President Donald Trump really wants us to think that he’s a leader capable of handling times of crisis such as that which unfolded Saturday in Pittsburgh, where a gunman attacked a synagogue and left at least eleven people dead and six injured. He’s not, though, considering in part the violent rhetoric that he himself spews whenever he gets the chance.
Still, Saturday evening he proclaimed to the United States and all who would listen:
‘All of America is in mourning over the mass murder of Jewish Americans at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We pray for those who perished and their loved ones, and our hearts go out to the brave police officers who sustained serious injuries. This evil Anti-Semitic attack is an assault on humanity. It will take all of us working together to extract the poison of Anti-Semitism from our world. We must unite to conquer hate.’
Stepping back a bit from his rhetoric, it’s important to note that Trump, in his actual day to day life, seems to think peddling hate like anti-Semitism is no big deal.
During the 2016 election season, for instance, he hesitated to denounce the endorsement of the literal KKK, and from there, he’s continued to at times turn a blind eye to the scourge of white supremacy. In a moment watched by the world, he had to be goaded into singling out white supremacists for any kind of special condemnation following a weekend of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one dead. In white supremacists’ worldview, Jews are some of the original threats to the Western way of life.
Other instances where he’s jumped right into acceptance of anti-Semitism include the time he termed MSNBC journalist Chuck Todd “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd.” Again, Trump is obviously watched by the world, and his rhetorical incorporation of an insult used over and over for Jews by white supremacists was not lost on many.
Even in connection to the Pittsburgh mass shooting this weekend, Trump seems to think the whole ordeal is no big deal. Speaking before a Future Farmers of America gathering, he bemoaned the fact that offering remarks on the shooting before boarding Air Force One had ruined his hair.
This is the way he thinks. And he wants us to trust him.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
