I’m shocked, shocked to find that Trump tweeting is going on in here!
Sorry, media. No one cares.
Thursday, Trump used his personal Twitter account to tweet less than kind things about MSNBC Morning Joe hostess, Mika Brzezinski.
As is now customary for the weekly Trump Twitter tirade, the entire political media set quickly condemned Trump’s tweets and members of Congress rushed to release official statements expressing their disgust with the President’s behavior (because there’s not more pressing business), and the daily White House press briefing was overrun with questions about Trump’s tweets.
The most prevalent argument against Trump’s persistent use of social media to bypass typical media outelts and levy criticism directly at a target is that it’s beneath the dignity of the office to do so. But is it really?
I’m of two minds here. In a perfect world, everyone in polite society and in particlar, the Beltway, would be polite. But that’s not our reality, not even a little bit. And if our president is supposed to be a reflection of the people, then that’s exactly what we have sitting in the Oval Office — someone who’s bullied and maligned for the occassional refusal to acquiese to the press corps’ childish demands.
There’s also a tiny part of me that’s enjoying watching the Executive Branch stripped of the uppity reverence and virtual deification of its office holder. Because, after all, the president is a servent of the American people, not the other way around.
There’s still another issue here — one concerning adjustment of expectations. Trump has always been brash and often offensive to delicate sensibiliites. And that’s exactly what helped catapult him into the White House; a stark departure from the status quo that was leading us down the path of ruin.
We are six months into the Trump presidency and the political media still gets riled up and devotes days of news cycles to Trump’s simply being Trump. He plays his little outrage fiddle and they dance the same jig over and over and over again.
Trump’s tweets might not be conventional, appropriate or remotely normal for a president, but at this point, they’re not outrageous. Trump is not and never will be conventional. The expectation that he’ll magically morph into such is getting a bit childish at this point. Which is precisely why I cannot bring myself to be outraged or even the least bit bothered by the fact that Trump is doing what Trump always does.
As we’ve discussed before, the political media have a horrible habit of thinking they are the story. Continuing to lob round after round and expecting blanket immunity because they’re “doing their jobs” is the pinnacle of tone-deafness. Yet, here we are.
We’ve chronicled some of the more outrageous things Mika and Joe have said about Trump on Morning Joe. While it might be better for the old Bambiism (“if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”) to have been applied here, there’s still indisputable rule of the universe that requires the reaping of what one sows. I’m not suggesting Trump was right to swat back, but I am suggesting that there is usually an end to good grace when you persistently and publicly impugn someone’s character.
Lastly, no one in real America gives a damn what Trump tweets. They just don’t.
All of my years working in grassroots activism taught me one of the greatest disconnects in America is the variance between what the media wants and the desires of the American people. Trump supporters (of which I was not) did not vote for Trump because he was polite and docile (if that’s what voters wanted, we’d be blogging about our third President Bush). Trump was chosen because the “forgotten man” truly believed his interests would be defended where run of the mill politicians had failed them. So far, they’re right. And so far, Trump continues to hold his own against the media bullies, for better or worse.
But the political media will continue to play the perpetual victim instead of focusing on actual news and legislative business, and the rest of America will continue rolling their eyes.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Birds gonna fly,
Fish gonna swim,
Trump’s gonna Trump.
“Lastly, no one in real America gives a damn what Trump tweets. They just don’t.”
Really?
Here I am, thinking that I live in real America, and I care about what Trump tweets: I enjoy his every bashing of sacred cows; I enjoy the fact that he communicates directly with the American people and that he does not depend on the America-hating left-wing media.
Related: The sanctimonious Paul Ryan makes me want to puke.
Right there with you, Rick.
I think you are misunderstanding Kemberlee’s statement. I think she means that as far as real America is concerned, Trump can tweet whatever he pleases and it doesn’t bother them – a statement with which I agree, and you probably do too. Kemberlee’s wording is unfortunately ambiguous.
