re: #151 I Don’t Take Responsibility At All (dangerman)

Trump:. The imbleachment

Trump’s Medical Quackery Exposes the Press’ Both-Sides Quackery (goes to emptywheel)

Last night, an increasingly desperate President went on live TV and advised that people might try ingesting disinfectant to cure COVID-19.

The comment has elicited justifiable uproar. It renewed questions about how long Trump’s medical experts, Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, can remain on stage while he touts junk cures (this video capturing Birx’s response is painful). It sparked a fascinating thread from former Special Envoy on ISIS, Brett McGurk, explaining how Trump’s instability makes it impossible to credibly advise him:

You can’t stay above crazy: On any issue, the crazy will catch up to you
There’s no policy: You’re always a Tweet away from all going sideways
You can’t speak credibly: Since there’s no policy, nobody speaks credibly for our country
Diplomacy is impossible: Foreign parties know that only Trump counts and he changes on a whim
You may need to resign: In any senior role, your integrity will be tested

(more)