the major issues. Just think of some way to put it all in perspective, please.
2
I seriously wonder what damage would occur if the news media cut by a factor of 10 the coverage of Trump's disgusting behavior.
This article is right in that Trump can successfully redirect failures like the Citizenship question by racist, white supremacist comments like the recent one about sending the "squad" back to where they came from.
But that redirection is fueled by the media essentially providing free campaign coverage with a multitude of articles that thrill his base and disgust the rest of us. Trump got elected, in part, by the novelty of a circus clown running for President and full coverage of every single outrageous thing that he said.
One short 200 word article, one time only, should do it. Then how about a series of articles about how the top 10 candidates would approach global warming or how they would fix the immigrant problem.
3
Trump is cover for the maniacal self-loathing, self-important oddballs in his administration. Look beyond the tweet news reports to the reporting of what is going on behind the scenes. At some point Trump will fail as he always has but he is a superficial problem to the mess Miller and his ilk, in their own nasty mindset, are making of our institutions and our future.
2
First of all, I think Trump writes SOME of his tweets - the illiterate, poorly-worded ones, rife with spelling errors. But some of them have the cadence and style of Stephen Miller. These two men feed on each other’s vile hatred of “the other.” Stephen Miller is Trump’s Mini-Me.
The Times shines light on our quandary. Ignore equals normalize. Call Trump out and we are distracted from other, more important outrages. The daily, escalating viciousness spewing from Trump’s mouth has exhausted the majority of Americans. How often can we fully feel our rage before we go numb?
I think we continue to fight hatred and speak up. Otherwise, this ugly man wins. He will destroy the soul of The United States if we let him. There is no end to his venom. There are no boundaries, no bottom to which he will not take us. This is an evil man.
3
Democrats writ large and presidential candidates in particular need to call out Trump for what he is - a Monster. Stop showing any tiny bit of restraint because he is the president. They need to simply state that this man is a horrible, pathetic, and yes, deplorable being (leave out human). He was such when he was a NY (minor) real estate developer, when he was a bankrupt Atlantic City casino owner and when he was a reality TV performer. Anyone who thought he would change in the Oval Office has been proven wrong. He is a Monster pure and simple. And the US may never recover from this monstrous time. Our only hope is a Democratic nominee who appeals to the center and can defeat him. If the extreme left stays home they will be responsible for our demise (Jill Stein - how are you feeling watching the past 2 1/2 years?). Democrats made a terrible mistake when they anointed Clinton. She probably would have been a good president but she was the worst candidate possible. Democrats must choose someone who can win and end the disaster created by The Monster.
2
I used to believe that the Republicans kept silent because DJT was giving them the judges, the rollbacks of environmental policies, and the myth of creating good paying jobs. No more. As Lindsey Graham made clear over the weekend, those who don’t call him out for his racist taunts are indeed racist bigots themselves. Their silence is their admission that a sizable percentage of Americans are racist and proud of it and of him. All the GOP politicians who deplore him in private are just as bigoted through their silence. Shame upon their house.
2
The Dems have become addicted to constant outrage, which is being normalized along with Trump's outlandish tweets. Dems are not attending to business, but spend every day being offended by supposed "tropes," "slurs," and "hate." Everyone from Joe Biden to Pete Buttigieg receives demands to apologize for supposed racism.
Lots of name-calling in our political arena, and not only by the President.
The President says the Squad are racists. The Squad says Pelosi is a racist. Pelosi says the President is a racist. Pelosi and the President say the Squad are anti-Semites. Anyone who takes a position against illegal immigration (not immigration generally, but illegal immigration specifically) is called a racist, a nativist, and a xenophobe.
Any negative comment about Israel is construed as anti-Semitism. Any negative comment about a Woman of Color is immediately labeled misogyny and racism.
I don't think there's nearly as much racism in our country as everyone suggests. We elected a black President.
I do think we're experiencing a cultural frenzy of virtue-signaling around these issues, with every group insisting it is constantly victimized, indeed more victimized than all the other groups.
Thanks for constantly egging both sides on, NY Times. I'm sure it's good for readership and the bottom line. For our country, not so much.
5
Media silence for a week, at least, on anything Trump.
5
Republican outrage? All the conservatives with an ounce of scruples left the party long ago. The only thing that's left is a cult of personality.
1
Vaguely remembered reading the phrase "respect the president's office" after Trump was declared the President Elect in 2016, among them many Democrats and TV talking heads. Google it and one of the top article from 2014 has this to say:
"The office of the President, no matter who sits in the oval office, deserves our respect." ... "The President of the United States is our leader, our chief executive, the person who the rest of the world looks to as representing the United States." Reads like the bible.
The President of the US just instructed four newly elected Democratic congresswomen of color "to “go back” to their home countries".
White Supremacists won the White House.
Racism got the Presidential Seal of Approval.
1
At what point do we stop rationalizing Republicans' (in)actions regarding the president (judicial appointments, fear of retaliation, etc.) and call out their racism like we do his?
2
I find Trump's combination of contempt and complacency profoundly disturbing.
From his remarks, I conclude he has utter contempt for anyone else.
And yes, in his complacency, he repeatedly alludes to those who support him -- in all he says and does. Who are these people -- politicians or otherwise? Do they not understand he has contempt for them, as well?
2
If only the press had decided not to take the bate starting 10 years ago when Trump started with the birther nonsense!
