Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway charges that media coverage of Donald Trump lacks “respect for and recognition of the dignity for the office of the president.”
No, Kellyanne, it’s Donald Trump who lacks respect for and recognition of the dignity of the office of the president.
A small sampling of Trump’s words and actions from recent days:
1. After being told of a Texas state senator who wants to require convictions before the state can forfeit property, Trump asks for the senator’s name and says “we’ll destroy his career.”
2. In response to criticism by Senator John McCain that his Yemen operation wasn’t successful, Trump says McCain “only emboldens the enemy! He’s been losing so long he doesn’t know how to win anymore.”
3. After Senator Richard Blumenthal relates that his Supreme Court nominee finds Trump’s criticisms of the courts “demoralizing,” Trump blasts Blumenthal “who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him.”
4. Trump tells the press that “daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom,” after Nordstrom dropped her line due to declining sales.
5. Trump tells military officials that America’s “very dishonest press doesn’t want to report” acts of terrorism.
6. Trump threatens to “end the sanctuary cities that have resulted in so many needless deaths,” when there’s no evidence of “needless deaths” in sanctuary cities.
7. When his ban on entry to the United States from 7 Muslim countries, which exempts Christians, is stayed by a federal judge, Trump attacks the “so-called judge,” saying “if something happens blame him and court system.”
8. He tells a meeting of senators that he would have won New Hampshire in the presidential election if not for the “thousands” of people who were “brought in on buses” from neighboring Massachusetts to “illegally” vote in New Hampshire – despite not one iota of evidence this occurred.
9. In that same meeting he Trump taunts Democrats by telling them “Pocahontas is now the face of your party,” his insult of choice for Senator Elizabeth Warren.
10. Trump warns Mexican President Pena Nieto that he’s ready to send U.S. troops to Mexico to stop “bad hombres down there” if Mexico’s military can’t control them.
11. He berates Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for assuming the U.S. would follow through on its deal to take some refugees that had come to Australia.
12. At a National Prayer Breakfast Trump asks attendees to “pray for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger” (who replaced him as the host of NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice) because the show’s ratings haven’t reached the level they did with Trump as the star.
13. Trump continues to rake in money from his businesses that benefit from his being president.
Every day that goes by, Trump further disgraces the office he holds. His lack of respect for the presidency knows no bounds.
This piece first appeared on robertreich.org
