Donald Trump’s shocking ignorance, laid bare

[Dakine10 5,452]

You really have to read the transcript to get the big picture. Trump can give a speech, but he doesn't seem capable of coming up with an answer to the simplest questions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trumps-shocking-ignorance-laid-bare/2016/03/24/b66d2b6c-f1f7-11e5-89c3-a647fcce95e0_story.html?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_3_na

Donald Trump’s shocking ignorance, laid bare

Presidential candidate Donald Trump leaves a Washington Post editorial board meeting on March 21. (Bonnie Jo Mount/Washington Post)

By Eugene Robinson Opinion writer March 24

Donald Trump’s ignorance of government policy, both foreign and domestic, is breathtaking. The Republican Party is likely to nominate for president a man who appears to know next to nothing about the issues that would confront him in the job.

Such a sweeping condemnation may sound unfair. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump were already busy tweeting that I’m a “dummy” or something. But if you read the transcript of Trump’s hour-long meeting with the editorial board of The Post, which took place Monday, I don’t see how you can come to any other conclusion.

Eugene Robinson writes a twice-a-week column on politics and culture, contributes to the PostPartisan blog, and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. View Archive

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I should note that I’m not a member of the board and therefore did not attend. But The Post published a fulltranscript , and it is one of the most chilling documents I’ve read in a long time.

I have argued for many months that Trump should be taken seriously, that he has tapped into a legitimate anger and that he understands the Republican base far better than the party establishment does. I’ve had cordial conversations with him, on the telephone and in television studios, and I agree with those who say he should never be underestimated. So I’m not a reflexive Trump hater. I am, however, appalled at how little he knows — and truly frightened.

The editors and writers at The Post were not playing “gotcha,” as the transcript clearly shows. They asked straightforward questions such as, “Do you see any racial disparities in law enforcement?”

Trump’s response was to give an empty soliloquy, ending with the declaration that “I’m a very strong believer in law enforcement, but I’m also a very strong believer that the inner cities can come back.” Asked twice more whether blacks and whites receive disparate treatment, Trump offered this:

“I’ve read where there are and I’ve read where there aren’t. I mean, I’ve read both. And, you know, I have no opinion on that. Because frankly, what I’m saying is you know we have to create incentives for people to go back and to reinvigorate the areas and to put people to work. And you know we have lost millions and millions of jobs to China and other countries. And they’ve been taken out of this country, and when I say millions, you know it’s, it’s tremendous. I’ve seen 5 million jobs, I’ve seen numbers that range from 6 million to, to smaller numbers. But it’s many millions of jobs, and it’s to countries all over. Mexico is really becoming the new China. And I have great issue with that.”

No opinion? China? Mexico?

He continued in that vein at length, bemoaning that “you’re losing Pfizer to Ireland,” until yet another attempt was made to get him back to the original question. He finally allowed that disparate treatment of African Americans “would concern me” but said it could be solved, if it existed, by creating “incentives for companies to move in and create jobs.”

[Editorial: We met with Donald Trump. Electing him would still be a radical risk.]

He was reminded that tax incentives and enterprise zones have been tried many times. What would be different about his approach?

“I think what’s different is we have a very divided country,” Trump began. “And whether we like it or not, it’s divided as bad as I’ve ever seen it.” The rambling speech that followed ended with a pledge to be “a great cheerleader for the country.”

On foreign affairs, Trump was even more vague and vapid. Asked about the future of NATO, he was skeptical of the Cold War’s most vital alliance. He complained that we devote “hundreds of billions of dollars to supporting other countries that are, in theory, wealthier than we are.”

Called on that figure, he dialed it back to mere “billions.” His proposed solution was to “structure a much different deal . . . a much better deal.” I can’t help but imagine German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande being treated like minor partners in building some luxury condos or a new golf course.

Asked about Russian aggression in Ukraine, Trump said that “other people” should be doing more. Asked about China’s bullying actions in the South China Sea, he seemed to indicate he would be prepared to punish the Chinese with a trade war — but later took it back and said he wanted to be unpredictable.

I won’t even get into Trump’s lengthy defense of the size of his hands. Please read the transcript. Then decide whether it’s conceivable to put a man who knows so little in charge of so much
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[Jacque67 7,328]

Chilling.

[smilesammich 10,727]

i don't understand how this is shocking to anyone. money buys quite a bit for the entitled class and this can lead to a fully grown adult who has capital and knows how to spend to accomplish personal goals with minimal personal effort.

[Jacque67 7,328]

As only its only his ignorance that is laid bare...boom boom!

[TBoneTX 46,850]

His lack of intellectual curiosity is highly disturbing.

[Dakine10 5,452]

i don't understand how this is shocking to anyone. money buys quite a bit for the entitled class and this can lead to a fully grown adult who has capital and knows how to spend to accomplish personal goals with minimal personal effort.

I like shocking because I know a spin is coming.

Obama - not enough government experience = bad. Trump, no government experience and no clue = good.

