'It could have been worse' is the foundation of Trump's presidency
Every time President Trump threatens to do something ghastly and then retreats, his enablers and apologists quietly murmur, You see? It could have been worse.
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This is a pattern, in domestic and foreign matters alike. True, Trump has insulted Americas closest allies and raised doubts about whether the United States would come to their defense, as promised in treaties. But it could have been worse: He hasnt pulled out of NATO!
Yes, he has undermined the rule of law by trashing the Justice Department, asking the FBI to go easy on his national security adviser, defying legitimate congressional requests for information, trying to sic U.S. antitrust enforcers on a company he disliked, dangling the possibility of pardons to potential witnesses against himself, refusing to be interviewed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and much, much more. But he didnt fire Mueller! It could have been worse.
He evicted a reporter who annoyed him from the White House and nearly abolished daily press briefings. But he hasnt kicked out the entire press corps! He took Russian President Vladimir Putins word over that of his own intelligence agencies. But he hasnt ended sanctions on Russia! He walked totally unprepared into a summit with Kim Jong Un and left with nothing to show for it. But he didnt give away the store! He made 9,451 false or misleading statements during his first 801 days in office, as The Posts Fact Checker has documented. But sometimes he tells the truth!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/it-could-have-been-worse-is-the-foundation-of-trumps-presidency/2019/04/07/be7cff64-57c3-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html?utm_term=.c45903b90a56