In Feb. 5 rally, President Donald Trump referred to Democrats who didn’t stand up and clap during his State of the Union Address as “treasonous”, according to an article published by CNN.
In a following statement a few days later, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that the president was “clearly joking” when he made the statement.
WASHINGTON, DC - White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks to the media during her daily press briefing at the White House on Dec. 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. Sanders responded to questions about President Donald Trump's tweet directed at U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
“He was making the point that even when good things are happening they are still sitting there angry,” she said.
Regardless of whether or not it was intended to be a joke, this statement, as well as the subsequent defense laid out by Sanders, continues a history of divisive statements made by the current president and his administration.
From attacking NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem to creating conflict on Twitter with rappers such as Snoop Dogg and T.I., President Trump has often been unnecessarily and exceedingly hostile.
However, the issue that is more problematic than his aggression, though his aggression is problematic in itself, is his ability to amplify non-issues and draw attention away from actual ones. Trump has been a major part of a cultural shift that has made the political realm more of a spectacle and less of a serious part of our lives.
Take the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem as an example. Whether or not people agree with it, it is the NFL players’ constitutional right to do whatever they please during the national anthem. That’s one of the defining qualities America was built on: freedom of expression.
Trump had no need to insert himself into such an unnecessary topic of debate. The use of the term “son of a bitch” when referring to the protesting players was especially toxic. Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, even called the rhetoric “divisive” according to an article published by Sports Illustrated.
It is sad to say that we have seen this kind of rhetoric come out again and again from the Trump administration, from his labeling of African nations as “shithole countries” to his accusation that President Barack Obama wiretapped him.
Personally, I believe that, whether or not they understand it themselves, the Trump administration’s primary tactics are division and distraction. The frequency of scandals and divisive issues that come out of this administration have separated us from the aspects of politics that actually matter, which are the policy-making process and the policy itself.
It also allows them to maintain the loyalty of Trump’s supporters, who despite the administration’s legislative shortcomings, have stayed close to the president’s side.
I should make it clear that this is just my personal opinion. At such a time, no information has come out blatantly saying that this is a concise plan of action that the administration is attempting to carry out. However, it is possible the effects are unintentional, as the administration has been on a rough path since its beginning and seems to be struggling to stay organized.
This isn’t to say that we should give Trump and his administration a free pass to say whatever they want. Criticism should be given where it’s due.
For example, on Feb. 7, Daily Mail broke a story that White House Aide Rob Porter had domestically abused both of his ex-wives and that the FBI and the Trump administration knew about this, but still allowed for him to work in the White House.
The Trump administration should certainly be held accountable its actions, just as Rob Porter, who resigned, should also be held accountable for his action.
However, in addition, we shouldn’t lose focus on the policy-making process or the policy itself. These things have the biggest effect on our lives.
We have seen it with the increased rate at which families are separated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents under the Trump administration. The Trump administration should be held accountable for their actions, which includes the policies that Trump and his colleagues in Congress advocate for.
The course of action that I believe we should take, when it comes to dealing with the Trump administration’s intentional or unintentional attempts at division and distraction, is to care less about what Trump says directly and to focus more on actual policies and the inner workings of the current Congress.
We should hold media outlets that focus too heavily on Trump’s divisive statements accountable and rely more on news sources that are more focused on actual policy and the policy-making process while maintaining a critical eye on the current administration.
President Donald Trump held his first state of the union address of his presidency on Jan. 30.