Obama - uses teleprompter to stay on point = end of times. Trump - rambles incoherently and doesn't understand the concept of answering a question = make America great.

I can't wait for the spins.

[ExPatty 502]

A lot of people don't really care; he is not Hillary and that is enough.

[Teddy B 17,252]

A lot of people don't really care; he is not Hillary and that is enough.

I was in that "anyone but Hillary" crowd for a bit and was mulling the outside chance of voting for Trump just to keep Hillary out. But I have since had a piano fall on my head and have come to my senses. Now I'm in the "anyone but Trump" camp.

[smilesammich 10,727]

A lot of people don't really care; he is not Hillary and that is enough.

explains so much. ignorance and apathy = america 101

[Dakine10 5,452]

A lot of people don't really care; he is not Hillary and that is enough.

A lot of angry people hear his message and have seemingly overlooked the fact that he's a con man. You can't blame Hillary. The GOP had a whole field of candidates and narrowed it down to Trump and Cruz. That's on the Republicans.

[ExPatty 502]

A lot of angry people hear his message and have seemingly overlooked the fact that he's a con man. You can't blame Hillary. The GOP had a whole field of candidates and narrowed it down to Trump and Cruz. That's on the Republicans.

I do blame hillary in part for this, though she is doing what she does; so really I blame the democrats for letting her come along. Hillary has been vehemently loathed by republicans for a very long time and the democrats don't care. Doesn't bother them a bit, just throw another divisive candidate up there. They don't even care that she is under investigation by the FBI because they are too weak to speak up against the clinton dynasty. Even sanders lacks the guts to strike where she is weak, and that is why it's taken him so long to get going, and why he has to play catch up so much. He has failed to even mention the FBI investigation and that is ridiculous. He questions her honesty over banks but the FBI doesn't have 100+ people looking into that.

I wish Kasich were on path to the nomination, but it's too late for that now. I may vote for him in the primary just to say I spat on a bonfire, as pointless as it is.

I'd still rather see Trump in office than Clinton because f@*# it. I think he and sanders both would be one-term mostly inept presidents, constantly knocked back by both sides of the aisle. I won't vote for Trump, though because he is too embarrassing and I couldn't admit it to people in real life, which means I can't do it in november, either.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Hillary being the most likely Democrat nominee does not explain how Trump is the most likely Republican nominee. There were other candidates who could have taken on Hillary with better odds. The Republicans didn't want them.

Republicans have been pandering to the fringe for so long that the fringe has taken over. They've used obstructionist, anti-establishment rhetoric for the last 8 years to get the base worked up, and in the process they've taken out their own establishment. Now you're left with Trump and Cruz. Enjoy them. You earned it.

[ExPatty 502]

Hillary being the most likely Democrat nominee does not explain how Trump is the most likely Republican nominee. There were other candidates who could have taken on Hillary with better odds. The Republicans didn't want them.

Republicans have been pandering to the fringe for so long that the fringe has taken over. They've used obstructionist, anti-establishment rhetoric for the last 8 years to get the base worked up, and in the process they've taken out their own establishment. Now you're left with Trump and Cruz. Enjoy them. You earned it.

And should trump win the presidency, who has earned that? The whole country is to blame for an election between a criminal and a reality tv star. Both terrible choices in different ways.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

And should trump win the presidency, who has earned that? The whole country is to blame for an election between a criminal and a reality tv star. Both terrible choices in different ways.

That would be the American people for doing such a thing and the GOP for allowing it in the first place. They could have stopped Trump dead in his tracks months ago, when he came out swinging with the hateful rhetoric against Mexico. But since he tapped into that vein of folks who have those sentiments and energized the base, they took the low road and kept him on the ticket. Which has led to more hateful comments, rallies in which people have been physically assaulted, 3rd grade bully attacks against someone's wife(both candidates), the KKK throwing their support in, and so on. All the while the GOP just sat back and let it happen because it's been so long since they've received this much attention.

It's ironic, the party that champions itself for it's morality and principles, that gets it's collective panties in a bunch whenever an Obama family sneezes and says it's disrespectful, gave in to the most immoral, no principles having, disrespectful individual they could find, and he's a heartbeat away from the nomination.

Talk about criminal? It's been written more than once he has ties to Organized crime families. But I guess that's no where near as bad as sending emails...

[Webdevman 93]

And should trump win the presidency, who has earned that? The whole country is to blame for an election between a criminal and a reality tv star. Both terrible choices in different ways.

You may not like Hillary but calling her a criminal shows your bias. Colin Powell and top staffers for Condoleezza Rice received classified information through personal email accounts so are they criminals as well?

Republicans have been after the Clintons for years. And she is not under investigation. Her server is which is totally different. It is also just another big waste of tax payer money which the right is so very good at. How many millions were spent on investigating Benghazi?

Only your party is responsible for the circus that is the republican party. Every election it gets crazier and more desperate.