1
This editorial is disappointing and, really, not up to the standards of the NY Times. Their conclusion is a grasp at some sort of cosmic intervention: "With luck..." Well, luck isn't going to cut cheese in the upcoming 2020 presidential campaign. The Republican party's media masters aren't going to be relying on luck. And luck won't save the First Amendment to the US Constitution. I'd like to read some real advice from the editorial staff.
2
Ignore the dumpster fire long enough and it will eventually burn itself out.
Trump is one unbelievable problem, but one single gnat would be more of a problem if this Trump creature had, let's say half of the support of the Republican Party, and 20% support left out of the 43% of the electorate that currently supports him.
We have 16 months left before the election, 16 months, and this Trump creature with his artful constant contrived high dudgeon always on display, directed at everything that rouses his rabble supporters, whether it be domestic and or foreign issues, I'm beginning to think that no Democratic Party candidate is going to be able to formulate a coherent plan to end this charade.
Unless something truly numbingly awful comes to light directly attributable to Trump, he is a shoo-in (definition is rigged winner), and again it will be the fault of our Pelosi Schumer Democratic Party, it's current annointed candidate Joe Biden, and the long in the tooth geriatric Democratic supporters who still will not cede control to the progressive leaders who can motivate tens of millions of decent Americans who will lead us out of this steaming mess all things Trump has mired us in.
For the sake of our children and grandchildren, I beg the Democrats to wake up.
2
Great headline for the Editorial Board opinion piece, but you did exactly the same thing the headline focused on! Most of your piece talked about him instead of refocusing on the issues & his performance in office.
Don't just write about this in headlines - tell your editorial staff to stop focusing on tweets!! The media truly is the problem here. You all feed into his baiting.
1
The correct use of English grammar by all members of the "squad" is noteworthy. Even Omar, born in Somalia, spoke correct English: Knowing when to use the dative or accusative case with personal pronouns, not using dangling participles, etc. In contrast, Trump consistently speaks flawed or bad English. Trump consistently speaks that type of English spoken by not or by poorly educated Americans. Those Americans appear then to be the "true" Americans!! It is truly appalling!
I am trying to find in the opinion where the Editorial Board answers its question of how not to give the President what he wants. I'd really like some suggestions. Here's one - follow the old advice of breathe deeply for 10 seconds (in this case 2-3 days), then respond calmly and with a strong counter-argument.
Boycott Twitter until Twitter bans Trump on grounds that he is harming the nation as a racist leader. I live without Twitter very comfortably. If you need Twitter, get a life. Otherwise you’re supporting the engine in Trump’s little race car. Instead, use your boycott of Twitter to do some real good for the world.
Get s life. Delete Trump’s app.
1
I can’t help but feel like there is an important third and fourth aspect of the debacle of the tweets.
It isn’t just the presidents opponents and co-conspirators that have a problem because of his tweets, it is also news organizations, like the New York Times, seem to love reprinting his often hateful inanities. It’s all about those clicks.
Reprinting hate speech over and over and talking about the consequences and navel gazing about what it *means* gives plenty of fuel to that rocket and signal boosts it to people who don’t care a whit about what goes on on Twitter. It’s been obvious for a long time that this sort of thing is a manufactured distraction, that I’m sorry to say, has been normalized for a long (seemingly endless) time. The way you can tell is the sputtering of that rocket is mentioned and days later he throws a bigger, more horribly offensive bomb. He’s got to get those clicks too.
And the fourth category, what are the responsibilities of the social media companies that more directly profit from the “ok everyone, let’s all freak out,” mentality. Again, it’s all about those clicks.
When attention has been commodified to this extent, the jerk that throws bombs and has no shame becomes king.
Hopefully just metaphorically.
2
Trump plays 3 Card Monte with the public. So far he's winning. Somehow the media need to start ignoring the noise and focus the spotlight where it belongs, on his failures of policy.
1
Sticks and stones. Walk it off and get back to work.
1
No one has been more complicit than the press in allowing this tactic to work!!! Stop putting it on the front page as three to four separate stories every time.
You say there is a danger of allowing it to become normalized, guess what...it IS normal for Trump to be racist. You aren't shedding a light when half of the opinion columns are about the lack of nuance he used this time.
Instead continue to follow the corruption in his administration, the discussion and analysis of different candidates to oppose him, the danger of having a left wing "woke tea party" moment take over the Democratic party (thank you Maureen), the fact that most Americans agree on a lot of things that aren't simple yes/no answers...
There is no shortage of issues to write about, stop pandering to the panderer in chief.
2
Suggested reading for those spineless republicans: "First they came for..........." This was a post-war confession written in Germany 1946 by Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller. Too long to write here but the gist deals with persecution, guilt, repentance and responsibility.
2
I've been reading the Times for as long as I could read and remember the days of hefty daily papers, practically concrete Sunday editions, and locally-focused sections. In between, I’ve moved from being a print to digital subscriber and watched as companies tried (and failed) to figure out how to fund real reporting with click-bait.
Now more than ever, we, the people, need to know about all the parts in motion, not just the squeakiest one. While the tweets fly, politically-compromised judges with scant courtroom experience (some, none at all) are being confirmed at a record pace to lifetime appointments, economists are trying to figure out what the new meltdown warning signals are, and the stage is being set to undermine equal representation at the polls and cast an unfair system that may take a Constitutional amendment to fix.
