There is a lesson here somewhere, a statement as to where the country stands right now under the “leadership” of Donald Trump.
Weep.
On Saturday, Trump falsely stated that Dorian would likely impact Alabama much worse than previously thought.
In addition to Florida – South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated. Looking like one of the largest hurricanes ever. Already category 5. BE CAREFUL! GOD BLESS EVERYONE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2019
Not a big deal. It is a dynamic situation, lots of people rushing and worrying. So what? A guy makes a mistake with the best intentions. Happens all the time, right?
Except that people in Alabama who, evidently, only get their news from Trump, started to fear the hurricane when they need not have. The hurricane was not threatening Alabama.
So, of course, clear up the mistake, right? The National Weather Service in Birmingham rightfully issues an accurate statement, so that there is no confusion, everyone has the right information.
Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east. #alwx
— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) September 1, 2019
Great. That is the way things are supposed to work. The president makes a mistake that most decent people will simply give him a pass on, it gets cleared up by experts. Not a big deal. With me?
Except Trump doesn’t like being corrected, and because his only tool is a hammer, Trump pounded on the nail he knows, blaming the media? In perhaps Trump’s most pathetic tweet yet, he stated:
….when in fact, under certain original scenarios, it was in fact correct that Alabama could have received some “hurt.” Always good to be prepared! But the Fake News is only interested in demeaning and belittling. Didn’t play my whole sentence or statement. Bad people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 2, 2019
He was rightly fact-checked by his own government, after being provably wrong, and then blames the media for … I am not sure what.
That did it.
The world was not impressed:
Trump shared incorrect info during an emergency, and now he's claiming he was right, when he was wrong. His own National Weather Service said he was wrong. This is a big deal. https://t.co/BkwTmYfBqN
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 2, 2019
More
This shit is out of control. Now he is literally arguing with himself. What more do we need to see that he is losing it? There is nothing left to lose.
— Facts Matter (@Your_Ombudsman) September 3, 2019
And more, a great example of how not to be gas-lighted.
In no fucking universe is "could have received some 'hurt'" anything like "will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated".
Seriously: go fuck yourself.
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) September 2, 2019
Is any of this a huge deal? No, but that is sort of the point. It is not in any way shape or form a big deal for the president to wrongly name a state such as he did, it happens. We would like to hope that the president’s tweets would get enough of a fact check that it doesn’t happen, but set that aside. No one is blasting Trump for the original mistake.
It is the reaction.
A grown-up president, who learns of his mistake, leaps up to thank the NWS in Birmingham: “I sincerely appreciate the clarification issues by the NWS in Birmingham. I will keep my attention on the coastal states of Florida, Georgia, and Carolinas, God Bless you all, and protect yourselves.”
Presidenting is so easy that even I can do it.
Thankfully, this little matter didn’t hurt anyone. But it is highly illuminating. The man will not admit to an error, even when it was entirely understandable. So, watch his denials about things that do matter, knowing two things.
- He will never admit anything negative.
- See number one, even if it requires denying his own tweet.
****
Peace, y’all.
Jason
[email protected], Follow me on Twitter @MiciakZoom
Making an ass of himself yet again! Someone needs to make an eye roll emoticon.
?like this. (Android phone)
(1) He’s definitely losing his mind
(2) He probably can’t find Alabama on a map
(3) He doesn’t understand that NWS is not “media” or a business
Him and Palin ought to get together over diet pepsi/cokes and peruse some maps.
You’re assuming he can see a map as anything other than a bunch of lines and shapes.
Yes to all three points.
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/weather/2019/08/30/hurricane-dorian-alabama-update-path-track-category-projection-forecast/2164905001/
Hmmm. USA Today story on August 30 said Alabama could be in danger.
I always appreciate the “Calm Down” view from my friend. It is always thoughtful and we often need to hear it. However, on this one, that is not really excusable. the article you point to was written on the morning of August 30th, when the models still indicated the hurricane would hit into the Florida mainland. But Trump’s tweet was two days later, and at a point where the models had coalesced on the fact that it would not be making it inland in Florida or Georgia. Hence the immediate correction from the Birmingham NWS, so I would think that an engaged president wasn’t listening, or shooting off the hip. And, if you recall, I wrote that the original mistake was not an issue, could happen to near anyone. I said myself “No big deal.” It got corrected by the NWS, and the problem was the response, the “fake news medial” and assuring us he had been right, when it wasn’t the media, but his own Weather Service stating he was wrong.
I focused upon his reaction to the correction. I believed that to be the only real issue. We all make mistakes, it’s a rushed period, perhaps he was referencing an earlier report. THAT is not a big deal. The inability to handle the correction is indicative of the problem IMO. I said, had he just thanked them and said “with the correction noted, let’s prepare our best …” I wouldn’t have written a thing.
Does that make sense? I thought it clear the original tweet was no big deal, right or wrong.
Sure it makes sense. I was reacting more to the comment section than the original post. They immediately jumped on how stupid Trump was for even thinking Alabama was in the equation. CNN did the same. I was simply pointing out that Alabama was indeed warned and that Trump included them in his plea to be safe.
He just doesn’t know when to shut up.
Right.
I will give him just this much. More than week ago, a few of the spaghetti tracks said Dorian might cross Florida into the Gulf, where it might have strengthened again.
That was then. This is now. The current possible paths are completely incompatible with those old ones.
He is unable to keep up to date on the forecasts and completely unable EVER to admit a mistake, however trivial.