I’m overwhelmed by the political situation right now. Mudslinging has left the hands of campaigns and has been commandeered by citizens; negativity, hatred and furious judgments pass on all those involved on a daily basis.
Yet who has earned negative spotlight more often and more deservedly than Trump?
I just opened my New York Times app. The top headline reads, “Trump Dispute With Muslim Family Emerges as Flash Point.” The second, “Trump Belittles Family of Slain Soldier.” Here’s a video to go along with it. The third claims, “Trump Gives a Muddled Answer on Events in Ukraine.”
Last week at the Democratic National Convention, parents of a Muslim soldier who died while serving in Iraq spoke out passionately against Mr. Trump. They pressed against his push for banning Muslim immigration and defended the honor of Muslims as a whole.
Trump decided to respond to the speech in an interview with George Stephanopoulous of ABC News. Although Trump wished the father, Mr. Khan, “the best of luck,” he couldn’t leave off the negative remarks.
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably - maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.”
A presidential candidate should know better than to say this.
Mr. and Mrs. Khan retaliated by begging the question, what does Trump know of sacrifice? His answer was that he’s made plenty, and made thousands of jobs for so many people…which is completely irrelevant.
Mrs. Khan explained that, since her son died in 2004, she has struggled to remain composed when she sees his photo. On stage, in front of a huge live audience, there was a photo of her late son. Mrs. Khan explained that it was all she could do to keep herself together; her husband spoke for them both because she needed him to, not because she wasn’t allowed to have her own thoughts.
On a more humorous (albeit darkly) note, Stephanopoulous and Trump also discussed Russia’s involvement in Ukraine...kind of.
“[Putin]’s not going into Ukraine, OK, just so you understand...He’s not going into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down. You can put it down. You can take it anywhere you want.”
Stephanopoulous countered, “Well, he’s already there, isn’t he?” Yes, yes he is. And has been, mind you, for two years.
Trump didn’t save himself well or clearly, as per usual. “OK, well, he’s there in a certain way...but I’m not there. You have Obama there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama with all the strength that you’re talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this. In the meantime, he’s going away. He take -- takes Crimea.”
The Republican presidential nominee reflects an average American citizen in this sense, that maybe foreign details are hazy. However, the nominee for president isn’t supposed to be simply average, particularly when it comes to understanding global tensions--even more so when they affect our treaties, alliances and policies. With Trump’s recent camaraderie with Putin amplifying, his lack of understanding is even more unsettling.
Trump expressed the belief that “the people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were,” further justifying Putin’s acts that have been condemned by Obama and other political forces. He also said that, “Ukraine is a mess,” blaming Obama--not Putin--for their troubles.
Jake Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s chief policy adviser, explained that Trump “gamely repeated Putin’s argument that Russia was justified in seizing the sovereign territory of another country by force.” Sullivan warns that “this is scary stuff...but it shouldn’t surprise us.”
Maybe I’m expecting too much from a candidate when I want someone to understand, far better than I, what global conditions look like. Perhaps it’s too much to expect that someone fully comprehends and responds to important questions. Maybe it’s me, Donald--not you.