Impeachment proceedings could be started against McConnell, Barr, and Kavanaugh—the former for breaking his oath and the latter for lying under one.
I would love to see the Times bring this interconnected world together—as it does so well. How? Reduce the twitterer in chief to a smeller part of the home page. Cut back the democratic horse race coverage. Promote articles that offer facets to the news of the day (“related topics”), even if they are not “of the day.”
The Times needs to evolve from a newspaper to one focused on understanding. Otherwise, we’re all Lucy trying to keep up with the chocolate conveyor belt—reacting instead of leading.
3
The shocking comments of the President are met with a few tepid responses by the lackey Republicans. Lindsay Graham?
The worst among them!
The frustrating thing is that nothing will come of this latest descent into the deep, deep pit that Trump keeps digging. He’ll remain in the Oval Office until the next outrage and then will dig some more.
Democrats in Congress and the Senate - speak the truth to all of the lies and idiocy, strongly, honestly, and with outrage!!
3
"to “go back” to their home countries" -- you should have put "home countries" in quotes. Their only home country (in the unquoted, actual sense) is the United States.
3
Outrage fuels Trump’s bonfire. Stop giving him what he thrives on. He’s too irrational to engage rationally. What reduces him to impotence is condescension. Refuse to take him seriously. Laugh at him. Mock him for the weakling he is, and the “small fingered vulgarian” implodes.
6
I write this as someone born in the United States - God, I wish someone would deport me.
1
You need to look harder at what he's hiding... How about the "boring" act of decimating the ALC. Getting rid of scientists who give us real information. I personally think that this is a huge blow to national safety and security.
3
The media should never let Trump off the hook. The media needs to constantly explain every lie Trump tells. It should not let Trump spin anything, no mater how trivial it may seem. For example, Trump claims the four Congresswomen are anti-Semitic...they are not. They merely complained about the Israeli policies toward Palestinians...many now consider Israel to be an apartheid state. A political disagreement with the State of Israel should never be associated with anti-Semitism. It is time to IMPEACH TRUMP. He fails to uphold his oath of office.
2
The nightmare our country has been in the past 24 months is getting so ugly..so hideous I feel I'm never going to wake from it.. ..this a real life lesson in how things spiral out of control..you know, when people say things like "how could Hitler do what he did" it's because others let him..it's happening right before our eyes.
4
On the cover of todays NY Times (web-edition) I counted 11 articles/columns on Donald Trump. This means that you, journos, are addicted to him. Kick the habit!
6
While the so-called Main Street media has slowly evolved from describing the Fake President’s incendiary and revolting remarks as “provocative” , “vile”, “unAmerican”, etc., to “racist”, many news outlets seem incapable of directly calling the very purveyor of those racist statements a bonafide “racist” himself. Of course despite the overwhelming evidence in the public record, this entire media assemblage, if they had real journalistic courage and honesty, would now accurately in their reportage be calling this force of evil for what he truly is: a White Supremist and Neo-Nazi.
1
As Mel Brooks pointed out re: Hitler (or Nazis), the best way to defeat them is to laugh at them. They feed on outrage, but cannot stand derision. Mr. Trump is a buffoon. Treat him like one.
9
Every twitter tirade he creates is not news. His status as president doesn't make everything he does "news." An equally appropriate headline could read "Trump makes more pathetically racist and stupid comments - again." Less alarm, more disgust.
7
Yes he's an immoral idiot in charge of your country, but the real problem is that half your country is okay with that. Focus on changing their mindsets if you want to get rid of this clown, otherwise you're all just feeding his addiction.
4
I chose to never vote republican. I made that decision when campaign literature regarding President Obama was distributed by the party now known as the trump nazi circus; it was racist, vile, filled with lies and hate. I was disgusted when a republican senator called President Obama a liar at his state of the union address. So much for southern gentility. I am disgusted with the years of republican trampling over their oath of office, their hate and their pandering to a population of supporters who in reality are too twisted to live in this country, even if they did take it to the 16th century. I loathe the republican support for big business, legal bribery, the NRA, anti medical care and so forth because they troop this idiocy as "patriotic", "christian", and "conservative". It is none of these things; it is wholesale treachery and their idol is Trump, a buffoon. While we grip our hands in anger, and vomit at his sexual, racial, and societal crimes, we draw ourselves closer to solutions that involve violence.
Where are the NRA defenders of the Constitution? Where are the Christian do gooders? Where are the real conservatives? I will you. They are hiding because they are racists, money mongers and religion is a way of convenience not practice. The Republican Party has sold this country for bags of money; I wish them the best place they can buy in hell. Oh, and Mitch, will your wife be going back to where trump thinks she belongs?
4
The NYTs failed me again today. I though for sure you'd learned your lesson when you wouldn't call him a liar soon enough; you could have made a difference. But today I thought for sure the headline would read: "Our President Is A Racist!" This from a paper who allowed him to have a full page ad urging the execution of the Central Park Five; this from a paper who didn't call him a racist after Charlottesville, or a bigot when he deraided Mexicans, Mexican judges, on and on. Get it together and fix your error of not calling him what he proudly is.
2
Your news organization is validating his call that you are of the fake news. Keep reporting tabloid garbage and you will become the trash he wants you to be.