President Trump tweets what at least 60 million Americans think! Mr. President – don’t ever stop.
We loved it when he was running and love it even more now that he is president. We know EXACTLY what he is thinking because he is telling us DIRECTLY. He is doing exactly what Reagan did would talk past the media.
Gingrich has recommended a couple of times recently that Trump should go out every ten days or so and hold a rally. A great idea! The media won’t cover it (to no avail) and so every ten days, they would marginalize themselves that much more.
The main thing that got me on the Trump Train was his effectiveness at making all the right heads explode. THAT is the appeal of his tweeting. Best entertainment in town. Keep tweeting Donald!
If Trump played by the media’s rules he never would have made it past the first primary debate.
I knew, when I voted for him, that Trump would go on being Trump, so I’m not surprised. And along with several of you here, I think the media figures deserve the derision.
Another point is that all of G.W. Bush’s restraint and presidential behavior didn’t do him any good with these leftists. They’re going to hate anyone who doesn’t drink their koolaid, no matter what he does.
I have this sneaking suspicion that 20 days after Trump leaves the White House, he will conduct an interview with Fox News and he’ll come right out with his Twitter strategy: It was a distraction. It was his way of showing the American people how shallow and useless the media had become. Plus it had the bonus of keeping the media focused upon the trivial and inconsequential. Whether or not he gets real policy implemented, I suspect his goal of keeping the media spun up in a worthless froth will always be a rousing success.
You can skip any claims of “Trump playing 3D chess” and similar horse pucky that the left tried with Obama. He’s not that clever. However, he does seem to understand the media better than they understand themselves.
Mark Steyn has described the next protected minority in American… Journalist-Americans Ever since Walter Chronkite took control of the Viet Nam War and helped hand it to the Communists, future generations of MSM have competed to one-up that. Dan Rather with Nixon and late W…. there have been lulls in their diligence which for some reason happens when presidents with “D” are in office.
A lot of us who were there wondered – often – why Cronkite was trying so hard to digrace us and/or get us killed. His reporting on the Tet Offensive is a classic case in point. Were we caught napping? Hell yes! Did we take hellish punishment, particularly trying to get across that damned river? Again, hell yes! But most importantly, did we take back every square inch of that city? You know damn well we did, and gave the best the North Vietnamese a whipping they still remember!
But, if all you know about the battle for Hue City came from Cronkite’s reporting, you likely believe it was some sort of major loss for us. We killed more than ten Cong/NVA for every American lost and as noted, lost absolutely ZERO real estate. Only Cronkite could make that into a defeat, but damned if he didn’t sell it to the public that way.
A lot of honest reporting died in Vietnam, and sadly it has never been reserected.
I recall somewhere in Giap’s memoirs the story about the NVA losing Tet. This was a disaster for the North because Tet was the ultimate push, the last-gasp assault which was supposed to crush the South, but it failed everywhere. But then he was surprised to learn from the American press that the Communists had won Tet after all. Well, how ’bout that … So the North adjusted its plans accordingly, and went on with the war.
Giap’s writing can be heavy slogging. He was seriously into that whole “counter-revolutionary” this, “the people” that; tedious, major-league cant. But he doesn’t seem to be deliberately deceptive.
“Journalists,” my ass. We don’t need them.
We need “reporters.”
People can make up their own minds, given facts.
The media must show some respect for the “dignity” of the office but that train left as soon as a republican was elected again, which frees Trump to punch back at every cheap shot.
We read his Tweets, and we care!
Every time you write about him, you remind everyone you didn’t support him…
Hope you have seen the error of your ways…
Democrats and journalists (but I repeat myself) are whining because Mr. Trump is not treating the office of the Presidency with dignity and respect.
The last Republican president who did treat the office with dignity and respect was George W. Bush. I didn’t always agree with that man, but he carried himself with class.
And look what the Democrats and journalists did to him.
So I must say that my sympathy meter is pegged at zero on this one.
