Dem
48
Ties
1
GOP
51
At risk of being trite, note that three-quarters of the word "News" is the word "new." And it is very difficult to write about a subject unless there is something new to discuss. Otherwise, you end up just repeating yourself.
Donald Trump seems never to have learned this lesson. Or maybe, as someone who loves, loves, loves attention, he learned it all too well. Whatever the case may be, as he has returned to the campaign trail, he has done an excellent job of keeping seemingly adverse stories alive by adding new detail for reporters to cover. We'll give a couple of examples from just this week (which, by the way, isn't even half over).
Example #1 involves his interference with the 2020 election. Trump really should let that sleeping dog lie, as much as possible, because he is still under indictment, and most swing/independent voters look upon 1/6 and its associated shenanigans unfavorably.
The problem here is that Trump convinced himself long ago that he's not only correct, but he's the victim here. And, given his personality, he has a powerful need to trumpet that from the highest rooftops, as often as is possible. Over the weekend, he did yet another interview with yet another fawning Fox personality. And in response to one of the softball questions, about how the claims of election interference "never seem to end," Trump decided to mix some humblebragging with some martyrdom talk: "It's so crazy that my poll numbers go up. Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it?"
Naturally, what everyone (except Fox) zoomed in on was the bit about "you have every right to do it"? That is not all that dissimilar from declaring: "Why is it a murder if you had every right to kill the person?" In other words, he effectively admitted (yet again) to the key element of the crime. He and his lawyers are really, really hoping he doesn't actually go on trial, because all the prosecution will need for a conviction is to play footage of Trump interviews.
Example #2 involves the visit to Arlington. At this point, it is clear that was a mistake. The smart thing to do would be to drop it; the story would surely fade in memory as it is supplanted by newer, fresher outrages. But Trump and his team just can't let it go, and so keep adding new layers to the story (allowing it to live for another news cycle, and another, and another).
The latest line from Team Trump, first advanced by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and former representative Tulsi Gabbard, was that the visit to Arlington was actually supposed to be a bipartisan event, with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in attendance. However, the claim goes, Biden and Harris could not be bothered to show up, and so snubbed the Afghanistan dead. Only the noble Trump cared enough to commemorate the anniversary.
First of all, whether Harris or Biden (or both) appeared at the ceremony, it was still illegal to campaign there. Federal law is very clear on this point, and makes no exceptions for sitting or former presidents/VPs. Second, the story does not remotely pass the smell test. When was the last time Trump endeavored to make ANYTHING bipartisan? Even the most important traditional demonstrations of bipartisanship, most obviously attending the inauguration, Trump brushed aside. The White House later confirmed that Biden and Harris were never contacted about the event.
We recognize that the White House COULD be lying here. That said, if we have to play "who's the liar?" between Trump and Biden/Harris, well, Occam's Razor helps us answer that question with great ease. It is also the case that only one of these three people actually showed up and posed for crass "thumbs up" photos. Oh, and only one of these three people has advanced three or four different stories about why their actions were totally OK, and anyone who thinks otherwise has mental problems.
Again, the correct thing to do here is to drop the whole thing and wait for it to blow over. But Trump just can't do it, which is why his return to the hustings has to have his campaign staff sweating bullets. (Z)