Make him irrelevant by not reporting on his tweets, or just about anything that comes out of his pie hole.
Let's hear more from the young people. Old people are obviously too stupid to participate in this country.
1
It's very simple NYT, ignore him. By this opinion, you give him what he craves. Remember what he has said about the NYT? You need only ask yourselves, does this help our bottom line, is in the national interest, do subscribers really care what this blowhard says or writes? It's always the same. Write about what will prevent him from getting reelected, Take a real stand.
3
Every headline in the the New York Times that begins with “Trump..” is called giving Trump what he wants. This newspaper owes this country better than to be his (unwitting) mouthpiece
2
He also tweets when he is angry and frustrated, by the way, which he has been lately and at various times through what seems to be his eternity in office. Now to your question. It is difficult for Democratic legislators in particular not to respond to him because they feel it is their obligation. It isn't, of course, and it would be better for them to show restraint, go about their business, and defeat him simply by being proactive. What contributes to the impossibility for them to resist temptation (thank you, Oscar Wilde) is that the media always points out after the President makes an outrageous claim that a response from lawmakers is required. "When will Republicans respond to Trump?" and "Where is the outrage from Republicans?" Democrats read these headlines and believe they must respond or they'll be like, ugh, their heartless Republican counterparts. Oh, the dilemma! What shall we do America? Damned if we do, but damned if we don't. Can Democrats inflict the worst hurt possible on Donald J. Trump: ignore him. Or will they continue to scratch that itch?
1
Ignore him. Your life will be so much better.
1
How Do You Not Give Donald Trump What He Wants?
We start by NOT publishing each and every inane and offensive remark he makes.
It starts with YOU, media.
When there's something of substance, by all means create a huge headline. Otherwise, resist your impulse to have your readers "click".
YOU are providing the oxygen.
6
Disturbingly, Trump attacks the Squad by saying they are anti-Semites. That might be true, but it’s certainly bad for the Jews to be placed involuntarily in the middle of this fight between right-wing Trump and the far left. Just ask the Jews of Britain where Jeremy Corbin leads the troubled Labor Party.
You don’t give the occupant of the White House what he wants by not giving him a thousand words in your publication daily over nonsense such as this. Clue to you: it’s what he wants.
He’s the worst hack. We all know it in spades. Now, can we move on to something less nauseating and more interesting? How about the Democratic Party actually uniting in a substantive way to rebuke the whole corrupt Republican Party and winning an upcoming election, including unseating a pathologically evil Senator from Kentucky and flipping that Senate to blue.
6
How about some courage from the NYT Editorial Board? Condemn the outrageous statements of the Gang of Four which precipitated the felonious removal of the US flag from an ICE building and its replacement with a Mexican flag. Condemn the lies about emigrants forced to drink "toilet water". That would be a small start.
@Robert 'Gang of four'. LOL.
They’re usually called “immigrants” from our point of view. And exactly how sure are you that those detained had adequate access to clean water? Reports of inhumane conditions at the camps came from many sources, and ICE doesn’t allow free access by outside monitors.
I would like to know the single most outrageous thing any one of them said that is more vile than the suggestion any American “go back” where they came from. Maybe Trump should go back to Germany. Makes about as much sense.
2
I suppose even the NY Times can't let it all hang out, and throw caution to the wind, for want of a better way to describe Trump and the former Republican Party, now the Trumpian Party, but I, and millions of still free to speak people, can give voice to our thoughts about this abomination which strutted in from the barnyard, incessantly crowing and defecating at will throughout our White House, leaving in his wake the odor of the coop he escaped from.
I believe that it is our duty to not let this creature away with anything he is doing that harms us, and it appears to me that every day of the last 29 months he has intentionally and with full awareness sought to harm us, and unbelievably he is apparently being given free rein to continue.
What goes on here; how is it possible that other than endlessly pontificating, no one, no group is seeking legal methods to stop our gone wild President.
It's like watching some micro-budget series with mindless actors performing.
2
Not one comment here or anywhere , not one article I have seen, not one media representative , and not one Democratic politician I am aware of ever holds the Trump supporter accountable. They try to "understand" them, try to figure them out, try to coddle them and win them over? How about call them what they are? Oh wait, HRC did, she was right. they are deplorables, problem was she didnt go far enough. Trump only exists because of them, Trump is a symptom, they are the disease. A cancer in our midst. MLK called certain whites " our sick , demented, twisted brothers and sisters". At least he "went there", nobody will go there now a days, we are all cowards to some degree.
3
I don't know when America will wake up and realize Donald Trump is incapable of outrage. Feigned outrage is all he knows because feigned outrage is all he is. It is as the media is telling us his Brand whether he is the feigned outrager or feigned outragee.
3
With a Trump in the White House America is no longer a shining light on the hill or a beacon of democracy and human rights. It’s everything the world has always hated about us: the greed and arrogance and bullying and selfishness. Are the people who support him just oblivious to how evil and corrupt he is or is evil and corrupt their preferred kind of government? Or have they just fallen under the spell of this foul troll because they’re bored and find his ridiculous but dangerous behavior exciting? Or maybe they’re greedy, arrogant, selfish bullies and Trump makes them feel good about who they are, makes them feel like they belong, certainly more than those soft-hearted liberals with their stupid integrity and concern for others. Happily they are not most Americans and at this rate the Republican Party will lose Independents, young people, women and people of color for a generation. Add most Democrats to that mix and it will be difficult for a Republican to get elected dog catcher.
