Jay Bookman's insight on Trump

Yes, I'm tired of the daily flood of Trump news, too.   But my favorite columnist in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jay Bookman, wrote something about Trump's compulsory fights -- including with now a second Gold Star family -- that adds an important insight about President Trump.

Bookman begins by giving the gist of what Trump says, and what those hearing his call to the widow of La David Johnson said, about the phone call.  Then he writes:

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"I think it's plausible, even highly likely, that both parties are honestly describing their side of what had to be an emotionally difficult conversation.

"Every president makes these calls to grieving families;  every president dreads them.  Trump may have tried to express his sincere condolences and sympathy, while his native inability to empathize with others meant that it came across as awkward and insincere.  Put another way, Trump's intentions were probably honorable, even if his execution was poor.   To that degree, his frustrations and anger at media coverage are understandable.

"That said, however, it was Trump and only Trump who turned this whole thing into such a politicized mess. . . .  [when he responded to reporters' questions about the battle in Niger].  He could have and should have taken the opportunity to praise [the fallen soldiers'] bravery and sacrifice and to express the nation's gratitude to their families.  Instead, Trump launched an unprovoked attack on President Obama and President Bush . . . [because he felt attacked by reporters for his prolonged silence].

[Bookman continues]:  "What demon drives the man to do that, to escalate an opportunity for healing into a source of bitter dispute?   Both of his claims were demonstrably false. . . .

"It is also telling that for the second occasion in his relatively brief time in the national political spotlight, Trump finds himself trapped where he never ought to be, in a deeply personal yet public spat with a Gold Star family. . . .

"Again, how does this keep happening?  It happens because Trump is incapable of understanding that in those interactions, it is he, the president -- he, the great and mighty Donald J. Trump -- who must humble himself out of respect for the enormous sacrifice that those families have made.  In those circumstances, he is not the more important person, and it is he who must suck it up and squelch his compulsion to "punch back twice as hard" against any perceived slight or criticism.

"But the idea that he has to place the welfare of others ahead of his own ego . . . is beyond Trump's grasp, even in that sacred setting.  The servant role does not come naturally to him.   And frankly, it's that inability to see that larger picture, to respond under pressure with something other than lashing out viciously, that makes it so dangerous to have him as our nation's commander-in-chief."

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I had already finished writing this on Monday night, when I saw a discussion on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes" with political analyst Michael Steele and journalist Jennifer Rubin (whose article I will extensively quote tomorrow) discussing Trump and Sgt. Johnson's widow.   Ms. Johnson had spoken with George Stephanopolis on "Good Morning America."  Her tone was measured and calm;  but she clearly stated what her experience of the phone call had been, saying that what hurt the most was that the president didn't even seem to know her husband's name.

In less than an hour, our empathy-challenged president sent out a tweet contradicting her (as if to confirm Bookman's analysis):  "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from the beginning, without hesitation!"

Let's be clear what happened here.  The president talks about "the lying press" and "fake news."   He was not referring to media reports.   Ms. Johnson spoke these words herself on national television.  So, the president's tweet said, in effect:  "She's lying about me."

Jennifer Rubin, who identifies herself as "a conservative voice" but is also anti-Trump, didn't try to hide her disgust over that response:  "[Trump] doesn't have his facts;  he doesn't have any sensibility of other people's emotions.  To attack a pregnant widow of a fallen soldier . . . How . . LOW . . can you get? . . .  Really!!"

President Trump, this has to stop.   You need help.   You are not up to this job.

Ralph