Never Can Tell

With Trump, you never can tell the serious things from the distractions.

For example, lots of us cheered yesterday when the Trump administration backed off its initiative to expel international students who are forced to take online classes because of the coronavirus. But how serious were they anyway? The policy attacked two of Trump's favorite enemies: internationals and educational institutions, but it had little chance of holding up in court. So they folded. Did they ever mean to win?

Then there's the story that the administration has told hospitals they don't need to report statistics to the CDC. Just send it on to Health and Human Services. According to CDC Director Robert Redfield,

I do think the fall and the winter of 2020 and 2021 are going to be the probably one of the most difficult times that we experienced in American public health.

So the CDC thinks things are serious. Is Mike Pence serious? He said,

We don't want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don't reopen their schools.

 

Trump followed a disastrous CBS interview with a truly illegal Rose Garden press conference. Trump told CBS it is a "mistake" for Los Angeles to begin the school year online. When the CBS interviewer asked him what he'd tell parents and teachers who feel unsafe about going back to school, Trump had this gem.

You should find yourself a new person whoever is in charge of that decision because it’s a terrible decision.

Because he's compassionate like that.

The press conference was illegal because you can't campaign on federal property. Which is exactly what Trump did, 30 minutes of anti-Biden propaganda that led CNN to cut away from the event. I don't think the event helped Trump any. For example, I doubt it helped when he trashed Europe: "Europe, which has never treated us well." And I doubt it helped when he said his polling--"not the suppression polls"--was looking good.

It probably did help that he announced action against China for suppressing freedom in Hong Kong. Except his policy is stupid: he's punishing Hong Kong more than he is China.

We're in uncharted territory. We always are. The closer we get to the election, the more desperate Trump becomes. And therefore the more unpredictable.

But hey, there's always CNN's Jim Acosta. Anderson Cooper asked him, "Jim, is there anyone left in the administration who shakes their head when they hear the president rambling in the Rose Garden?" 

"No, Anderson, we are down to Kool-Aid drinkers and next of kin."