“Predisent” Trump proclaimed this week, October 15th through October 21st, as National Character Counts Week. It’s a week to "reflect on the character of determination, resolve, and honor that makes us proud to be American. Few things are more important than cultivating strong character in all our citizens, especially our young people." Character might be hard to define "but we see it in every day acts — raising and providing for a family with loving devotion, working hard to make the most of an education, and giving back to devastated communities." – Or so someone wrote for Trump last Friday.
Yes, character does count and a strong character is desirable and beneficial as an example to our children, to our friends and allies, and in the way we serve others. But why is it that the people with little to no character are the ones who go on to abuse the term? Of all the people to ever hold the office of president, Donald Trump has the most questionable character of anyone who has held it or aspired to it.
Trump's Presidential Characteristics.
Trump’s character fosters determination and resolve to boast about how he could get away with anything, even grab women “by the pussy.” And then dismiss it as just locker-room talk. In all my years, I have NEVER, EVER heard any man in any locker room talk about women that way. But then, I never shared one with Donald Trump. He also bragged that he hit on and groped other women who were married, while HE was married.
This character has shown loving devotion by being married three times and openly admitting he was cheating on one by trying to woo the next one into bed.
This is the same character who cultivated, at last count, at least 15 women who have come forward and accused him of sexual assault. How did he defend his character in all this? By dismissing them saying he couldn’t have done it because “just look at them”, or “she wouldn’t be my first choice, that I can tell you” as though either answer exonerated his character. Do those answers satisfy you that he is innocent of the sexual assault charge? On the Howard Stern Radio Show, he gave our young people a heads up on what to expect from him when he boasted that he would deliberately walk through and ogle a roomful of Miss Teen USA contestants while they were dressing or undressing - because he was the owner of the pageant or the venue.
He said he’s never asked any god for forgiveness because he hadn’t done anything that needed to be forgiven. That’s what men of good moral character always do, isn’t it? Yet the religious right clings to him like leeches. They ignore his lack the character and refuse to see what a liar and con artist he is.
His business ethics have provoked over 360 lawsuits; for stiffing people on payments, reneging on contracts, turning off water and electricity in buildings he bought to force out the people who lived there, false advertising, and for fleecing thousands and thousands of people - like his fake Trump University. Even after losing that particular case and being ordered to pay back $25 million, it didn’t faze his 'character’ in the eyes of his supporters or the GOP. To them, he’s just a savvy businessman who was treated unfairly.
Trump’s character includes disrespect for military people who were captured…because they aren’t war heroes. He likes "people who weren’t captured, okay?” By extension, that also means he doesn't like soldiers who get killed either. So why do any veterans support this character? Especially when he avoids the situation room as American troops are sent in harm’s way, like in Yemen last January where CPO William Ryan Owens was killed.
These men died in Niger and Trump couldn't even bother to be in the situation room when it happened, couldn't be bothered to read the release put out by the DoD and NSC, and couldn't be bothered to be at the Air Force base when the bodies were flown home.
On October 16th in the Rose Garden, his lack of character allowed him to deflect answering a question and falsely claim President Obama hadn’t called families of soldiers killed in combat after he was pointedly asked why he had yet to say anything about four Green Berets killed over two weeks ago in Niger. He didn't go to Dover Air Force Base when the body of the last of the four, Sergeant La David Johnson, was returned. Instead, he was busy with the more presidential duties of golfing and tweeting that NFL players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem. Which shows less reverence for our nation and flag...kneeling in protest over police brutality, which is protected by the First Amendment, or when the president pointedly ignores a soldier's body returning home, a soldier who was killed on Trump’s watch and due to a Trump directive?
There's not much difference between these two...character-wise.
When most people use the word character, they mean ‘personality’. To say someone has character means they have a sense of humor and endearing idiosyncrasies. The British use the expression “he’s a bit of a character,” which means “he is eccentric, or maybe lives in a hollowed-out tree and steals nuts from squirrels.”
Trump is far and away a character, but not in the good sense of the word…not even in the British way of using the term. Trump is a living, breathing character flaw. He represents the worst characteristics of a portion of the U.S….with his casual racism, his crass materialism, his relentless self-aggrandizement, his vulgarity, his lack of honesty, his sexism, his defense of Nazi supporters as “fine people”, his sleaziness, and he is dismantling everything that makes America safe and prosperous.
Just so the rest of the world understood Trump’s lack of character, he even shoves other world leaders out of the way so he can be in the front of any photo opportunity - as he did in Europe last summer.
Just so the rest of the world understood Trump’s lack of character, he even shoves other world leaders out of the way so he can be in the front of any photo opportunity - as he did in Europe last summer.
"Get out of my way!"
But this massive character flaw worked on one group of people…his supporters. They believe Trump was sent by God to save the world. Everything he says is true and he has never lied. His snake oil really does work. He’s going to make all of them filthy rich just like he is. And he loves everyone…Amen!
