He Never Fails To Fail
11/09/25 07:31
September 11, 2025 (Vol. 19 No. 33) - In a rare Oval Office address last night, President Trump called the assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk "a dark day for America." He didn't realize just how right he was. For the first few minutes of the speech, Trump was surprisingly presidential. He paid tribute to Kirk and his message and sent condolences to Kirk's family. He also deplored political violence, something every president should say. But then he went off the rails, making a "dark day" even darker. He blamed the "radical left" for the assassination - although at the time the speech was delivered, the suspect had not been caught nor did we know his/her motive. He cited a series of attacks on conservative politicians - failing to mention the Capitol Insurrection of January 6, the ball peen hammer attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband, the arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home, or the murder earlier this summer of two prominent Minnesota Democrats. Trump then said he would use all federal agencies and the military to bring force to bear upon the radical left - harkening to his immoral and unconstitutional use of the military to police American cities. He said the radical left needs to tone down its heated rhetoric - totally ignoring the fact that it was he who undermined social discourse more than any other person in American history. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! I was disappointed in the President, but not surprised.
Late yesterday afternoon, I wrote in a Substack post, "I hate to say it, but this is a time for presidential leadership. What President Trump says may well determine whether or not we are beginning an endless cycle of violence. I'm afraid to admit it, but I have little faith in Donald Trump doing the right thing." There are several things to note about last night's Oval Office speech. First, is its location. Oval Office speeches during Trump's two terms can be counted on one hand. Second, it was recorded for release on social media. That suggests to me that Trump and his advisers did not want to risk having the President - famously known for having no filter between his warped brain and his big mouth - going off on a wild rift saying words he and the nation would regret. That's smart strategy, which makes the address that more frightening. He said exactly what he wanted to say, which means his threats are that more real and cannot be dismissed as "Trump being Trump."
As I said yesterday, political violence cannot be condoned, whether it be from the right or the left. Nor can we condone a lack of presidential leadership. How many times has Donald Trump been given the choice between doing and saying what is right and what is wrong, only to have him turn to the dark side? And how many times have congressional Republicans willfully traveled with him down that that dark rabbit hole? Unfortunately, when it comes to being a calm and reassuring voice during times of crisis, Donald Trump never fails to fail. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.