Donald Trump just blew it
As expected, Donald Trump’s visits to Dayton (as opposed to Toledo) and El Paso didn’t go over well, not that any of us expected more. Some hoped that he would at least try to be presidential, but he just can’t help himself. He’s a self-absorbed, dumb narcissist, and he showed that in both cities.
In Dayton, Trump was met with protesters. According to the Atlantic, one middle-aged white man held a “Trump 2020 flag” while a group stood near him chanting, “Vote him out!” One woman shouted, “We don’t want you here!” Likely, that was the feeling of most Dayton residents, and Trump, being Trump, couldn’t help but show everyone why he wasn’t wanted there. He was barely out of the city before he began attacking Senator Sherrod Brown and Mayor Nan Whaley, both of whom had been very complimentary toward him. Whaley told Salon that she was “confused” by his attacks because both Whaley and Brown said that he had been treated well in the city. El Paso, however, was a different story for Trump.
Salon noted that the eight victims remaining in the hospital in El Paso refused to meet with Trump. While some said they “didn’t want visitors,” others said specifically that they had no interest in meeting with Trump. Who could blame them? He caused this massacre with his hateful talk about immigrants in general and Mexicans in particular, calling them “criminals and rapists” without even knowing to whom he referred. That is typical racist behavior. They rely on stereotypes rather than using their common sense to get to know people prior to placing labels on them.
To make matters worse, Trump stood in the hospital hallway, bragging about the crowd at his February El Paso rally, while taking digs at Beto O’Rourke. Of course he didn’t mention that he still owes the City of El Paso over $500,000 for that rally. He also continued his racist ways by visiting with mostly white hospital workers in Dayton, even though six of the nine killed were black, and Dayton’s population is 40% black. I keep forgetting we don’t count in Trump world.
After being attacked, according to Salon, Mayor Whaley said, “He’s a bully and a coward and it’s fine that he wants to bully me and Senator Brown. We can take it, but the citizens of Dayton deserve action.” Indeed, Trump’s typical behavior is exactly what his aides didn’t want, and according to CNN, they’re not happy with him. If anyone knows why they expected anything different from this man with no heart or soul, please feel free to elaborate.
New York Times opinion writer Richard Parker summed up Trump’s visits best: “The 45th occupant of the White House not only littered his consolation tour with petty insults—but just to rub salt in the wound, doses of renewed racism. Yet most striking was how alone and outnumbered the president was: rejected, ostracized and told to go home.” As the citizens of El Paso should have done. Trump caused their pain. In what alternate universe could they have welcomed him? They’re right about one thing: Trump needs to go home, be that Florida or New York — anywhere but the White House, where he continues to bring shame on and divisiveness to our nation.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years