Welcome to Byron York’s Daily Memo newsletter.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to receive the newsletter.
THE BATTLE OVER TRUMP AND THE RIOTS: The Trump campaign scored a lot of points in recent weeks pointing to the fact that Democratic candidate Joe Biden seemed confined to his basement, while President Trump got out of the White House on visits related to the coronavirus crisis. But now, with rioting and civil disturbances going on around the country, Biden has managed to get out of the basement and actually talk to people as Democrats accused Trump of “hiding” in the White House.
Trump seems to realize the problem. He got out Monday to make remarks in the Rose Garden (“I am your president of law and order”) and then take a short walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church, which rioters briefly set on fire the night before. And Trump campaign types are pushing back on the “false narrative” of Trump holed up in the White House. In a new release, they note that last Wednesday, Trump announced a federal investigation of the death of George Floyd. The next day, he discussed the issue with Attorney General Bill Barr. Then he condemned looting. Then, on Saturday, he went to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the SpaceX launch.
Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine that will keep you up to date with what’s going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue!
The problem was, it wasn’t a very impressive list. And now, Trump is taking some brutal criticism from allies. On Monday night, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson noted that, “The first requirement of leadership is that you watch over the people in your care.” But Trump, in contrast, “seemed aware only of himself” and appeared as if he couldn’t be bothered to protect the American people.
And then, Carlson slammed Trump son-in-law and ubiquitous White House adviser Jared Kushner, whom Carlson said has talked Trump out of acting on his law-and-order instincts in the riots crisis. “Some key advisers around the president don’t seem to understand the gravity of the moment,” Carlson said. “No matter what happens, they’ll tell you, our voters aren’t going anywhere. The trailer parks are rock solid. What choice do they have? They’ve got to vote for us. Jared Kushner, for one, has made that point out loud. No one has more contempt for Donald Trump’s voters than Jared Kushner does, and no one expresses it more frequently.”
The Federalist’s Ben Domenech called Carlson’s monologue “a rare significant cable news moment.” One thing for sure: It will be noticed at the White House.
BY THE WAY, DON’T CALL IT A “RIOT” — CALL IT “UNREST.” What do you call it when a violent crowd takes over a city’s streets, destroys property, and sets buildings afire? “Unrest.” Do not, under any circumstances, call it a “riot.” A New York Times media column noted the following about the aforementioned Tucker Carlson: “Last week, Fox News’s anchors competed for President Trump’s ear about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Tucker Carlson denounced the unrest as “riots.” Well, that’s what they were, weren’t they?
