President Donald Trump is continuing to flounder as the 2020 general election approaches. He’s recently faced a firestorm of criticism for his abject failures in responding to recent days of nationwide protests against police brutality, and during an appearance on The View this week, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace observed that Trump’s political standing has taken a particularly precarious hit. One particular incident that Wallace noted earned the president an especially pointed onslaught of criticism: last week, police attacked a group of peaceful protesters and thereby cleared the way for the president to have a photo op at a local church without people around, although different explanations have emerged from the Trump team for the initial attack on the peaceful protesters.
Referencing some of the criticism that Trump has faced over the attack on the peaceful protesters in particular, Wallace observed:
‘The president has his base and he has his beliefs and he’s entitled to them, [but] I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the president in terms of politics, in terms of his potential re-election prospects. When you’re getting called out by the Episcopal bishop of Washington and the Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington; when you’re getting called out by Jim Mattis, to the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mike Mullen, and your own current Secretary of Defense [Mark Esper] breaks with you, that’s not a good week.’
Watch some of his comments below:
Indeed — Trump has faced steep criticism from the sources that Wallace mentioned. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who serves the Catholic community in D.C., denounced the president’s visit to a Catholic shrine in the city the day after the attack on peaceful protesters. Gregory called it “baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree.” Mattis, meanwhile, characterized Trump as a threat to the Constitution, and even current Defense Secretary Mark Esper distanced himself from the photo op stunt, as Wallace notes.
Trump does not seem like he will take Wallace’s words to heart anytime soon. He has repeatedly freaked out about even the lightly critical coverage that the Fox host has delivered. Trump seemingly can not stand even the slightest criticism or the slightest questioning.
A couple of months ago, among many other rants against Wallace, Trump melted down on Twitter:
‘Just watched Mike Wallace wannabe, Chris Wallace, on @FoxNews . I am now convinced that he is even worse than Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Meet the Press(please!), or the people over at Deface the Nation. What the hell is happening to @FoxNews . It’s a whole new ballgame over there!’
Just watched Mike Wallace wannabe, Chris Wallace, on @FoxNews. I am now convinced that he is even worse than Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Meet the Press(please!), or the people over at Deface the Nation. What the hell is happening to @FoxNews. It’s a whole new ballgame over there!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2020
The job of journalists is not to be subservient to the president’s every whim, but that’s exactly the perspective that Trump continues to push time and time again. In the process, Americans are apparently growing sick of Trump. A recent CNN poll revealed a staggering 14 percent lead on the national level for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
New CNN poll:
– Trump approval rating down 7% to 38%, 57% disapprove.
– Trump stands 14 points behind Biden, with 41% who say they back the President, 55% back Biden. https://t.co/7sQbXxu4jG
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) June 8, 2020
