Wednesday, November 22, 2017

What did Donald Trump do today?

He specifically announced he was not having a "low-key day" immediately before going golfing.

Trump is at his favorite winter vacation home for the duration of his six-day Thanksgiving break. The press who accompany him were notified at 7:56 A.M. that he would be having a "low-key day," other than a few phone calls and briefings.

Ten minutes later, at 8:06 A.M., the White House press liaison demanded that the pool reporter clarify that the press would be having a "low-key day," but that Trump himself "will NOT have a low-key day and has a full schedule of meetings and phone calls."

By 9:26 A.M., Trump had arrived at the Trump International Golf Club, his 77th such visit as president. The prediction that the press would have a light day was accurate, though: per standard Trump policy, they were kept away from the club itself (sequestered in a nearby public library) so that they could not report that they saw him golfing. Trump departed the club five hours later at 2:25 P.M., just about the right amount of time for a leisurely 18 holes and a light lunch.

Trump can also fairly say his day was not low-key: he was wide awake by 5:30 A.M., for a morning Twitter rant even earlier and angrier than usual. In this case it was to renew his fight with various African-American sports figures, approvingly retweet something about "Hillary's corrupt ass," and remind his followers of his opinion that he alone, and not the State Dept. or other members of his administration, had secured the release of UCLA students caught shoplifting in China: "IT WAS ME." 

So what?

  • It's bad if the president tells obvious lies.
  • The news media's job is to report on what the president does, not how he'd like to be perceived.
  • It's probably not a good sign if the president wakes up earlier and angrier and less able to control himself the longer he's in office.