March 28

Plenty to report on Trump this week; this is one that really angered me:

Trump Says He Told Pence to Ignore Governors in Hard-Hit Areas If They Are ‘Not Appreciative’

So my kids, who are already stressed enough; can now worry that the President of the United States does not want to help us because of the state in which we live.

He is despicable. 

Here is what he said when asked what he wants from Washington governor Jay Inslee:
“All I want them to do — very simple: I want them to be appreciative,” he said. “I don’t want them to say things that aren’t true. I want them to be appreciative.” (March 27 briefing).

Here is what I see as one of the biggest dangers of Trump and those following him. He equates truth to agreement and support of him; not adherence to facts. 

One can speak truth and be in opposition to another. To be truthful, one must often be in opposition to Trump, because he lies constantly. That is verifiable. But he says any person or story or article that is critical of him, or doesn't agree with him, or doesn't show appreciation to him is fake news. False. Untrue. 

CNN is biased toward the left in how they present information, but the information presented in it's broadcasts and online stories is true. They communicate facts. CNN presents information that is critical of Trump, but THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT FAKE NEWS.

Trump, and his followers,would have you believe differently. Trump has convinced many of his supporters that the only place to get truth is from his Twitter feed, and often Fox News. 

It is the height of hypocrisy that Trump throws the accusation of fake news at all the other outlets, when Fox News is the one that most often presents false information. One only has to look at how many on Fox communicated about the Corona Virus.

And just as I'm wrapping up; this comes out:

People are dying, and Trump is focused on his ratings. 

I've had conservative friends tell me I'm being judgemental toward Trump supporters. I don't mean to be. But I believe strongly that Trump is leading us toward death, not life. Danger, not safety. Conflict, not community. If you support him, I can still love you, but I beg you to read beyond his tweets and fox news. Be open to the idea that he may be wrong. Compare what he says to what we hear from doctors, health experts, scientists.

Examine his words and see what he is truly focused on--himself. His popularity. His ego. Read that last article linked above. 

And for those of you who love Trump and hated Obama, read these articles and replace "Trump" with "Obama" as you read, and honestly ask yourself if you would be just as OK if it were President Obama making those statements and doing the things Trump does.

Trump and Coronavirus Crisis

I haven't posted for a while; but that doesn't mean the President doesn't continue to do things that are simply unbelievable. This has increased during the Coronavirus crisis. Here are a few important pieces to read:

The Trump Presidency is Over, from The Atlantic

It's certainly not over, his supporters will ignore anything he does that appears negative. But for those of us who see him clearly, he continues to astound.

He just can't take responsibility for anything. His communication on the Coronavirus has been confused, incoherent and dishonest.

Donald Trump's appalling, blame-shifting Rose Garden News Conference

Part of the problem is that Trump labels anything he doesn't like or agree with as "Fake News." And his supporters go along with it, so they refuse to believe anything but Fox News and similar sites.

Good piece by Rachel Maddow.  You may not like what she says, but that doesn't make it wrong, or fake.

This image shows statements by Trump about the virus over the last two months. These are all true quotes. Not fake news. 

Fake News from Trump
He claims a new drug has been approved to treat the virus, only to have the CDC say not true minutes later.

Trump's supporters in media, especially those at Fox News, have been the ones spreading untruth.

It's not just liberals/democrats who are concerned about Trump. Lifelong conservatives, who have served faithfully, recognize how dangerous he is. 

I just don't understand how people can continue to support him. I think people have dug in so deep, they refuse to see anything that challenges their opinion.