Donald Trump’s Excuses Are Falling Flat In just over 100 days, Donald Trump’s second administration has brought about poor poll numbers, a trade war, and a constitutional crisis.
Under normal circumstances, the president might be able to delude the public with endless spin about why his catastrophic agenda has actually been great. But this time around, Americans have seemingly grown sick of all the calamity, especially as Trump fails to come up with good excuses for it, writes Molly Jong-Fast.
Just look at his latest media appearances: In defense of his conceived tariffs, the president told NBC’s Kristen Welker that parents should consider buying fewer toys for their children and that Joe Biden, who’s been out of office since January, is actually the one to blame. Meanwhile, when asked by ABC’s Terry Moran about bringing back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man lawlessly deported to an El Salvador prison, Trump obfuscated, claiming he didn’t know whether he was legally empowered to do so. Needless to say, Trump “does care about shaping perceptions, or at least trying to explain himself,” writes Jong-Fast, “but that doesn’t mean the public will buy it.”
Speaking of Trump-induced chaos, Savannah Walsh breaks down what the president’s “100% tariff” on movies made in “foreign lands” even means, considering that films produced abroad aren’t exactly shipped to America by sea. Plus, Katie Herchenroeder catches news that Trump’s birthday is expected to coincide with a massive military parade.
Zooming out from politics and in on religion, Paul Elie gives us a peek inside the joyous synod that the late Pope Francis led in Rome last year, and observes how it stands in stark contrast to the impending conclave that will determine Francis’s successor. Thanks for reading.
—Jon Skolnik, associate editor |
