The deeper worry on August 20 was that Trump’s response to Charlottesville looked less like a one-off blunder and more like a pattern of signaling tolerance to the ugliest corners of his coalition. That perception had already taken root among critics, who saw the president as unwilling to draw bright lines against white nationalism. Whether intentional or not, the effect was the same: extremists heard encouragement, and the White House looked shocked that anyone noticed. That is a dangerous political and moral screwup even before you get to the broader fallout.
First recorded Aug 20, 2017·Meaningfully updated Aug 20, 2017
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What changed
Trump’s signal problem is now obvious
The deeper worry on August 20 was that Trump’s response to Charlottesville looked less like a one-off blunder and more like a pattern of signaling tolerance to the ugliest corners of his coalition. That perception had already taken root among critics, who saw the president as unwilling to draw bright lines against white nationalism. Whether intentional or not, the effect was the same: extremists heard encouragement, and the White House looked shocked that anyone noticed. That is a dangerous pol…
The deeper worry on August 20 was that Trump’s response to Charlottesville looked less like a one-off blunder and more like a pattern of signaling tolerance to the ugliest corners of his coalition. That perception had already taken root among critics, who saw the president as unwilling to draw bright lines against white nationalism. Whether intentional or not, the effect was the same: extremists heard encouragement,…
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