As I watched President Trump today explain today how he “misspoke” in Helsinki, accidentally using “would” instead of “wouldn’t,” my first thought was How fast before double negative starts trending on Twitter? My second thought was, Boy, I bet Bill Clinton is smiling right now and reminiscing about what “is” is.
I watched the full Helsinki press conference yesterday, and like many, I was surprised—though not shocked—when President Trump made his now-famous mistake. I knew that within minutes, the left would arm itself for American—not Russian—bear, eager to tear down the president with any weapon at hand. And he handed them the equivalent of a tactical nuke by dropping the largest presidential dime he could find at the podium on the intelligence community.
At the time, I thought it was a calculated remark in an attempt to avoid insulting Vladimir Putin. Trump prides himself on being a deal maker. We all know it. That’s who he is. And as much as I didn’t like his remark (for both personal and professional reasons) I understood it.
But the Marine in me rebelled at his swipe at the IC. Every Marine knows you never throw a Marine under the bus, no matter what. Marines are human. (It’s true.) We make mistakes, and God knows I’ve made plenty, but Rule #1 (every rule is really number one, in case you’re counting) is simple: Deal with your issues behind closed doors and never in front of your Marines. It’s a simple rule for all leaders. If the president really believed Putin over his own IC, he could have addressed it directly with the DNI and his National Security Council. Instead, he threw it out there for all to see, a sacrificial offering to Putin at the expense of the men and women toiling daily to protect the national security of our country.
But even then, I could live with it. I voted for President Trump with eyes wide open. I knew what I was buying, as well as what I was willing to accept instead of the alternative. And I’ve supported the policies of the president since he took office. I believe he’s done more to counterbalance the negative effects of the last administration than anyone could have hoped for, unless you like socialism. But that’s a different piece.
Which is why today, when the president explained that he “misspoke,” incorrectly using “would” instead of “wouldn’t,” my instincts started screaming and flashes of a laughing Bill Clinton filled my head.
President Trump’s explanation is a hollow, disingenuous attempt to counter the unforeseen consequences of what I believe was an intentional statement yesterday. And to go back on it the way he did only adds insult to injury, insulting the intelligence—not the intelligence community; that’s already done—of those that support him.
The other Marine Rule #1 is that trouble never gets better with time. Ever. In politics, it’s always the cover-up that gets you. In this case, it’s the explanation. A better way, a more truthful way, would have been to come out today and say, “I made a mistake yesterday. I do believe what the Intelligence Community has told me about Russia’s involvement in our election, but I tried to deflect in order to avoid insulting Putin in person, which I believe would have been detrimental to both our countries. And while doing so, I made a poor choice of words, for which I apologize.”
Period. End of story. Move along. There’s nothing to see here. Next question. Instead, we’re left to wonder what the word “would” means, and whether or not two negatives make a positive, and how many memes (and Trump staffers) it takes to change a sentence.
Like I said, I knew what I was buying. And there are still many months, issues, crises, and dramas left in the Trump administration. I can handle them as long as my intelligence isn’t insulted on a regular basis like it was today.
I hope it doesn’t happen again, although I’m certain there will be plenty of opportunities.
