Donald Trump just chose poorly

| 10:30 am EDT July 1, 2020
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

Alex Azar, Trump’s pick for HHS secretary, told Meet the Press that the “window is closing” on our ability to combat coronavirus, though it appears to have already closed. With 2.67 million cases and 129,000 deaths, what is left to contain? It is already out of control. While Azar made his case on Meet the Press, what was “president” Donald Trump doing? Tweeting about a statue of Andrew Jackson — a slaveholder — and retweeting one of his supporters shouting, “white power.” Trump also, again, claimed to know nothing about the Russian bounty on our troops, but he has not (and will not) discuss a response. Trump spent the rest of his weekend golfing — his main priority — at his Virginia course.

Trump’s actions this past weekend show that he has moved on from the pandemic, even as it continues to kill Americans. He might as well move on, as he tried to pretend it did not exist, and once it became a public health issue, he mismanaged and politicized it. Azar discussed the danger in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s claims that we have “flattened the curve.” What is the point in lying? We are aware of the danger. Perhaps if Trump had at some point been truthful, we would not be where we are, but Trump does not know how to be truthful. He has spent his life spinning tales to help his failing businesses. Why would he treat his “presidency” any differently? In the case of the American people, his lying has proven deadly, not only from coronavirus but the deaths of our troops.

The Washington Post reported that the bounties have caused deaths of American troops — several troops. WaPo cited intelligence from Europe that indicated the bounties had led to coalition deaths. Yet Trump continued to golf and has said absolutely nothing about retaliation against his favorite dictator, Vladimir Putin. John Bolton, further lambasting Trump and the poor job he has done, pointed out that Trump’s focus is not on our troops. Bolton believes that Trump did not want it to appear that he “was not paying attention,” so he claimed he knew nothing about it to rid himself of blame. Bolton does, however, believe that Trump was, in fact, not paying attention. How could he? He is too busy golfing and tweeting to worry about such things.

Everything that happens under Trump’s watch is his responsibility. The powers corresponding to the presidency take on responsibility and meaning. You cannot take this office and think you have no blame when major crises occur. Instead of taking responsibility, Trump’s main goal is to stir up trouble, hoping to use that to slide into a second term. Joe Biden makes him look like the small man he is: “We’re in a battle for the soul of the nation — and the President has picked a side. But make no mistake: It’s a battle we will win.” Indeed, Trump has picked a side — the wrong side — and we will win.