While America Hunkers Down, Trump Exploits the Crisis to Campaign for Reelection

Remember back in the olden times when there were Democratic primaries that dominated the news? There was a “Super” Tuesday and people were anxiously and excitedly exercising their civic duties to vote for the candidates of their choice. That all seems like so long ago. And now they are anxious for a completely different reason.

Donald Trump Virus

The remaining candidates in the Democratic presidential race – Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders – have purposefully put the brakes on their official campaign activities. That’s the responsible thing to do when a global pandemic has erupted and is spreading rapidly throughout the nation and the world. However, while the Democrats are acting responsibly, Donald Trump has chosen to behave in a manner that is consistent with his narcissistic psychoses. Even while the entire country is focusing on how to survive during these challenging times, Trump is focusing on himself and his own best political interests.

Let’s face it, Trump’s presence is utterly irrelevant at the daily Coronavirus Task Force briefings. He has no useful knowledge or experience to offer. To the contrary, he most often unleashes blatantly false “information” that his own advisers have to later refute. He wastes valuable time either attacking legitimate journalists who are asking pertinent question, or embracing propagandists whose questions are nothing more than overt suck ups. Much of his comments are simply boasting about what he asserts are unprecedented accomplishments and victories that exist only in his self-serving imagination. And he insists on presenting an absurdly rosy scenario that ignores reality and dangerously understates the risk we all face. It’s one thing to offer hope, but another to deliberately mislead.

There is only one reason that Trump is showing up at these briefings, and that is to advance his reelection prospects. He has turned what should be a vital information channel into a crass campaign PR affair. That’s why he avoids any discussion of the hardships that the American people are enduring. and it’s why he so brazenly exalts himself and his phony achievements. These are nothing but extended political ads for Trump. They are also Trump’s replacement for the cult rallies that he can no longer have.

In addition to Trump’s cynical commandeering of the press briefings, he has likewise devoted his Twitter account to his reelection effort. In the past week Trump has tweeted hundreds of times. The vast majority of those have been retweets of two varieties: Fox News bootlickers lavishing undue praise on him. And messages from his Republican Senate comrades (more than 50 in three days). It is impossible to miss the fact that Trump incessantly retweets only GOP members of Congress bragging about legislation to address the health – physically and financially – of the American people. It’s as if there aren’t any Democrats working on these bills, despite the fact that they authored most of them.

The lengths that Trump is going to to make Democrats invisible is further evidence of his politicization of this crisis. He will need a Republican majority in congress if (gawd forbid) he is reelected in November. So these retweets are another thinly veiled campaign tactic on Trump’s part. Virtually every reference to Democrats on his Twitter feed is negative. That is not how a conscientious leader would work to bring the nation together in turbulent times.

The bottom line is that Trump isn’t interest in bringing people together. He’s only interested in extending his power and disparaging his perceived enemies. He may think he’s clever by trying to disguise his political ambitions in staged press briefings and innocuous tweets, but the only people he’s fooling are his glassy-eyed cult disciples and – unfortunately – some members of the press.

If the media were living up to the principles that govern a free press, they would cease to cover his briefings live. There would be nothing lost by taping the events and spending a few minutes fact-checking before putting them on the air. But it would prevent more disinformation from being disseminated to the public. And it would stop Trump from unscrupulously hijacking otherwise vital communications to get free ad time.

If anything is a “must watch” this is:

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

And then there’s this…..

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4 thoughts on “While America Hunkers Down, Trump Exploits the Crisis to Campaign for Reelection

  1. The briefings should be taped and edited so we do not see him berating reporters and do not hear him ramble on about politicizing the crises and only hear relevant solutions.

  2. All the Fox talking head assholes are demanding the Democrats stop politicizing this while they do nothing but politicize it. Of course any criticism of Dear Leader and his maladministration’s mishandling of this crisis is political, according to them, and must never be mentioned. To all of them I say fuck you? We will not be silenced.

  3. Briefings should indeed be taped & edited, by ALL THE NEWS CHANNELS AS A UNIT. We know that FauxNews will fill their screen with that ugly man, saying disgusting things & outright lies no matter what, so just forget them — they aren’t really a news channel anyway. All the rest of reporters need to act as 1. Tape briefings & edit them. Edit for broadcasting verifiable info &/or truthful & factual info that’s useful to the public; experts & knowledgeable speakers with something of substance to say; reporter’s questions might be good to hear, but if Trump answers with usual BS at all – edit it out. Try to ask questions of others on the stage that will have correct answers – ask them the question by naming them as who you’re asking for answer. If all the real news crews do this taping & editing before showing it, each can choose their own parts of briefing they think are legit & cover all reporters’ questions, but NOT Trump’s answers when they are not informative. Anything else, not a word of it on air. Viewers might see him up there but not hear him speaking at all sometimes, just hear the others who have virus info that’s real & useful. Ask them the questions & hopefully they will get to answrr. If not, only proper answers from Trump should make it on air & if Trump won’t let the experts, Drs., etc., answer then show that, even as awkward as Trump may handle it, trying to keep it all about him. Good for voters & Trump to see & hear how Trump deals with it, or not. Record the whole thing, but edit for correct info only. His lies are hurting real people. We only need/want the truth!
    I expect that some days Trump won’t be heard at briefings, on newscasts, or maybe introducing person is all. But, it is ok. Better not to hear him at all than misinforming public, lying or bragging about BS! None of that is helpful to us.
    Trump won’t be happy, but give it 3-5 dys & all record & edit before airing, even if a little different. Whatever he does, stick to “truth or nothing” plan. He will wrinkle his face up like a baby, may get whiney, frustrated like kid who cam’t have his way…but you get to edit all that out anyway. Let him & his voters see what he looks & sounds like. Presidential? Or bratty baby? Bet he doesn’t know how bad he looks doing that shit.
    At least all of you doing your best to only bring us the truthful info.
    Not more harmful lies!

    Trump won’t be able to stand it. He needs to hear his voice. His ego will die crying if he doesn’t get his “fix” — like a junkie & his drug! Even if he only lets Faux News cover it, or speak, real news can simply SAY there was a press briefing & report what, if anything, was news. Very brief mention of anything important, not of Trump — if he had nothing to add, just say so. Trump will go crazy if he is not on other channels besides Faux — a narcissist can’t bear to be ignored! Their worst fear, just being completely ignored!
    He will behave with more civility very soon, or may stop coming to the briefings, rather than be ignored. If his arguing, bragging & lies aren’t shown…he will do something else to get his face on TV. That’s his drug! He might even act like a grown-up, or even listen instead of lie — whatever gets what he wants…TV’s attention.

  4. What trump doesn’t understand all the lies have been recorded for history and will be easily used in camp’s ads

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