Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.
At exactly what point did Mattis recognize Trump was incapable of mature leadership?
After all, it was during a Republican debate in March 2016 when he said, "They're not gonna refuse me. Believe me," on the question as to whether the military would obey an unlawful command of killing the families of terrorists. Didn't this give Mattis pause? And if not then why not?
Now it's possible that Mattis had reservations about Trump, but that he managed to reassure Mattis in the course of their private conversations that he would dial things back once he was in the White House. It might very well be the case that the Trump behind closed doors behaves in a more sober manner than what we see in public. Liars as pathological as Trump can be convincing not only to the general public, but to a general as well.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Mattis has spoken out. Better late than never. That someone who was a top member of the Trump cabinet less than 18 months ago would so publicly speak out against him might add a certain weight with independent minded voters.
Nevertheless given Trump's reckless disposition I still find it hard to believe that any reasonably intelligent person would think him capable of possessing the maturity necessary to be President of the United States much less being a mature adult.
No comments:
Post a Comment