3
At some point we are all just going to start laughing. At the lunacy, at the horror, at the embarrassment that he can’t even feel. Our pity and disgust will just overflow into wide eyed hilarity and side splitting shrieks and guffaws and what will he tweet then? If agreement and disagreement are too binary then it seems genuine amusement might just make him go up in a puff of once flaxen smoke.
3
How? You mean, really? Vote blue no matter who!
I applaud this four freshmen congresswomen for their response to the openly racist-in-chief, occupant of a WH.
I applaud the intrepid free press, the best networks, who drive the conversation with focus, precision and persistency, standing up for the country, the country on a brink, where 45% percent of the people still support this sub-human to remain their "president" for a second term.
In my view, they all deserve immense accolades and Pulitzer Prizes in this existential fight.
According to last polls 45% percent of the country still support this sub-human to remain their "president" for a second term. Are this people just the waking zombies, does anyone scarred to live in a country like that.
It's eerily similar even if you look at the history between World WarI & WWII.
We're kind there, plus 100 years.
I'm surprised no one mentions anymore trump's alleged feeling about Hitler and Nazi Germany, for the person who never reads, he was spookily fascinated by the Hitler's book "My New Order"
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-adolf-hitler-books-bedside-cabinet-ex-wife-ivana-trump-vanity-fair-1990-a7639041.html
"A 1990 Vanity Fair article about billionaire businessman stated that Mr Trump’s then wife Ivana, said her husband owned a copy of “My New Order” – a printed collection of the Nazi leader’s speeches.'
We all know the famous history quotes...
1
My guess is that Trump is releasing his vile racism to
distract from what is even worse for him: complicity
with Epstein. For the relationship the NYT would do
well to pay attention to https://www.insider.com/jeffrey-epstein-everything-we-know-about-his-relationship-with-trump-2019-7
and, just for once, show some real guts!
1
Taxes, taxes, taxes
Methinks theres a strong link between Trumps comments and the arrest of his friend Epstein for alleged trafficking of underage girls, rape, sexual abuse, threats of violence toward the girls and their families.
Its hard to overlook the photograph of Trump, a dope-eyed Melania, Epstein and his recruiter of young girls as well as the 2016 Donald Trump & Jeffrey Epstein Rape Lawsuit and Affidavits.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/316341058/Donald-Trump-Jeffrey-Epstein-Rape-Lawsuit-and-Affidavits?fbclid=IwAR0AbwtxftTXKRgpuArEvUztrH0U4KToAFVgf2YAQE7ILgy18e1H2hGPgCo
Violent hater Trumps more than cornered. As usual he lashes out at women.
Clocks ticking.
1
Growing concern about Israel, which is increasingly Trump's favorite foreign baby Being in the cross-hairs of an acerbic political and cultural war within the US is not an enviable position. Trump will end his presidency in 18 months, less probably in 5.5 years at the latest. And Democrats will come to the WH, and not of the Joe Biden variety. I just hope by then the pernicious Bibi will no longer be Israeli PM.
1
I am reminded of the story of Lady Godiva. When she rode through the streets covered only by her long hair, the residents of the town closed their shutters, choosing not to look. What if we closed our "shutters" and ignored him as we would a toddler having a tantrum? Without the oxygen of outrage, would he become irrelevant? I realize that this is an impossible dream, but I am finding that I can no longer live in a state of outrage. We need to unite behind one goal. Voting him out.
1
You should be calling for Trump's resignation. Not just for these series of tweets, but all of it. His supplication to Putin. The credible allegations of abuse. His obstruction, and hiding his work on the Trump Tower while running for president. How much more do we need from him?
1
Trumps rocket burned out yhr moment the Russians elected him.
2
I wish there was a teen military school we could send him off to like his father Fred did when Donald became an out of control deviant at 13.
2
Anyone who actively works to divide Americans is committing treason. The Russians and North Koreans will never be brought to justice but none of them pretends to be a public servant of the citizens of this country.
1
If you're unhappy, you can vote --- against any and every Republican at every level every time. Trump and his racist, sexist, greedy enablers must be excused from political power. Our democracy depends on it. We must retake the airports and seize the flag at Fort McHenry!
2
I suggest that we Take America Back Again (TABA)! Enough of these racist, xenophobic rants....Pres. Trump's words are not fitting for a nursery school, much less the leader of the free world.
1
Outrage needs to be expressed forcefully and by calling a spade a spade.
Front page, big fonts: Trump is a Racist. Trump is a liar. Trump is a Crypto-Fascist. Trump is a Charlatan.
Trump’s NY State taxes should be made public tomorrow given Cuomo already signed the permission.
Hiding behind editorials and weaker than watered down wine OpEds is not the way to do it. Support for Pelosi and that wimpy Schumer is not the way to do it.
1
I have been saying for years the press and the media cover Trump too much. By showing him constantly they are just keeping the flame going. His behavior is not normal showing it makes it seem like it is.
