Let’s face it. Progressives in the country are in Trump sensory overload. There are too many lies, too many offensive statements, too many destructive policies, too many incompetent appointees, that progressives end up re-Tweeting the latest offensive statement and miss the consequential story.
The latest Trump quote about Jewish people who vote for Democrats showing, “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty,” is a prime example. Yes, it is horribly offensive. Yes, it is divisive. Yes, it is controversial. No, it is not really news. He was offensive yesterday. He’ll be offensive tomorrow. Today just plots to the same trend.
However, the Trump administration move to detain migrant children and parents longer at the border should give everyone real pause, and this should be sparking comments from every Democratic representative and senator, every religious group with progressive ties, everyone who has a conscience. But it barely registers a blip.
Frankly, if we want to separate the wheat from the chaff, the distraction from the content, we need to bucket all the Trump stories into 7 categories, and report them on a daily basis. The categories are:
- Trump states/restates something offensive
- Trump lies
- Trump does something consequential that pleases conservatives
- Trump does something consequential that (should) anger/annoy everyone
- Trump appointee does something consequential that pleases conservatives
- Trump appointee does something consequential that (should) anger/annoy everyone
- Other Trump news
My test for whether a headline would anger both conservatives and progressives is I substitute "Obama" for "Trump", and predict the public response.
For example, I scanned the headlines from August 20 and 21 in the Washington Post to better understand what our president was up to in the last two days. Use these to better organize and galvanize your anger.
TRUMP STATES/RESTATES SOMETHING OFFENSIVE
- Trump: Jewish people who vote for Democrats are showing ‘great disloyalty’ or ‘lack of knowledge’
- Trump quotes conspiracy theorist claiming Israelis ‘love him like he is the second coming of God’
TRUMP LIES
- Fact-checking President Trump's remarks on the economy
- Trump attacks on Google recycle baseless claims
TRUMP DOES SOMETHING CONSEQUENTIAL THAT PLEASES CONSERVATIVES
- Trump officials move to detain migrant children and parents longer (Trump administration moves to end limits on child detention)
- Trump tells NRA chief that universal background checks are off the table (Trump insists US already has ‘strong’ gun background checks)
TRUMP DOES SOMETHING CONSEQUENTIAL THAT (SHOULD) ANGER/ANNOY EVERYONE
- In Denmark, surprise and fury after Trump cancels visit over Greenland (Danish lawmakers furious at Trump’s cancelled visit, as prime minister voices regret)
- Trump is ramping up his economic double-talk to tamp down recession fears
- Trump acknowledges China policies may mean US economic pain
- Trump again floats E.U. auto tariffs
- Trump renews call for Russia to be readmitted to G-7
TRUMP APPOINTEE DOES SOMETHING CONSEQUENTIAL THAT (SHOULD) ANGER/ANNOY EVERYONE
- After Trump blames mental illness for mass shootings, health agencies ordered to hold all posts on issue
OTHER TRUMP NEWS
- As Trump tries to end ‘endless wars,’ America’s biggest Mideast base is getting bigger
- Trump confirms he’s considering a payroll tax cut amid mounting economic concerns
- Trump and Maduro confirm talks between high-level officials
- Trump looks to discuss defense, energy with Romanian leader
- Trump on Afghanistan: ‘We’re not supposed to be a police force’
- Trump: ‘Kashmir is a very complicated place’ (President Trump on Aug. 20 said he would do his “best” to “mediate” in the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.)
- Trump considering State Department official (Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan) for Russia post
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