The Washington Post reports that White House staffers prepared a statement offering praise of the accomplishments and service given the nation by Arizona Senator John McCain. But the release of that statement was blocked by Donald Trump.
Following the death of John McCain, Trump issued a single bland tweet of condolences to the Senator’s family. With politicians and others, left, right, and center praising McCain, Trump offered not a word in recognition of McCain’s service to the military or the Congress. Trump then followed this tweet with attacks on the Justice Department, attacks on the news media, attacks on social media, and attacks on President Obama. It was almost as if Trump, watching the national mourning for a war hero and statesman, was growing increasingly frustrated that his usual litany of lies was not drawing what he perceives as the proper level of attention.
Finally, as the day wore on, Trump got around to providing that praise. For himself. In a fresh series of tweets, Trump bragged about the economy by quoting that noted source … Donald Trump. Then he bragged about the stock market. Then he turned to quoting numbers to show how much “your all time favorite” was beloved “despite all the made up stories by the Fake News Media.” And in the process, he made up poll numbers, citing an approval rating that seems to have been taken out of pure fantasy.
As people across Arizona gathered on the roadside to bow their heads at the motorcade bearing McCain’s body, Trump had many, many words of praise for Trump. But not one single word for McCain.
According to the Post report, press secretary Sarah Sanders, chief of staff John Kelly, and other members of the Trump White House staff wrote up a document that named McCain a “hero” for his military service, which included over five years as a prisoner of war. That statement also recognized McCain’s long fight for human rights around the world, and his accomplishments as a senator for three decades. With McCain’s health rapidly declining, a draft of the document was created over recent weeks, with Sanders and others putting in the final touches as news of McCain’s passing came on Saturday.
But Trump blocked the release of the document. Instead, he told his staff that he would make a tweet … a tweet that included not a single kind word for the military pilot, congressman, senator, and Republican presidential candidate.
“It’s atrocious,” Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for Trump’s legal team and a longtime Republican strategist, said of Trump’s reaction to McCain’s death. “At a time like this, you would expect more of an American president when you’re talking about the passing of a true American hero.”
The release of official White House statement is standard procedure following the death of former congressmen and senators—much less a still serving senator whose long battle with glioblastoma has been so painful to watch. Other officials, including Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, issued their own statements. And both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom McCain previously asked to speak at his funeral, issued touching statements of praise and friendship. Trump remained focused on praising Trump.
Trump’s Sunday tweets reached a trough in a post where Trump awarded himself lavish praise while at the same time attacking the media.
Except … there is no such poll. Not even the Trump-loving Rasmussen has Trump anywhere close to 52 percent. In fact, the only new poll to appear over the weekend was an NBC poll that showed Trump at 52 percent disapproval, with only 44 percent support. It’s possible Trump “accidentally” misread the numbers of this poll. More likely that Trump simply lied while accusing the media of “making up stories.”
If anyone had any lingering doubt about the core values of Donald Trump, those were surely dispelled today. Spite is his touchstone. Petty gall his heart.
When Trump is gone, the obituaries will fit on a gum wrapper. Two words should suffice.