Trump squanders chance to lead after day of fear

[riversedge]

Trump squanders chance to lead after day of fear

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/25/politics/donald-trump-blame-bombs/index.html

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN

Updated 9:54 AM ET, Thu October 25, 2018


(CNN)Don't expect Donald Trump to repent for heating America's politics to a bitter boiling point, despite a day that could have turned into a tragedy after an unknown suspect mailed bombs to the President's favorite targets.

Trump did just about the bare minimum expected after the attempted attacks using improvised explosives on two of his predecessors, several other prominent political critics and the New York offices of CNN.

He called for national unity, promised to bring those responsible to justice and warned that political violence was an "attack on our democracy itself."

But there was no public acknowledgment that there can be consequences to the nation's most conspiratorial rhetoric and demagoguery -- violent, dehumanizing language he himself has spread as he lashes out at his opponents and whips up his supporters.

Characteristically, he undermined his scripted invocations of unity with fresh attacks of his own, implicitly blaming people who criticize him, the media and Democrats for the nation's dangerous political divides. He kept up the attacks Thursday morning, tweeting that "a very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media."
In effect, the President has chosen not to rise above the tumult or even console or counsel those who opposed him.
He did not mention the victims by name. Or give any indication that he is concerned that some people might see his flaming rhetoric as a spur to violence...................................

[Turbineguy]

1. you can't squander what you don't have.

He's doing what he was put there to do. An enthusiastic useful idiot.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. For him to say that his own rhetoric had incited the bombers

Would be admitting that he had done something wrong, and worse, that he would have to change his ways. His fragile ego won't allow this.