When I come across misstatements and exaggerations by Trump supporters, I want to throw my hands in the air and yell “foul” with the loudest voice lest readers become misled to believe the distortions are true. Such was the case with Kenneth M. Weigel’s Nov. 26 letter to the editor in which he described the president being “on a roll” in spite of the facts indicating otherwise.
For example, the writer points out that Trump was recently “received as a great leader” by his hosts on the president’s Middle East and Asian trips. But he failed to point out that this enthusiasm may have had to do with the Saudis currying the president’s support for a pending $100 million military arms deal. Muted responses on Pacific Rim issues by the Chinese and Filipino leaders may have stemmed from the president agreeing prior to his trip that he would not discuss the horrendous human rights records of China and the Philippines. Meanwhile, Japan on the other hand was very disheartened by the President’s bombastic proclamation of “America First” and his threatening to cancel the Trans-Pacific trade agreement.
Further, Mr. Weigel is correct that the economy is growing at a 3 percent clip, but t’s certainly not because of anything done by the president over the past 10 months. Instead, many business observers believe that most positive economic indicators such as low unemployment levels and high corporate earnings are trends that continue from the Obama administration.
And then the writer credited the president for “rebuilding our military.” But in fact, Pentagon officials and both Congressional armed services committees have described the new fiscal year military budget as “insufficient” after a decade and half of continuous combat.
Let us all pray and hope the president’s supporters finally wake up from the fog of delusion and see through Trump’s head-scratching actions and statements such as his latest pontification describing climate change as a Chinese hoax while ignoring the fact that China has become the world’s leader in clean energy.
Paul J. Cathcart
Edmonds
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