Trump’s First Statements on the Anniversary of 9/11 Are as Pathetic as You’d Imagine
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Today is different from any other day. A somber pall falls over the nation as we all mourn the largest terrorist attack in American history. On a day like today, it’s easy to cast our partisan squabbles aside in order to form a unified front of empathy for those afflicted by the tragedy of 9/11. That is, unless you’re the President of the United States. Then today is no different from any other day that is made entirely about you. Here is Trump’s first public statement of the day.
“We have found nothing to show collusion between President Trump & Russia, absolutely zero, but every day we get more documentation showing collusion between the FBI & DOJ, the Hillary campaign, foreign spies & Russians, incredible.” @SaraCarterDC@LouDobbs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
His next tweet did honor the victims of 9/11, but it comes off as an afterthought compared to his first self-absorbed tirade of the day (I also have serious doubts that Trump wrote it considering that he never uses hashtags—it’s almost like a staffer with access to his Twitter account, like Dan Scavino, saw his first tweet and knew they needed to save face before Trump made it any worse).
#NeverForget#September11thhttps://t.co/ExGrrVtrEf
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
Seven minutes later, Trump was back to his favorite pastime: complaining about how life is unfair to him.
New Strzok-Page texts reveal “Media Leak Strategy.” @FoxNews So terrible, and NOTHING is being done at DOJ or FBI – but the world is watching, and they get it completely.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
“ERIC Holder could be running the Justice Department right now and it would be behaving no differently than it is.” @LouDobbs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
Trump’s first statement about 9/11 that actually used words and not hashtags had nothing to do with 9/11 and everything to do with hyping up the most incompetent man on his legal team, Rudy Giuliani.
Rudy Giuliani did a GREAT job as Mayor of NYC during the period of September 11th. His leadership, bravery and skill must never be forgotten. Rudy is a TRUE WARRIOR!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
This is disgraceful. Trump’s next tweet resembled something like what a normal human would tweet in this scenario, but that’s also because he 100% did not tweet it. He doesn’t upload images ever, that’s handled by his communications team.
Departing Washington, D.C. to attend a Flight 93 September 11th Memorial Service in Shanksville, Pennsylvania with Melania. #NeverForgetpic.twitter.com/O2sFUeRqeb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
His last tweet before presumably boarding the plane to attend a 9/11 memorial comes off like he forgot all about 9/11.
17 years since September 11th!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
Normally I wouldn’t get this upset about president brain worms doing what he normally does, but today is an especially tough day to have a president like this. All we need is someone to speak to our collective American pain in a somber and empathetic manner, and our president woke up screaming about the Russia investigation while watching Fox News shows he DVR’d from last night. I don’t know what I expected, really, given that this is the same guy who boasted about how his building just became the tallest in New York City while the plume of smoke was still rising from the just-collapsed Twin Towers on 9/11.
America is a complicated country with plenty to be ashamed of, but on a day like today, we deserve better than this Neanderthal to speak to our collective pain.
Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.