11.25

As nothing else has

This piece in the Washington Post contained a multitude of fascinating insights. Three years into a long, disastrous nightmare, the American public has begun to see a change in how the Presidency is covered. Has it come just in time? Or is it far too late?

It’s hard to argue the case that this shift in the media’s attitude isn’t long overdue. The most stunning excerpts from the piece involve the paragraph-long recaps of head-snapping offenses committed by Trump. Journalists are finally beginning to contextualize his outrageous behavior:

“Trump leveled racist attacks against four congresswomen of color dubbed ‘the Squad.’ He derided the majority-black city of Baltimore as ‘rat and rodent infested.’ His anti-immigrant rhetoric was echoed in a missive that authorities believe a mass shooting suspect posted. His visits to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso after the gun massacres in those cities served to divide rather than heal.”

Meanwhile, the Impeachment inquiry continues to snowball, with revelations being unearthed each day that are more and more damaging to Trump’s standing. The major takeaway from the countless hours of speculative analysis is this: Trump’s decision to back off the decision to host the G7 summit at his Florida resort is an example of how the impeachment inquiry has changed the calculus in America and particularly among Republicans in Congress. Defending the decision to host the summit in such clear violation of the constitution and defiance of commonsense proved simply too exhausting for Republicans to continue to defend, leading to an uncharacteristic decision to back down from the absurd proposal.

Some semblance of normalcy and political inertia may yet prove itself. The impeachment inquiry promises to drag on into the coming months, souring the Holiday season for many millions of Americans as it continues to saturate the news. But could it finally, as nothing else has, serve as a tempering, mitigating force on Trump’s brazen attempts to subvert American democracy?

Ya-Ke

November 25th, 2019