All of the Bushes were, at least by Washington standards, dignified and gracious men. And for reward they were treated like punching bags. The obvious lesson is … that doesn’t work, so try something else.
Is a president who lets himself be unfairly criticized dignified because he remains silent? Does remaining silent always deserve respect?
Is it “presidential” for a president to remain silent in the face of unfair criticisms of his policies?
Is it undignified to fight back?
Are we supposed to let the ruling elites tell us the answers to those questions?
And so far, Trump continues to hold his own against the media bullies, for better or worse.
I don’t see a hint of anything resembling “worse” about it.
Surely you’re not claiming to see anything good about the idea of an unelected press running yet another President ragged?
If Trump continues to beat our disgusting Press like a Muslim wife, well … “it’ll be great,” as the man himself says.
Unlike Bill Clinton, Obama, or Hillary Clinton, GWB was a gentleman. His great error was that in not defending himself against slanderous attacks, he was also failing to defend his fellow citizens. The result was that we were discouraged, and our enemies were encouraged. This has resulted in our current dysfunctional political culture.
He was a good man, and he did nothing.
His great error was that in not defending himself against slanderous attacks, he was also failing to defend his fellow citizens.
Yes, politeness is a dispensable luxury when it interferes with doing your job.
Having actually finally read the tweet at the center of the firestorm, what Mika was doing was really very creepy.
All I can think is, the news is trying to make it into an embarrassment for Trump, because he’s just pointed out, for all the world to see, just how hyper-stalker the talking heads have become.
The President of the United States has to maintain common decency in order encourage respect for the office.
The President of the United States needs to study and understand the complexities of governing and he needs to absorb pertinent datum to understand the best solutions available.
Trump doesn’t do this. He treats his subordinates, his allies and and his enemies with scorn and disrespect – a very dangerous proposition.
He wastes his time watching news shows and he keeps looking for mention of his name and angrily attacks via Twitter when he dislikes the context of media comments ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. This makes him a very sick and stupid man.
How in Hell’s name can anyone believe that he is mentally stable?
And when will he stop these constant political rallies where he can wail for hours about the Great Trump!
Trump stirs the post then expects supporters to back his idiocy – and they do!
The President of the United States has to maintain common decency in order encourage respect for the office.
Nonsense. He’s not the Cheerleader-in-Chief. He has no obligation to jolly up a bunch of sore losers, nor to live down to the pathetic standard the Dems have established for the Presidency.
His supporters voted him in so he can kick somebody’s ass, and keep doing it. The elusive concept of “leadership” demands nothing less. So far, he’s been a great success.
You have no idea what President Trump studies or listens to. You ascribe clerk level data analysis as an end unto itself and mistake this low level thinking for what is important in executive leadership. Typical bureaucrat/academic style thinking of those who have never had p&l authority, never risked their lives and fortunes, and never signed the front of a payroll check.
“Trump stirs the post then expects supporters to back his idiocy – and they do!”
You deserve a Bush or a Romney. They would be nice while the progs drag you off in chains.
Mentally unstable is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
But you keep being nice to the progs that spend every single day calling you every vile name they can come up with and creating fake news about you. You can lick their boots after.
“The President of the United States has to maintain common decency in order encourage respect for the office.”
The left, and the media outlets, but I repeat myself, showed ZERO respect for the office from the minute he was elected. They had none then, they have none now, they will never have any for even a single minute that Trump is in office. And there is literally NOTHING Trump can do to change that.
So guess what? That means worrying about “respect for the office” is off the table. Faggeddaboutit, it’s pointless. GWB worked to maintain “respect for the office” at all times, and what did it get him? Constant scorn and derision. So forget that model, we tried it, it failed.
You know what people do respect when “respect for the office” is gone? They respect what you can do to hurt them. Assad respects Trump far more than he ever respected Obama, because Trump will blow up his pretty planes if he gets out of hand. The Euro’s are starting to respect Trump, even though they won’t admit it, because he’s going to cut off their trust fund baby checks.
