Republicans privately: Trump incapable of meeting the moment, conduct could not be changed

[Demovictory9]

WASHINGTON - As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic climbed toward the bleak milestone of 100,000 and nearly one-sixth of the nation's workers were unemployed, President Donald Trump's mind on May 18 was elsewhere. He welcomed two of his 2016 political soldiers, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, to the White House for a nostalgia tour reminiscing about how he had vanquished Hillary Clinton.


When Trump did address public health issues that day, he alarmed officials by saying he had been taking the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic - despite his own administration's warning that doing so could cause severe heart problems.

A day later, when Trump journeyed to the Capitol for the first time during the pandemic, he again allowed his personal concerns to eclipse the crisis engulfing the nation. Over lunch with Republican senators, Trump complained about "criminal" Democrats who had "unmasked my children." He accused his political opponents of "treason." He implored his party to "stick together" and "be tough." And he turned the floor over to his new White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, to deliver a campaign polling presentation aimed at persuading the lawmakers that the president was more popular than public surveys had indicated.

To some of the senators, Trump seemed obsessed not with saving lives but with appearing politically strong. Several privately concluded he was incapable of meeting the moment. But resigned to their belief that his conduct could not be changed, they did not share their unease with Trump or with the public. The following week, the number of dead passed 100,000 and the number of Americans filing for jobless claims went past 40 million.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Trump-led-month-of-distractions-and-grievances-15306941.php

Those two days in May encapsulate how Trump spent the fifth month of the coronavirus crisis: increasingly shaken by a pandemic he could not control; offering no more than fleeting expressions of grief or empathy; quick to assign blame to others; enraged by grievances and feuds; dismissive of health guidelines; and concerned, above all, about his diminished reelection prospects.

[pbmus]

1. Yeppers...

[Cha]

2. Relive your Fake "glory days" ******.. We've Moved ON.. &

Hillary beat you with the Popular VOTE.. I know it BURNS 'cause you even LIED about that, MF.

[Demovictory9]

3. its really sad. While the country is in crisis from C19, economy - Trump is STILL talking about

the election.

[Cha]

5. Of course.. BLOTUS is the Most VILE Despicable POS

on Earth right now. & the whole Major Cities are Burning.

[tishaLA]

9. he probably even pulled out the goddamned map of his

and regaled them with the story of him flipping Michigan. Again.

[Solly Mack]

4. He's a reality show character. WTF did they expect?

He needs a set, a script, and absolutely no deviations from how he demands things to be.

When actual reality intrudes, Trump crumbles like the bloated, orange paper tiger he is.

All he has is false bravado and an ego that is nothing more than a black hole of emotional need.

Telling himself he doesn't need other people when the truth is decent people don't want him around.

[DeminPennswoods]

12. CNN's film "Scandolous" about the history of the Natl Enquirer

has a pretty long segment on its relationship with Trump about an hour in. The reporters talk about how he always wanted to be a celebrity, called them with gossip and rumors using a fake name and even invited two NE reporters as VIP guests to his wedding with Marla Maples, etc.

[Solly Mack]

13. Pathetic.

[DeminPennswoods]

14. Larry Haley was one of their reporters

assigned to stick with Trump full time. The things he must know.

[dalton99a]

6. "You can't trust this president to do the right thing. Not for one minute,

not for one election, not for the sake of our country. You just can't. He will not change and you know it."

- Adam Schiff's closing speech at impeachment trial

[Scarsdale]

18. The democratic side presented an

airtight case for impeachment, but the gop refused to let them "win". The fact that the entire country would have won does not matter to them. They backed the BIGGEST loser in history, and they have to pay for the mess we are in now. If they are smart at all, they will quietly let the democratic candidates take over. The gop made the mess, the democrats are the ones who can fix it. It will take YEARS to repair all the damage. The gop does not have any members smart enough for the job of president. It was obvious to all of us that tRump was not presidential material.

[regnaD kciN]

7. So, they were "deeply troubled"...?

[Hekate]

8. Apparently so. There's not a man or woman of honor among the GOP Senators...

Even if they were to march over to the WH this very night to give him his walking papers, it would be too little, too late. He's dug in like a toad in a hole.

[not fooled]

10. Yeah

We will never forget that those puke senators had all the evidence they needed to remove impeached red don from office, but they refused. They gambled that he could carry on like a psycho toddler and there would be no repercussions (other than the consequences of enacting their vile policies).

When the pandemic emerged they lost their bet, big time. Unfortunately the rest of us lost, too.

[Raster]

11. They got their reality show President...

...unfortunately, the show is SURVIVOR and we are all MANDATORY CONTESTANTS, whether we like it or not. Further, when you lose at this game, you don't just get kicked off of the island, you also LOSE. YOUR. LIFE.

[raccoon]

17. Great post. Nt

[The Blue Flower]

15. Let this be his eulogy

This presidency has expired.

[duforsure]

16. Three crisis all made worse by trump

The Covid 19 crisis he claimed was a Democrat hoax, then claimed it was contained and under control while he refused to do anything. Now we have a economy crisis with 50 million or more out of a job with more than half of the businesses not coming back because of trump and Republicans refusing to help the people and small businesses by stalling now. Then you have the murder of another black person, and filmed , so what does trump do , he tried to incite more violence , and will encourage and escalate the violence, and play both sides then protect these murderers like he's done before. Trump is done , and also the Republican Party, as the majority is growing against their re-election daily. I think both trump and putin are finished , especially when all comes out what they both have been up to. Trump using violence will just make more run from him, and he will try repeatedly to escalate this situation , and who knows , he may be doing this to use a declaration of martial law to bypass every other branch , Congress , and the Courts , for self protection from being exposed. Watch what he tries to do when the Supreme Court rules against him,and exposes his taxes and other things he will stop that by declaration, or try . With trump cornered he's liable to try to do anything , especially trying to help putin. trump is weak on putin and russia for a reason. He's trying to hurt China I think for putin, and will trying to claim Biden is doing what he's doing with putin. He always does that to opponents .

[Vogon_Glory]

19. The Republican senators who voted to acquit Donnie in December

also failed to meet their moment.

I can understand the timidity of the ones up for re-election this year, but the cowardice of the ones who didn’t have to face the voters until 2024 still surprises me. I think a mother-pigeon defending her eggs would show more bravery.

===

OT I’m wondering whether Father Pence will become President before the end of the summer.

[kentuck]

20. Amen to that!

How could they have known?

[Vogon_Glory]

23. Actually defying Trump and voting to impeach was safer than it looks

Assuming that you were a Rethugly Senator not having to face the voters until 2024 (We know you aren’t, but this is hypothetical), you had the possibility that Donnie wouldn’t get elected in 2020, the possibility of a mid-second term slump in 2022 that would have cost Donnie political capital, PLUS the possibility that Donnie would find even more ways to screw up between February 1st, 2020 and Election Day 2024.

The Republicans elected or re-elected in 2018 were a bunch of political cowards. I hope most of them pay for it.

[Wounded Bear]

21. Lead, follow, or get out of the way...

Trump is incapable of doing any of those things.

He can't lead. He can bark orders, and bully, and gaslight, but when the shit hits the fan he can only duck.

He can't follow. That would nessecitate that he admit that he fucked up. That won't happen.

He can't get out of the way, because that would mean the cameras would be focused on someone else. His ego won't allow it.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

22. Republicans are willing to sacrifice you in order to hold power.