As 100,000 landmark deaths loomed, Trump pursued his political obsession

In between the Twitter eruption, the mask-free Trump led the Commemoration Day ceremony at Arlington Cemetery, and tweeted a campaign-style video about him leading the celebration.

“As long as our flag is flying in the sky above, the names of these fallen soldiers will be knitted into their threads,” he said in a speech at Fort McHenry.

“As long as we have citizens who want to follow their example, to carry their burdens, to carry on their legacy, the American struggle will never fail and American freedom will never, ever die.”

But the written seriousness and unifying patriotism only made Trump’s outburst of anger on Twitter seem more real, and underlined how he felt it was impossible to avoid including himself in American social media feeds even for the weekend. Indeed, Trump again criticized North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper shortly after returning to the White House on Monday afternoon.

A real look into the mind of the President

After three years Trump deliberately trampled on the president’s normal code of behavior – partly to show his supporters that he remained an anti-elite outsider, nothing surprising.

In 50 years, the Twitter weekend Trump explosion may emerge as a shocking document from the presidency that has more roots than ever before in a personal obsession, and an unrelenting war with the media and an increasing number of political enemies.

There is little evidence of a deeper meaning for his presidency at this stage than personal and political complaints. Also missing is a broader policy framework for a potential second Trump term. And besides the relentless push to support an aggressive state opening, for example in a new request for schools to be opened, Trump seems far less interested in how the task can be accomplished safely – apart from retweeting the CDC handwashing suggestion – from his boiling political feud.

There is no White House that can be fully prepared for this year’s catastrophic and eroded pandemic economy. But it is also difficult to imagine the previous president from one of the parties who fought with a campaign of rejection, harassment, and misinformation.

Trump put a marker on the Republican convention

The comparison can be surprising if Democrats hold castrated social long-distance conventions or place most online shows in a way that will eliminate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden from a big moment in front of a large crowd and primetime TV viewers.

But shows like the Republican convention don’t seem to fit the real world event at all. Sports teams that use such arenas are expected to play without fans for at least a few months in a safe environment. The prospect of thousands of delegates flowing to convention cities from across the country, including the coronavirus hotspot, is a huge headache for organizers. After the delegation has spent hours or days together they can then return home to cause a new outbreak.

“Unfortunately, the Democratic Governor, @ RoyCooperNC is still in a Shutdown mood & cannot guarantee that in August we will be allowed to be fully present at the Arena,” Trump tweeted Monday.

“In other words, we will spend millions of dollars building Arena with very high standards without knowing whether the Democratic Governor will allow Republicans to fully occupy that space.”

It was not immediately clear whether Trump and the Republican National Committee were serious about withdrawing the convention from Charlotte. Opportunities or organizing large-scale events elsewhere seem thin at this late stage – mainly because other big cities and arenas also deal with viruses.

But given that Tar Heel State was a vital battleground in November, Trump could gain political advantage from campaigns that spur a basis against local Democrats.

North Carolina reported the biggest surge in cases on Saturday, although as is the case with individual states, it is sometimes difficult to say whether the increase is a worsening epidemic or an increase in testing. It is not one of the worst affected countries, but deaths have risen again in recent days.

Trump defends the game of golf … by slamming Obama

The nature of Trump’s presidential soap opera is also reflected this weekend in his defense of his decision to play golf for the first time since March at his Virginia golf club.

The debate about the president and their trip to the chain has become a tedious ritual that sees partisans taking positions according to which party is in power.

“Some stories about the fact that to get out and maybe, even a little exercise, I play golf over the weekend. Fake & Really Damaged News makes it sound like a big sin,” tweeted Trump, complaining that Obama flew Water. Force One goes to Hawaii for his annual vacation when he often plays golf.

Trump has used federal resources several times to fly to his resorts and golf courses. Trump’s two rounds this weekend hit criticism as inappropriate during the national crisis and at the weekend when the US remembers its war dead.

“Nearly 100,000 lives have been lost, and tens of millions have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, the president spends his time playing golf,” Biden wrote in a tweet accompanying online advertising on Saturday.

The enduring debate about golf and the president raises the question of whether the president should get rid of the club and predict other hobbies during his four or eight years in office, or whether they have the right to enjoy free time out of the White House bubble. President George W. Bush, for example, decided not to play golf during his presidency for fear of bad optics after sending Americans to the battlefield.