1
One possible course of action: a total blackout of all Trump video and audio sound bites and have reporters just briefly paraphrase his incendiary comments. I can recall the assassination attempt on Reagan, a secret service agent was credited with saving the presidents life. When the shots rang out, the agent ignored the normal intuitive response which would have been either freezing, running away, or falling to the ground. Instead he did what he was trained to do by heroically moving in the direction of the gunfire and blocking the bullets with his large frame. It would be so helpful if media ignored the normal intuitive response of taking everything the president says to heart... as if it carries so much weight and thus providing blanket revenue producing coverage. Just as the secret service agent walked towards the bullets, when the president speaks and tweets, the media should figuratively just walk away.
1
We must stay focused on the larger domestic fiscal crisis as well as the international crisis. The massive tax cuts will now be used to gut what remains of the social contract, the safety nets, and all manner of tax-based money needed for the social good (education, infrastructure, social security, etc.). The GOP with Trump at helm grabbed all citizens by the.... purse! Add to this Trump's juvenile spitefulness. He sought to tear up the international agreement with Iran, which brough Iran into transnational transparency--because it was one of Obama's major accomplishments. Now, with this agreement in tatters, the region and the world teeter on an escalation of of potential catastrophe. These bankruptcies (not news to Trump's failed business history) cannot be defended; they are reckless and irrational. What Trump clings to is a the panic of racism. We must keep the focus on the larger issues, and, like the congresswomen said, we must not fall for the distractions, the race-baiting We must focus Trump's policy disasters as they affect everyone in the country.
1
Trump is essentially a “Shock Jock” provocateur masquerading as the President. He thrives on notoriety to satisfy his uber exhibitionistic insatiable narcissism. He wants to stay in the limelight at any cost.
In 1989, Trump took out racially tinged newspaper advertisements seeking Death Penalty for the alleged perpetrators in the Central Park Joggers case. Even after the complete exoneration of the accused in this case, Trump refused to acknowledge their innocence. Trump was also a frequent guest on the Howard Stern’s radio program, where he made endless chauvinistic and misogynistic comments. Greydon Carter very accurately described Trump as a “.......Vulgarian” in the Spy magazine - in reality, Trump is a “Vainglorious Vulgarian”. He is also a dishonest and crass arriviste with a highly rapacious temperament.
Trump is using repulsive racist rants against the “Squad” members as an inflammatory diversion to accentuate their skirmishes with Pelosi. This is a diabolical plot to polarize and weaken the Democrats by using “Divide and Conquer” tactics in an effort to win a second term.
Trump won in 2016 primarily by using “White Identitarian” politics under the guise of nationalism. His Twitter based divisive demagoguery received a lot of traction in the post-literal, social media obsessed society. But after over two years, people are tired of Trump’s tantrums - it’s like: “Same Old, Same Old”. Trump does not have any depth and he is also running out of histrionics. Not Bad!
2
Republicans won't stand up to Donald Trump; they're afraid to. They don't want to incur his wrath, and for good reason.
While praising the intelligence of the American electorate, he secretly knows that they can be led around like bulls with nose rings - only instead of bull rings, he uses their beliefs and prejudices to lead them wherever he wants - and God help anyone who gets in his way.
If DJT doesn't destroy our fragile democracy, he has published the blueprint and playbook for some other demagogue to do it later. If a democracy like America's is going to exist, there will have to be a paradigm shift in human thought throughout the world.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of us all. When we understand all this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
2
twit, n. One who communicates in tweets, as in "What has that twit posted now?"
If Trump was banned from Twitter this fury and anger would go down to a more moderate level. Why is the president allowed to spew his venom on the Twitter megaphone like a toddler having a tantrum?! Trump is addicted to constant attention and it's a huge misfortune for this country that a terribly unqualified man like him landed in the White House.
Thank you for pointing out the way we are being manipulated.
Unfortunately you don't seem to know how to resist it.
I would suggest a few small things.
This is a monster that feeds on his publicity.
Stop showing us a picture of the monster. We know what he looks like.
Stop referring to him as President - Mr Trump is sufficient.
He won't like that.
Don't obsess over his outrageous statements. Point out how false and invented these statements are and concentrate on the harm being done by actions of his administration.
The world thinks we have lost our minds. Let's tell the world what we stand for as a beacon of doing what is right for the future of mankind and not what one idiot says.
"Less courageous was Susan Collins of Maine"
That will be her political epitaph. Looking forward to the voters of Maine giving her the long overdue heave-ho in 2020.
And Lindsey Graham. Could he be more of a shameless sycophant? And by the way, Lindsey: how do you like comrade Putin interfering in our elections? Does that make Trump a Communist, too?
Aside from the few Republicans mentioned here, the entire party is beneath contempt, and needs to be pulled out by its malignant roots.
8
While still providing pertinent information, could the NYT limit its Donald Trump content (ignore him)?
3
It is a shame that the disgraceful performance by Lindsey Graham yesterday only merits a short blurb in an op ed.
1
Lindsey Graham is a warmongering, flip-flopping, power-mad Confederate racist without a single redeeming quality. Susan Collins is a typical spineless GOP apologist, constantly claiming she doesn't like Trump's tone but inevitably rubber-stamping every one of his destructive policies and appointees. Those congressmen from Texas are likely afraid their constituents will discover their closet racism and vote them out. At the very least they are Trump policy supporters - no political courage there. The answer is to vote EVERY Republican out of office in 2020. There is not a one with the courage to stand up and defend his/her country from the autocratic regime that their lying, hypocritical, ugly racist party has erected and supported.
3
Stephen Colbert said it best. Shut up.
