The world is staring at Trump, mouth agape

[Demovictory9]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-world-is-staring-at-trump-mouth-agape/2019/10/16/5f861f88-f05a-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html

The world is staring at Trump, mouth agape

President Trump stood in a crowded East Room on Wednesday afternoon with the Italian president at his side, scores of aides and reporters at his feet, and a bank of cameras relaying his words to millions.

Yet he seemed alone against the world.
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And Trump acted the way he increasingly has lately: as if the walls are closing in. Trump lashed out, indiscriminately, in all directions. His unfocused rage was as cogent as a primal scream and as subtle as a column of Turkish tanks.




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Sickeningly, he attacked just-abandoned Kurdish allies as if they deserve the massacre they are now receiving. He portrayed these friends as enemies, saying they’re “not angels,” that it’s “natural for them” to fight and that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party is “more of a terrorist threat in many ways than ISIS.”

Trump even attacked his fellow Republicans over Syria, unleashing particular fury on the GOP legislator who has compromised himself more than any other to appease Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.). Told that Graham had warned Trump’s abandonment of northern Syria could be a “disaster,” Trump snapped: “I think Lindsey should focus on Judiciary.”



Implicitly threatening Graham, Trump continued: “The people of South Carolina don’t want us to get into a war with Turkey, a NATO member, or with Syria. .?.?. The people of South Carolina want to see those troops come home. And I won an election based on that, and that’s the way it is, whether it’s good or bad.”

From there, Trump went on to a private meeting with congressional leaders in which he called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a “third-grade politician” and his former defense secretary Jim Mattis “the world’s most overrated general.”

More revealing was who Trump didn’t attack: Turkey and Russia. He said Turkey’s invasion “didn’t surprise me.” He praised Turkey for being “almost paid up” with NATO. He said Russia, Iran and Syria can be trusted to take over the fight against the Islamic State.


Such incoherent rage, combined with confusion distinguishing between friend and foe, is uniquely disconcerting coming from the most powerful man in the world. Trump once worried that “the world is laughing at us.” Now the world is staring at us, mouth agape.

[Mike Nelson]

1. I thought his attack on Obama...

... was much more shocking. I'm surprised it is not getting more attention.

[Demovictory9]

2. its mentioned in the article

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Every Republican always defaults to an attack on Obama

particularly when attempting to criticize their own dear leader, so it's hardly new or shocking.

Leningrad Lindsey has continually invoked Obama's name as an invective to attack Drumpf and even Darth Cheney's spawn did the same when it came to not immediately bomb bomb bombing Iran.

[Joe941]

10. Because he has already demonstrated racist tendencies.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

3. Kick for visibility...nt

[dlk]

4. Trump is exactly why Republicans are wholly unfit to govern

We should never forget.

[NBachers]

9. Trump is every republican; every republican is Trump.

[2naSalit]

5. K&R for visibility

[Ramsey Barner]

6. I guess when he says Turkey is almost paid up with NATO

he means Turkey has clearly been spending a lot of money on tanks and AK-47 ammo for roadside assassinations.

[bullwinkle428]

11. I think it's more along the lines of, they've paid a shit load of money to him

for his hotel project.

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. More than agape, the world is screaming...

[Funtatlaguy]

12. Is this when we get to say We told you so.

[MiniMe]

13. Countries don't pay "dues" to NATO

What the NATO agreement is is that they will spend a percentage of their GDP on defense. I think tRump is totally clueless about what being "paid up" means

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. TrumPutin is totally clueless. (full stop)

[Duppers]

15. Exactly!