If you asked me two years ago, I would have never thought that the President of the United States would make so much news over things that he tweets. President Donald Trump loves Twitter, and his tweets have the ability to drive the news cycle. They have also drawn the most criticism as well.
I understand that President Trump disdains the media. I think a fair amount of that is even justified.
I also recognize that President Trump will not fit the mold that many of us would prefer for the President of the United States. However, the presidency is bigger than any one person. President Trump would do well to understand that and respect that.
He needs to start acting presidential, even on Twitter, especially on Twitter. This doesn’t mean he can defend himself or even criticize his opponents – it is politics after all. I hope we can agree that his tweets today cross a line.
He decided to attack MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski this morning on Twitter.
I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017
…to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017
I’m not a fan of either Scarborough or Brzezinski. I also understand that Scarborough has crossed the line a number of times with Trump.
Scarborough is the host of a poorly rated morning show. Trump is the leader of the free world. He needs to start acting like it and become a role model of civility and the type of dialogue we should have in our national discourse.
He is not the first president to have an antagonistic media. Have we forgotten what President George W. Bush went through? While I did not always agree with his policies, I will never question his character or criticize his demeanor and temperament. President Bush never responded in kind, probably to a fault.
President Bush respected the office. I’m not sure we can say the same about the current occupant of the White House, but it is not too late for him to change. He can start by looking to Bush and Ronald Reagan as examples for dealing with a hostile press. He certainly shouldn’t go into the mud.