Trump Today, Trump Tomorrow

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

From Esquire

Here in the shebeen, we will deal with whatever the president* says about Afghanistan on Tuesday because, unless he's planning to disentangle this country from that one, it's likely to be another "surge" that extends this country's longest war a little bit longer. More significant, though, I think is the event that he's having in Arizona on Tuesday night against the express wishes of the mayor of Phoenix. Now, it seems, even the Republican governor of Arizona has discovered a previous engagement. From AZcentral:

But the Republican governor, who like many in the GOP has diplomatically sidestepped Trump and his more divisive rhetoric, will not attend Trump's campaign-style rally at the Phoenix Convention Center. Daniel Scarpinato, Ducey's spokesman, wrote in a statement to The Arizona Republic that Ducey looks forward to welcoming Trump. But, he added, "Gov. Ducey's focus has been working with law enforcement toward a safe event in downtown Phoenix for all those involved and in the area. That will continue to be his priority during the event and afterwards."

Thousands of Trump supporters and protesters are expected to flood downtown Phoenix ahead of Trump's 7 p.m. rally. Other protests are expected with the prospect of a pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Trump has indicated he is "seriously considering" a pardon for the 85-year-old sheriff, who was convicted of criminal contempt two weeks after a judge found he had defied a court order intended to stamp out his signature immigration patrols.

Everything about this is odd. Local politicians in the Sun Belt don't want the president* of the United States to visit their cities and/or they don't want to be seen with him, and he hasn't even been president* for a year yet. The Kennedy Center honorees don't want him there, and neither does the board of the Kennedy Center. He can't even get out of his own way on the fun stuff about being president. But, on Monday night, he likely was going to tell Americans that he's going to be sending more of their children off to war. There's a terrible quivering in the tectonic plates beneath the country. Everybody can feel it. Nobody knows what to do about it, or, apparently, dares even to try.

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