And move on.
There is one simple reason for the silence of the Republican leadership, they agree with Dumpster's racist agenda. Nothing new here, it has been unwritten but active policy since the Civil Rights act. The agenda of the Republican judiciary, legislative and executive elements of government have made that very clear. Unless the loyal opposition has a new and unified strategy this will continue indefinitely.
Editors, this is far too soft. You sigh; you lament; your last note is "with luck..." so your editorial is in the vein of a feebly exasperated "what's a body to do?"
Do better next time. Tell the president why he should not be a racist; tell other Republicans they are complicit until they speak out against the racism; make the party understand the price you will exact from them for enabling the president's worst impulses.
J Gifford
Democrats need advice from experts at dealing with bullies and loud-mouth self-absorbed con artists. From now until 2020's election, Trump and many Republicans will double or triple down on accusations that Democrats are "Communists." The McCarthy echo that the Commies are coming has been circulating via social media for awhile. Now it's set center stage by Graham and Trump. (If it's fair to smear Democrats as Communists, is it equal-time fair to denounce Trumpism as Nazi-style Fascism?")
Competent advisors are available to coach Democrats on the most effective ways to counter Trumpian abuse. They must now step forward and offer good advice before the Trump driven steamroller crushes the field.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
2
Trump defiles,with his thoughts, words, and deeds. Republicans if you don't stand up to what is ethically right ,you will also be covered with the same filth.
@Viveka - they know that (the part about the filth). They like it. Nothing will happen.
The “Deplorables” have tired of the squad, its disrespect of the office of the President, its Anti-Americanism and its Anti-Semitism. President Trump boldly states what most of us think, “Love it or leave it.”
Perhaps as Fake news Trump touts his being born in the USA bigly time he should remember his wife and mother of his boy is an immigrant from a former Soviet dominated country ,or is that "forgivable" because she is white?
2
The US military is disproportionately Black and Hispanic. When Trump starts his race war he will lose. So much for the stable genius.
1
Republicans should stop decrying that the four women Representatives of color are anti-Semites. The Republicans could care less about anti-Semitism any more than they care about racism. Where were they when Trump said, “there are fine people on both sides” describing the Neo-Nazis attacking the demonstrators in Charlottesville. The idea of Republicans using false indignation over anti-Semitism to justify Trump’s racism should be offensive to all Jews. Unfortunately, and inexplicably, there are Jews who support this dangerous demagogue.
4
The NYT should include the entire tweet instead of piece meal...especially about the “come back” part...why do I have to read the WSJ to get the full story?
I am gonna start a campaign for California, Oregon and Washington State, Illinois and the North East Corridor to succeed to Canada. Who's in?
2
@EC
Me! Can I claim asylum?
1
"Less courageous was Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who issued a statement that led with strong criticism of the Democratic congresswomen attacked by Mr. Trump and closed with a weak plea for the president to delete his “way over the line” tweets." - Now this is a woman who really needs to go back where she came from. She must be voted out of office. Susan Collins pretends to "enlightened" but she is a charlatan and a fraud.
“the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said.” - What foul language? The only person I heard use foul language and/or say terrible things was Trump!
"Mr. Trump’s aim of stoking an endless culture war puts his political critics in a bind. They can take his bait and fight back, participating in the divisive distraction he’s designed to energize his supporters, or they can ignore his outbursts and risk normalizing his terrible behavior."
Excellent paragraph that clearly illustrates the quandary we are currently in. The only cure for this illness is to speak truth to power. Trump is a disgusting racist. That is the truth, dear New York Times. You should take the courage of your convictions and print it clearly in large bold type for everyone to read.
Beware the double standard, Democrats.
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Suppose the president got true religion, stopped Tweeting, stopped race bating, stopped disrespecting women and all of the “others”, etc., pivoted toward an image of conventional presidential bearing.
Who would believe that charade? Who would believe that he repented in good faith?
Not I. Do you?
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The only way to make America great again is to vote Trump and as many Republicans as possible out of office, at the national and the state and even the local level.
My father in WWII went to war against these racists, fascists, nazis and white- supremacists (and believe it or not, most call themselves christians), and it is time for this country to wake up and remember what we stand for.
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Trump is head of the Republican Party. Everything he states or tweets should therefore be assumed to be GOP policy, especially when few Republicans disavow his words. The New York Times should start substituting "the Republican Party" for "Trump" in its headlines, as in: "Republican Party Calls For Congresswomen to Leave United States".
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Trump is playing the news media like a finely-tuned fiddle. There are many substantive issues that the news media should be discussing: Human rights in China, US infrastructure, US national debt, opioid epidemic, public education, etc. Instead, they seize on Trump's regularly outrageous comments -- as if they are something new -- and vie with one another for the most righteously indignant summary and the morally highest riposte.
What shall it be next week? Relevant news about world and national affairs, or more twenty-four-hour moral outrage directed at the latest Trump utterance.
Time to grow up NYTimes.
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Oath must be covered. Trump must be exposed each and every tiene for whom he is!
The best way to handle Donald, would be to ignore him completely. No one respond to any of his tweets. Regardless of what comments he makes - we ignore him. Focus instead on other's comments and statements that need addressing.
Donald loves to stir the pot. He craves the attention, the drama, the lit fire pot boiling on the store. Take it all away from him and let him stew in his own juices.
