Romney strikes center of criticism by criticizing Trump

M itt The surprising Chronicle of Romney's New Year's Day criticizing Donald Trump was a brave, daring and challenging fix for a raging president.

Romney's first paragraph aptly describes his case: "The Trump presidency made a deep descent in December. The departures of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, the appointment of senior officials of lesser experience, the abandonment of the allies who are fighting with us and the President's rash assertion that the United States has long been a "sucker". in the affairs of the world, his presidency has been reduced. "

But Romney's story could have been longer. Trump misinterpreted the funding of a border wall, making it less likely to secure funding for the fence while causing an embarrassing partial closure of the government. (Democratic leaders negotiate in bad faith, and I think they are also wrong on the bottom, but that's another story.) Trump has also swept the investment markets by criticizing the Federal Reserve .

Abroad, he has also made our mission in Iraq harder by pretending to silence the Iraqi leadership at a time when they are struggling to maintain crucial local support for this mission. His supposed breakthrough for peace with North Korea continues to look more and more like the rash claims of a sucker. And it continues to impose tariffs on metals from Canada and Mexico despite its new, totally overstretched trade deal, hurting US consumers while making congressional confirmation of the deal more difficult.

And these are just the worst of weaknesses.

However, the most important and important point in Romney's column is not specific Trumpian actions. Whatever Trump's mistakes (or successes) may be, they are at least equivalent to this: "To a large extent, a presidency determines the public character of the nation," Romney wrote. "A president must unite us and encourage us to follow" our best angels. "A president must demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity and elevate the national discourse with clarity and mutual respect. […] And it is in this province that the shortfall of the incumbent president has been the most glaring. "

Of course, the abrupt decline in quality public discourse is far from the fault of this president alone. , it is undeniable that the oval office is a primary source.

Some people say that vitriol is necessary to "win" against the left, and some even find it entertaining.They are wrong. A decent speech, widespread recourse to blatant lies and manifest disregard of ordinary standards of conduct are all eroding more and more civil society.

Up to now, just about every more Republicans who had dared to "call" Donald Trump were politically crushed. Romney, however, has a national status and a safe seat for six years – guaranteed to last until Trump is gone. This verbal attempt against Trump, while Romney enters the Senate from Utah, has at least a chance to encourage other Republicans to redouble their efforts to reduce Trump's excesses. More power for him.