When people don’t respect someone with power, the most effective way to get their respect is to hurt them, and to go on hurting them until they learn some respect. That’s old time power politics, and it works just as well now as it ever did.
Amen.
The MSM will either respect the Office of the President, or they won’t. That’s on them, and nothing Trump does or doesn’t do with affect that.
(Besides which, aren’t the talking heads in the MSM the ones falling over themselves telling us that even if we don’t respect the man, we should respect the Office? What happened to that? … Oh, yeah: Trump got elected, so they don’t feel the need to respect either one. Because Trump.)
Trump is smart enough to know that if he can’t affect something, he shouldn’t waste his energy. Instead, he’s using their outrage and derision to distract them as he gets stuff done. The more they devote their limited air time to what he’s saying on Twitter, the less time they have to attack his actions as President.
And as I commented on the last article about Trump’s tweeting: He’s playing them like a cheap fiddle, and they think they’re marching to their own beat but they’re really dancing predictably to his tune.
The best move on their part would be to not play that game. But it’s Trump, so they Can’t. Not. Play.
The President of the United States needs to study and understand the complexities of governing and he needs to absorb pertinent datum to understand the best solutions available.
Trump doesn’t do this. […]
He wastes his time watching news shows and he keeps looking for mention of his name and angrily attacks via Twitter when he dislikes the context of media comments ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
Have you ever seen or heard any reports from people actually around Trump, regarding what he does?
I have. By and large, he reads. Constantly. He reads bills, intelligence reports, reams-worth of statutes and regulations. Even when he goes to Mar-a-lago on “vacation”, he spends most of his time reading the same kind of stuff (most of us call that a “working vacation”).
He’s consuming written material like a Ph.D. candidate cramming for his finals, and has been for months. And unlike Obama and every President since Bill Clinton, who have named those who write reports and regulations as advisors, Trump surrounds himself with people who made their living on the receiving end of those reports, rules, and regulations.
Because nobody knows how regulations work in real life better than those who have to live under them.
In short, it sounds to me like he’s doing exactly what you just said he’s not doing: absorbing data and gaining an understanding of complex issues, in order to govern better.
Some of us CAN walk and chew gum simultaneously. I can even DRIVE while listening to the RADIO!! I can actually push buttons to change stations while operating my turn signal!!!!
How’s THAT for multi-tasking, eh?
I liked what Dennis Prager said today on his radio program. He ignores what Trump says and tweets but is thankful for the things he is doing. I too cannot watch him speak and his tweets are childish but he is undoing what the jug-eared socialist did to our nation and for that I am thankful.
I ignore what Trump tweets except for what’s discussed here and on other blogs. Because I’m not on twitter; I have no use for it. But I like Trump using it. Because he annoys and irritates all the right people and gets under their skin and lives in their heads by tweeting.
I’m thankful to come here and find that, not only are conservatives NOT caving to the fake civility cannard, they are energized.
We have a media that lies to us constantly, that seeks to undermine democracy through voting fraud, that daily tries to incite violence against Republicans, that glorifies and promotes violent racist terrorist groups such as Black Lives Matter – and they have the nerve to demand that I get upset about Trump’s tweets?
Joseph Goebbels is the patron saint of today’s media.
Once again we see the media/lefty’s running full speed with their hair on fire through the plate glass window screaming at the top of their lungs. Just so fun to watch the continuing melt down of the completely insane “Resist” movement.
President Trump has done major damage to the progressive movement in the United States and that is why they have gone off the deep end minutes after he was elected.
Fire away President Trump! 🙂
I am so glad I found this site. There are some very intelligent, objective, articulate, and decent thinking people here.
Thanks LegalInsurrection!!!
Every time a Trump creates a Tweet-storm, an angel gets its wings.
Filling Heaven to bursting on a weekly basis, then?