Home Attacks from the Left Appropriate behavior when a President is overseas

Appropriate behavior when a President is overseas

4
Appropriate behavior when a President is overseas

In their unrelenting efforts to spin all things about President Trump to the negative, the Democrats and their media allies are making a BIG issue of Trump’s criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden while on a state visit to Japan.  They say the political criticism is particularly offensive because Trump was agreeing with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s opinion that Biden was a low-IQ individual.

That level of political banter is not particularly beneficial to Trump – and it makes no difference if the insults are flung on domestic or foreign soil.  For the press to make that the main focus of the entire trip, however, is just plain wrong.

The Democrats and the media further condemn Trump’s opinion that the medium range missiles fired by North Korea are not a violation of the UN resolution.  Obviously, the Japanese – whose country is in range of those medium missiles – takes a different view.  So does Trump’s own Nation Security Advisor, John Bolton.

As they say on the cable news networks, there is a lot to unpack in all this.

First, we need to consider that the anti-Trump media again focuses only on the negative – and mostly on petty political crap.  They refuse to report fairly and honestly on the totality of the trip.

In reality, the overarching fact is that Japan and the United States have a verrrrry close allied relationship.  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō  Abe is among America’s and Trump’s most dependable and supportive allies.  To suggest that anything Trump said or did during his state visit undermined or weakened the relationship between America and Japan is pure nonsense – or even worse, political propaganda parading as news.

What is not discussed or analyzed by all those panels of parroting pundits is the fact that the Japanese are building two super aircraft carriers in cooperation with the Trump administration solely to accommodate the new American fighter planes.  In addition, Japan announced its intention to purchase 105 F35 stealth fighters from the United States.  Bilateral trade negotiations between the two nations seem to be going quite well with likely agreements to be reach this summer.

Abe has, at almost every opportunity, praised Trump for his North Korea policies.  That small difference of opinion over the missile launches is not even a blip – although the media plays it up as almost a breaking point in relations between the two nations.

Then there is the greater question of what is appropriate and not appropriate to say on foreign soil.  And this applies to more than Trump.  His foray into presidential politics by insulting one of his campaign rivals while on foreign soil does not damage the interests or the reputation of the United States.  It has no impact on trade talks or North Korean policy.

It should be noted that Trump’s comment was not self-initiated or gratuitous.  It was in response to a question from the media.  Focus on that point for a moment.  It was the press who raised a political question of the American President while on foreign soil.  In fact, they do it all the time.

One needs to recall how CNN’s anti-Trump reporter, Jim Acosta, yelled a political question from the gaggle of reporters while Trump was on the platform with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.  It is common practice for reporters to ask political questions – often leading questions – when Trump is on stage at the White House with foreign heads-of-state.  They then totally ignore the substance and purpose of the meeting and go on air with their well-established political spin based on their biased questions.

It is a practice that I have criticized in the past.  It not only fails to inform the public of the important elements of one-on-one meetings with heads-of-state, it is downright rude to these important guests.   Leaders of other countries are left twiddling their thumbs as reporter after reporter diverts attention to political infighting.

I have long proposed that the White House press office impose a rule that when a press availability involves a specific person or subject, only questions relating to the issues at hand be allowed.  But so far, they have not taken my advice.

Talking a verbal shot at a political opponent – even overseas – is not a big deal.  What is a big deal, however, is undermining the American presidency throughout the world – which is exactly what the anti-Trump media does every day.  And many of their politically biased reports come from reporters in foreign lands.  Is it appropriate for American reporters to be dissing the American government on foreign soil?

In their obsessive desire to weaken and bring down Trump politically, much of the media shows a contemptable and dangerous disregard for the interests, security and image of the United States.  News outlets, such as CNN, broadcast constant attacks on Trump and the American government throughout the world – and then they report how people in other nations have a negative opinion of the President and the United States.  Well duh!

If I had been asked, I would have advised Trump to refrain from making any comment about Biden or Kim Jong-in’s opinion of Biden.  It provided yet another opportunity for the press to deflect attention from the big news and dwell on petty political attacks designed to hurt Trump.  But I was not asked.

Regardless, I find Trump’s flippant remark to be far less troubling than the constant drumbeat of anti-Trump – and, by extension, anti-American – reporting that pours out of the Fourth Estate on a daily basis.  If it is Vladimir Putin’s desire to spread chaos and disruption – undermine the United States presence in the world – I would argue that his greatest ally has been the American media.

It was once said – and quite accurately – the politics ends at the water’s edge.  That tradition has been nullified by Democrats and media folks who place getting Trump above all other considerations – including the interests of America.  The nation would be better off is they focused less on Trump’s statements overseas and considered their own.

So, there ‘tis.

4 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.