Thread by @MollyMcKew

Last week I sat next to two conservatives I knew in a bar while they argued essentially the same thing as this piece:
"Well, Trump hasn't actually started a war or nuked anything, so he's loud and annoying, but it's fine."

And I'm sorry -- but no. No. /1 nationalreview.com/2019/06/trump-…

This simply is not true.

This administration has gutted regulations, not just for economic gain but also anti-science philosophy, & purged institutions of expertise. Whoever comes next will have years of unraveling, & will need an aggressive/expensive recruitment strategy /2

They have set policies requiring border guards to conduct dehumanizing acts, thus dehumanizing themselves. In the process they ask Americans to justify and normalize behavior we have sanctioned and condemned in lesser nations. /3

They have rolled back protections for women, children, the poor. They strip money that should go to our citizens and veterans to fund programs born from conspiracy and purposeful lies. They have subverted American minds for loyalty to a slogan on a hat. /4

They have alienated our allies & empowered our enemies. Our allies, for sure, don't think "hasn't nukes anyone" is much of a standard. While they would turn a blind eye to abusive, ignorant tweets and humiliating press sprays side by side with POTUS ... /5

... that's harder when the same kind of behavior sparks uncertainty + conflict + unrest, & shows a willingness to sacrifice their interests to adversarial powers, repeatedly. This is not reparable, & will take decades to overcome. Decades that we are more exposed & less safe. /6

They have dismissed threats against us, and distorted the reading of intelligence to justify this dismissal. Left enthusiastic children in charge of major swathes of policy. This has altered our relationships with allied intelligence services on the biggest threats we face. /7

The most serious areas of foreign affairs we face are staffed by VOLUNTEERS to this administration -- and no one even cares? /8

If this is really "fine", then these people are so deep in their own lie-flavor koolaid that they are condemning their entire intellectual cause to non-redemption. This is madness. /9