Monday, January 8, 2018

What did Donald Trump do today?

He gave a speech that was self-worshipping even by Trump standards.

Appearing in Tennessee today before members of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Trump congratulated his audience on their good fortune that he had allowed them to vote for him.

That may sound like a misleading characterization, so here is the exact wording:


There's no way to know how happy the agribusiness executives and lobbyists in the room were about votes they may have cast for Trump, but his approval rating with Americans in general is still in the thirties.

At another point in the speech, Trump instructed his audience to upgrade their polite applause to a standing ovation ("Come on, get up!").

Who cares?

  • The presidency isn't a favor someone does for the American people.
  • From a purely political standpoint, asking your audience to please clap isn't the best look.