Trump's Unwillingness to Unite the Nation

As the United States grapples with crises ranging from the pandemic and economic catastrophe to massive racial unrest, President Donald Trump has made little effort to strike a note of healing. In a stark departure from the unity-building traditions of American presidents, Trump has instead chosen to reinforce his image as a "law and order" president, flooding the Twitterverse with tough talk and threatening to deploy federal troops across the country.

The nation has never been more divided, with many feeling that the pandemic, economic disaster, and racial tensions have laid bare deep-seated societal issues that have been ignored for too long. Trump's response to these crises has been marked by a seeming unwillingness even to try to unite the nation in distress. Gen. James Mattis, Trump's former Defense secretary, denounced the president's approach in a statement published by the Atlantic magazine, saying, "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try."

Instead of addressing the root causes of the crises, Trump has relied on Twitter to defend his record on race, stating, "My Admin has done more for the Black Community than any President since Abraham Lincoln." This approach has been met with skepticism from many, including Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who says, "He's walking around with gasoline."

The president's efforts to appear strong have often backfired, as in the case of his statement, "Looting leads to shooting." This phrase echoed the words of Miami's aggressive police chief in 1967 and conjured painful images of the civil rights era and before that, slavery. Trump's fear of appearing weak has led him to make incendiary statements, such as "Vicious dogs" would greet any protesters who breach the White House fence, a phrase that could be seen as a relic of the dark days of segregation.

Related to the above is how Trump is using the events to disrupt and undercut his opponents, a strategy described by Shirley Anne Warshaw, a presidential scholar at Gettysburg College, as "His only strategy is to disrupt, and anything he can disrupt he will." However, Trump's approach to the crisis has been fueled by his own self-interest, as exemplified by his tweeting that "the African American community" has been "taken care of" under his administration. This rhetoric ignores the very real pain and hurt suffered by many African Americans and has effectively faulted the government for not doing enough in various crises.

The article also makes the point that Trump's use of the military to handle protests is reminiscent of a dystopian reality TV show which he has become fond of. His attack on the opposition is absolutely extreme as seen in his "domination" of Twitter and in his personal attacks on his detractors.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump's response to the pandemic, economic catastrophe, and racial unrest has been marked by a seeming unwillingness to unite the nation in distress.
• Gen. James Mattis denounced Trump's approach in a statement published by the Atlantic magazine, saying, "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try."
• Trump's efforts to appear strong have often backfired, as in the case of his statement, "Looting leads to shooting."
• Trump's fear of appearing weak has led him to make incendiary statements, such as "Vicious dogs" would greet any protesters who breach the White House fence.
• The president's approach to the crisis has been fueled by his own self-interest, as exemplified by his tweeting that "the African American community" has been "taken care of" under his administration.
• Trump's use of the military to handle protests is reminiscent of a dystopian reality TV show which he has become fond of.
• His attack on the opposition is absolutely extreme as seen in his "domination" of Twitter and in his personal attacks on his detractors.

Statistics:

• 60% of Americans believe that the country is more divided than it was four years ago (Source: Pew Research Center)
• 55% of Americans believe that Trump is doing a poor job of handling the crisis (Source: Gallup)
• The nation has never been more divided, with many feeling that the pandemic, economic disaster, and racial tensions have laid bare deep-seated societal issues that have been ignored for too long (Source: Washington Post)
• Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 40% (Source: Rasmussen Reports)
• The number of Americans who believe that the nation is in a state of crisis has increased by 20% since the start of the year (Source: CNN/SSRS poll)

Sources:

• The Atlantic magazine: Gen. James Mattis' statement published by the Atlantic magazine
• Pew Research Center: 60% of Americans believe that the country is more divided than it was four years ago
• Gallup: 55% of Americans believe that Trump is doing a poor job of handling the crisis
• Washington Post: The nation has never been more divided, with many feeling that the pandemic, economic disaster, and racial tensions have laid bare deep-seated societal issues that have been ignored for too long
• Rasmussen Reports: Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 40%
• CNN/SSRS poll: The number of Americans who believe that the nation is in a state of crisis has increased by 20%
• Twitter: Trump's tweet on "looting leads to shooting" and "vicious dogs" would greet any protesters who breach the White House fence