Uncharacteristically Circumspect

Ryan Lizza undertands. And so does President Trump.

But President Trump has largely held his fire. Politico reported that as McCain's funeral was being held Saturday morning, Trump tweeted about the "tainted and corrupt" news media and Canada; FBI and Justice Department "corruption"; and the "police state" behind the Special Counsel investigation. Then he hit the links.

The hard right, however, took a break from taking itself too seriously in order to take the funeral too seriously. Or rather, it took what was said at the funeral too seriously, because relatively few people take funerals seriously these days. 

Slamming a daughter of a recently deceased US Senator as "a sad and petty woman," Christina Lailla at conservative website Gateway Pundit maintained

Americans were outraged Saturday after John McCain’s funeral turned into a Trump bashing session.

Speaker after speaker, from Meghan McCain, to George W. Bush, to Barack Obama took turns to rip President Trump in words of anger.

 Lailla pointed to several tweets criticizing the funeral of Senator McCain, the first here from a conservative black activist, the next from an alt-right leader, and the last her own:

This new trend of using funerals and eulogies to deliver political messages is really quite disgusting.

Sympathy from death as means to sway public opinion is next level corrupt.

Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves.

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) September 1, 2018

If today’s McCain funeral feels good to you, then know that’s how MAGA feels when Trump insults McCain.

Two Americas.

— Mike Cernovich 🇺🇸 (@Cernovich) September 1, 2018Another grotesque stunt by the D.C. elites--bashing President Trump at another funeral.

And they wonder why Americans have contempt for them... #McCainMemorial

— Cristina Laila (@cristinalaila1) September 1, 2018

But Donald Trump understands. If the word "Trump" had been uttered at the services,the occasion and those speaking at it would have been far more vulnerable. However, condemning mourners- especially a daughter visually distraught by her father's death- at a funeral is usually not a good look, and clearly not so when the deceased is known as a decorated war hero.

Trump probably realized it was better to let the moment pass. He realizes it's wise to leave bad enough alone when, observing absence of the President's name, journalist Ryan Lizza would remark

I re-read all the speeches from McCain’s funeral. Nobody attacked Trump. They *praised* honor, decency, character, bipartisanship, and placing country over party. What does it say about Trump that so many people interpreted this as an assault on him personally?

                                                 HAPPY LABOR DAY

Share |