What did Donald Trump do today?
He observed the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend as only he can.
Today is the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, a time when churches and politicians alike often observe memorial rites for those who died in military service to the United States.
It's also the day that Trump demanded that states end restrictions on large gatherings for churches. Many churches are voluntarily suspending in-person services until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
Clergy from across the denominational spectrum called Trump out on what looked a pretty obvious attempt to shore up his slipping poll numbers.
Trump himself is something of a stranger to Christianity: he rarely if ever appeared in church before his political career began, and he's gotten confused on more than a few occasions about the basics. But his appeal to open churches (whether they wanted to or not) and the solemn nature of the Memorial Day holiday led to some speculation that he would attend services this week.
Instead, he spent the morning golfing and baselessly accusing a former Republican congressman of murder.
Why is this a bad thing?
- Voters who are Christians might not like being treated like chumps.
- Presidents are generally expected to at least fake a certain degree of respect for America's war dead.
- Past a certain point, attention-seeking becomes pathological.