Thread by @SykesCharlie

THREAD --> My latest: Is Donald Trump's Presidency Becoming ... Normal?
thecontrarianconservative.com/blog/2018/1/19…

To regard Trump’s presidency as normal, or something approaching normal, conservatives would have to ignore (for starters):

* Trump’s character, including his bullying, name-calling, and chronic lying (According to the Washington Post, he has made more than 2000 false claims since taking office).

*The president’s pattern of stocking racial animosity, including his empowerment of alt right extremists in the wake of the Charlottesville demonstrations... His “shithole” comments were merely the latest in a long string of cringeworthy dog whistles to his base.

*His treatment of women who have accused him of abusing and/or molesting them. (Despite wishful thinking, those charges aren’t going away in the #MeToo era.)

*His ignorance of basic matters of governance, including details of his own administration’s policies from health care to foreign surveillance.

*His administration’s withdrawal of the United States from world leadership.

*Trump’s admiration of and fan-boy praise for autocratic thugs, including Putin, Duterte, and Erdogan. ...

*His indifference to the well-documented Russian attempts to subvert our democracy.

*His assault on and contempt for the rule of law, which may include the actual obstruction of justice.
*His ongoing attacks on law enforcement, the intelligence community, and the judiciary.
*Trump’s repeated calls for the DOJ to prosecute and jail his opponents

*His relentless attacks on the free press, including his call for changing libel laws and his threats to pull the licenses of critical media outlets.

*His ongoing personal financial conflicts of interest and self-dealing

*Trump’s abuse of the presidential pardon power on a lawless bigot (Joe Arpaio).

*His repeated use of his office to attack private businesses and individuals.

*His embrace of accused child molester Roy Moore, an unreconstructed birther...

*Trump’s erratic escalation of a possible nuclear confrontation with North Korea

*His administration’s crude and often cruel immigration policies that threaten to deport hundreds of thousands of families and bans that seek to bar millions on the basis of their religion.

The president’s many rationalizers would like to believe that objections to Trump are merely matters of taste or style or the president’s “personality.” But as this list (which is hardly comprehensive) suggests the objections are far more serious.