Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, said Thursday that America’s perception in the world isn’t suffering too badly under President Trump because many don’t see him as the nation’s legitimate leader.
“I think people don’t actually really consider Trump a legitimate president,” Dean said on MSNBC. “He was obviously elected and all this business, but he does not represent American values. George W. Bush did represent American values and our numbers went down as a result.”
“I think people are beginning to understand that Trump does not represent American values,” he continued. “He doesn’t even really represent the values of most people who voted for him.”
Dean, who also chaired the Democratic National Committee in the 2000s, added that while Trump may be “doing damage” to U.S. political and economic clout, he was too far “off the screen” to hurt America’s prestige abroad in the long run.
“I’m not entirely sure that people don’t divorce Donald Trump from the United States of America,” he said.
Dean made the comments in response to Trump’s soft stance on Saudi Arabia after the CIA reportedly found with “high confidence” that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the apparent slaying of Saudi dissident journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has also been criticized for his tough approach to immigration and foreign nationals seeking asylum in the U.S.
