Usually when someone dies, you follow the rule your mom taught you: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
President Donald Trump doesn't follow that rule. Asked about the passing of legendary journalist Cokie Roberts on Tuesday, here's what Trump said (in part):
"I never met her. She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well. She was a professional, and I respect professionals."
So, yeah.
The first words out of his mouth when asked about someone's death was a) never met her and b) "she never treated me nicely." Me, Me, Me, Me, Me, Me.
While all politicians -- and all people -- tend to see things through a how-does-this-impact-me lens, most of us understand that turning everything, especially someone else's death, into a conversation about ourselves is hugely selfish and narcissistic. It also reeks of a lack of empathy, an inability to step outside yourself and into another person's shoes for even a minute.
That Trump's first instinct when asked about the death of a prominent journalist would be to make it about himself and then use it as a piece of ammo in his long-running fight with the news media is, even for this president, a remarkable thing. And by remarkable, I mean revealing. Revealing in that it makes clear -- and, if you have been paying attention to the presidency it might well already be crystal clear to you -- that Trump is simply unconcerned about anyone who isn't him. He doesn't view the presidency as a position of moral leadership. He just does and says what he wants, when he wants.
That rejection of moral leadership -- of taking the high road, of understanding that you don't need to say everything you think -- is what makes Trump truly radical vis a vis the other men who have held the office of president. They tried -- and sometimes failed, but always tried -- to do what they believed to be the right thing, even if it wasn't what they wanted to do. Trump makes no attempt to do so. None.
You can argue that what Trump says about a deceased journalist isn't that big a deal -- especially when compared to some of the other things he has said and done as president. I get that. But, it reveals something far deeper -- and darker -- about Trump.
Someone who is incapable of expressing empathy -- or even of not saying something bad! -- about a dead person is someone who is so self-focused as to be largely (if not totally) blind to the world around him. That's a problem for any person. It's a massive problem -- and should be a huge area of concern -- when the person we are talking about is the president of the United States.
Cillizza is correct to say that Trump is making Roberts' death about him and has made no attempt to show moral leadership of any kind. Where I part with him is that his reaction to Roberts' passing is revelatory. On the contrary, it is predictable. Let us not forget how Trump repeatedly took aim at John McCain more than half a year after his death. That he would take a swipe at a deceased member of the media before she has been laid to rest is in keeping with Trump's character or lack thereof.
That's not to say Trump's behavior is any less horrible. It just demonstrates Donald Trump is a vile human being and that we must stop pretending that Trump has any decency whatsoever. We will have only ourselves to blame if we choose him again because we know exactly what we will get and we will deserve to get it.
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