Poor little Donald, what would he do then for attention? Hold his breath until he turns blue? Quite possibly.
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Were it not for the fact that Democrats typically are as organized as a herd of cats, I would suggest that every Dem respond to DJT's provocative and inflammatory lies with something like the following: "The current occupant of the White House will do anything and say anything to distract us from his complete failure to tackle the real problems of this country — wage stagnation for ordinary workers (while the very rich control more and more of the nation's wealth), our unaffordable and inadequate medical care system, the domination of big corporate money over citizen's real needs, and the looming disaster of accelerating climate change. All he can do is call people names and hope we won't notice how he is making every single one of these problems worse."
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@pmbrig
I agree completely. I would go a step further and suggest a barrage of bot - like responses from every single democrat.
Condemn both the words and the actions.
When Trump says something outrageous, the media, including the New York Times, report the tweet. They report some of the controversy around the tweet. They report the President's pugnacious response.
Outraged comments follow.
But, why not include reports of the Administration's racist policies along with the reports of the racist words?
Why not report how the Administration's environmental policies disproportionately affect minority communities?
Why not report on how Ben Carson is turning back the clock on public housing?
Why not report on how the Justice Department rolled back many of the actions that the Obama Administration took to ensure fairer policing in America's cities?
Every incendiary comment that this President makes on twitter can be matched to myriad deplorable actions and policies. Report those along with the tweet.
And, when readers comment, don't stop with "I'm outraged that the President said something racist."
Go on to say "I'm outraged that this racist President took this racist action."
Go on to say to corporate America "I'm watching how you spend your money to support this racist President and it's affecting what I buy and from whom I buy it."
Match the words with the actions in the reporting. When Trump says something racist, fill the front page with stories about his racist policies.
Take away his ability to keep saying "I'm not a racist. I just play one on twitter."
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What would Trump do/be without Twitter? Twitter has given him dispensation from its norms that the rest of us do not enjoy. Twitter is as spineless as the Republican party. Where is the patriotic billionaire who will buy Twitter and shut it down?
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Give him time out and ignore him for a week after each tantrum.
Also, I do not understand why US leadership has to love Israel.
Israel is a sovereign country and so is the US. Why are American politicians expected to be loyal to Israel?
No wonder many Americans are ignorant about their geography, history and their political system. American leadership is only accountable to the American people. We, the people are their boss and the three branches of our government are our employees working for the American people.
It is very disturbing to hear that candidates for president must be loyal and love Israel. What about love and support for America first?
US and all other countries are expected to respect the sovereignty of other countries, respect human rights and promote peace and international alliances but domestically, American leadership should only answer to Americans.
There is always been a debate, since the times of Socrates, about where does authenticity end and narcissistic behavior start. Trump and his ilk think he is authentic, an original, who flaunts all norms of political candor and rest think he is a self absorbed narcissist.
It for us, as Americans who believe in human decency, to decide what has been tweeted and what has been done. His tax cuts for the rich makes him just another Republican and not authentic. His vandalism of foreign policy is not new either. Other Presidents have done similar things for instance the invasion of Iraq. Other Presidents have deported immigrants and even interned them at various times. In summary, so far he betrays in his deeds what he spews in words as being authentic. Which leaves him to be just another narcissist.
"The president distracts with outrage. If only Republicans would supply some of it."
Cowardice IS a FAMILY VALUE....surprise, surprise.
Look in the mirror. Your obsession with Trumps every ill-intentioned utterance keeps it front-and-center of American's faces. Meanwhile, he gets a pass on the big issues: exacerbating the biggest pump-and-dump market bubble in history, worsening an unconscionable federal deficit, passing tax cuts for the rich in the guise of helping workers, driving China and Russia together in a growing coalition against the US, etc.
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Yes, we are distracted, but it is hard not to be. I am fully aware of the foreign policy and environmental calamity of this administration. I am fully aware that our treatment of detainees on the border violates international, humanitarian law. At the center of it is a president who is willing to present himself as a racist, and who has bragged about sexually assaulting women. To make matters worse, he appeals to a large percentage of Americans who either like that sort of thing, or who are willing to sell their country out for a tax cut and a few bucks. This is the most perplexing time in American history.
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@Todd
"how to dismiss his outrages for the cynical political gimmick they are without effectively accepting them as normal politics."
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Let me suggest that we hold IDEA CONTESTS to beat Trump. Democrats could hold contests and concerned citizen could, too.
For example, the matador image you show, might be a great idea. People could use this image or a cape to reveal Trump's games.
This reminds me of the upside down US distress flag, too.
This might suggest that Trump is destroying democracy, daily.
I like the "Democracy" song of Leonard Cohen (1992).
He sang, "Democracy is coming to the USA, again and again. This suggests that a new democratic wave may be coming, now.
"Democracy is coming to the USA."
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(I hope the NY Times will discuss this song)
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Better find out what he wants since he will be re-elected in 2020.
"...how to dismiss his outrages for the cynical political gimmick they are without effectively accepting them as normal politics."
You accept them not as normal politics but as normal Trump politics, and you ignore them.
"How do you not give Donald Trump what he wants?"
Study up on how to deal with a classic narcissist and, no matter how outrageous the behavior, don't allow yourself to become distracted. Keep your eye on the ball - because that is what he does not want you to do. That is what he does not want you to have.
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