Trump’s Salute to America July 4th

Trump’s Salute to America July 4th military parade is now over. Critics and Trump’s aides were anxious for different reasons. Dr. Bart Rossi is on the set with WINK News to discuss.

Since before the election of 2016, Donald Trump very quickly became a polarizing figure in American politics. There was a clear line between those who liked him and those that didn’t. Some found his unscripted brashness refreshing in a Washington D.C. they felt had become muddied waters of corruption, self, and special interests.  Other’s found him repugnant, quite sure he would be the most corrupt opportunistic president of their lifetime.

This deeply conflicted view of the president has been pretty consistent, except for a few occasions.  One of those exceptions was the D-Day celebration in Normandy. Both critics and supporters alike felt he delivered a good speech, devoid of the usually commonplace of self-aggrandizing and promotion. Critics, however, did lambast him for his political remarks during a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham. It was staged in front of the allied cemetery, which many thought inappropriate. And the controversy continued when Trump told Ingraham that because of the power he had, he could hold up the ceremony to do the interview. As it turned out, that was just another Trump boast (and lie), as the event ran late because of French President Macron. (And Ingraham later went on air and told her audience that what Trump said isn’t what he said)

The July 4th, 2019 celebrations have always been nonpartisan. So when Trump wanted a military show, the Pentagon and others were uncomfortable due to the political aspects of it.  July 4th had historically been a day when servicemen spent a long weekend with their families, and residents of Washinton D.C. (and elsewhere) would come for a day of festivities. It was supposed to be a celebration of the country’s independence, not its military might on display.

This year, however, President Trump demanded a military parade. Many believe based on his past statements that it was inspired by the military parade in France for Bastille Day, which Trump attended.

Critics and aids were anxious: the former worried he’d politicize the event in general, and the military in particular.

Trump’s Salute to America July 4th

Critics and followers again agreed that during the July 4, 2019 Salute to America Trump stuck to the script, and delivered a good speech. But like the Normandy event, the speech is surrounded by other conflicting opinions. Should America be emulating authoritarian-led countries where these types of military parades are common?

White House aides were facing other issues:  concerned whether they could pull the event together in time. Can they produce the crowd size that the president expected? With the deadline closing in, and many of the president’s V.I.P. list already having made other plans, the aids scrambled to fill the V.I.P. seats, with anyone!

There is also still criticism surrounding the costs. The president claimed on Twitter all they needed only to pay for fuel. But that isn’t exactly accurate: servicemen and women had to give up their family time to work; tanks had to be transported by rail to Washington D.C.; planes had to be flown great distances, and the city would incur extra security costs, when they’re still waiting to be reimbursed for the 2017 inauguration.

In this episode political psychologist Dr. Rossi, Ph.D. provides his view on the president’s message, and whether he will pursue this type of unification effort in the future.

 

 

unity

independence

not polarizing

took right tactic for the moment

who are we, what do we stand for, founding fathers were divided too — the only difference being that they listened and compromised

Is this a one-off?  Or is this unity message the new direction for hijm?

 

 

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