| As the famed Notre Dame cathedral in Paris burned, President Donald Trump, watching the news of the fire live on Fox News aboard Air Force One, took to Twitter to offer some advice. "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris," the President tweeted. "Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!" After landing, Trump added: "When we left the plane it was burning at a level that you rarely see a fire burn."
Which is, well, kind of weird. Presumably, Trump was talking about the planes that drop water and fire-stopping chemicals on wildfires in the US when he referred to "flying water tankers." And presumably, the French police and government had already thought of that idea prior to Trump tweeting it. And, of course, they had -- as the French security service made clear in a tweet soon after Trump made his comments that said such water from above could collapse the entire structure.
What we know for sure is that Donald Trump isn't a) a trained firefighter b) an emergency responder c) an architect or d) an engineer. In similar situations, past presidents would typically release a statement expressing their shock and sadness about the damage to such an iconic structure and offering to help the French authorities in any possible way as they grapple with the aftermath of the fire.
I couldn't find any other politicians who came anywhere close to the Trump approach to the fire. Heck, his wife -- first lady Melania Trump -- sounded a FAR more presidential note, tweeting: "My heart breaks for the people of Paris after seeing the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Praying for everyone's safety."
That Trump offered his own two cents on the best way to put out the fire as opposed to simply expressing condolences is a reflection of his belief that a) everyone wants his opinion at all times and b) his is an expert opinion, no matter what the subject matter.
Remember that Trump has done similar things when it came the forest fires ravaging northern California (raking!) and the crash of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in recent months (branding!). It's who he is and what he does. He believes he knows best -- no matter the situation or circumstances.
The Point: We've all met people like this in our lives. People who think they have all the answers, on every subject, at all times -- and want to make sure they share them with you. In this case, the person just happens to be the President of the United States.
-- Chris | |
No comments:
Post a Comment