Donald Trump's bullying of Mika Brzezinski crosses a big line

[brooklynite]

CNN

Donald Trump, from almost the moment he became a candidate for President two years ago, has set about making the outrageous ordinary. Attack John McCain for being captured and held for six years as a prisoner of war? Check! Reference the size of his genitals in a debate? Check! Make lewd comments -- on tape -- about how a prominent man can expect to be treated by women? Check!

There's a natural human tendency when faced with a series of behaviors considered outrageous or unacceptable to begin to slough them off. To normalize them. That's just Trump being Trump! He says stuff!

But, this is the President of the United States we are talking about. Someone who, whether he likes it or not, is a role model. Someone who has a profound influence on how not only we adults treat each other but how our children view the acceptable bounds of how to act toward one another.

Which brings me to Trump's tweets this morning in which he savaged "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. "Says who?"

[The Wielding Truth]

3. Seems like Michael Cohen is having a nervous breakdown or a stroke. This is not normal.

[The Wielding Truth]

8. Trump is uncontrollable. He is acting like that Canadian guy who did crack. Rob Ford.

[MoonRiver]

23. There's a lot of similarities between those two.

I had forgotten about Rob Ford. Remember thinking at the time, how the hell could Canadians elect that guy! Now I know, unfortunately.

[HipChick]

35. Rob Ford was fun, not a mean ass

that that Drump SOB

[Saviolo]

41. He was fun as long as you weren't living in Toronto

He was as destructive in his own way as Trump.

He killed funding for massive new transit infrastructure. He was power-brokering to get donations for his charity (though to be fair, it actually was a charity). He was a racist lout who embarrassed himself and Toronto in public. He had no interest in governing, and left executive committee meetings early or did not show up to them at all. There was constantly a new revelation as to how badly behaved he REALLY was.

Sound familiar? It's a smaller scale, certainly, but he did massive damage to Toronto and we're still digging out from under his mayoralty.

[olegramps]

56. Sure makes you proud to be an American, not.

What can the world think of this despicable lout? Trump and Putin are a mutual admiration society of two. Little wonder that Trump admires the murderous bastard they share the same sense of morality, none.

[onecent]

71. Didn't this Cohen do this a couple of months ago???? with a CNN lady????

[AgadorSparticus]

76. No offense to anyone but he sounds like he has a mental disability of some sort

What is wrong with him?

[mitch96]

2. I think in his small minded way

This is suppose to keep our eye off the ball. Pure obfuscation..
m

[unblock]

11. i don't think he thinks that way at all.

i don't think he's anywhere near as calculating as that would entail.
he can't plan a damn thing; he operates on instinct.

he felt attacked, so he hit back with base insults, the only way he knows how.

i don't think he gives a moment's thought as to whether this distracts from anything else that's going on or whether that would work in his favor or against him.

i'll agree that our distraction sometimes works against us, i just don't think that's be design. i just think he's very lucky that we don't have an effective counter to his sick behaviors.

[gratuitous]

17. That's what his mouthpieces say

Trump tweets something out that a middle schooler would be ashamed of, and his spokespeople all jump at the chance to tell everyone how this proves what a tough guy the President is. He won't just sit back when he's attacked, he'll take the most childish tactic available and that will show all of you! And there's no truth to the report that he's locked himself in his bedroom, sobbing into his pillow while he listens to Katy Perry on Spotify.

[unblock]

30. i think the calculating people are his sycophants.

donnie just does what he does, operating on instinct.

the people around him are the ones who have to figure out how to spin, cover, lie, distract, obfuscate, plot, leak, back-stab, manipulate, etc.

i think this has become clear with the number of times his people have said one thing about him and donnie immediately throws them under the bus. the spokespeople aren't relaying some grand plan of donnie's they're just trying to figure out what they have to say to get out of the latest mess.

[iluvtennis]

55. It's asinine how the spokespeople and many in M$M try to normalize him. GAH

[Texin]

52. No. This is who he is. He's a foul-mouthed man baby.

If this wasn't so consistent I might buy into that argument, but I don't believe it. Quite frankly, he can't help himself. He is driven by his need to "win" at all costs and at all times. No criticism can be allowed to go without a response and the more vicious it is, the better.

I have an acquaintance who has glioblastoma. In his surgical treatment, a part of the temporal (frontal) lobe had to be excised, and as expected, he has significantly lost impulse control, especially in relation to self-censorship. His comments can be so caustic and so out of bounds that he hurts and deeply shocks and offends people. In his case, this is beyond his control and it will worsen before his demise. In tRump's case, who knows? Does he have a serious physiological disease at the center of this maelstrom of unacceptable behavior? Again, who knows? certain forms of dementia will result in this kind of behavior, and Cheeto's father had that disease or Alzheimer's. The guy is 71 years old and it would be interesting to know whether he's still in complete control of his faculties or is just the straight up dipshit jerk fuck we think he is. Part of this is just his nature. The more outrageous, out of control part may not be. And somebody should be wanting to have him examined to find out what the fuck's going on with him.

[DesertRat]

4. John Legend tweeted what we're all thinking

America elected a very shitty person to be President

Link to tweet

[unblock]

12. not the most eloquently put, but i can't disagree

[Zoonart]

57. LUV U John

What a smart, talented, guy.

[malaise]

67. Perfect

Thanks for this

[Cosmocat]

5. I know this isn't going to be popular, but get in bed with snakes

you are going to get bitten ...

He and her hubby are a big part of why the oaf is POTUS, and this is just another wave in their little dance.

This time last year JS was all so high and mighty about 45 that he did a stupid song mocking him, only to go back to being elitist buds again.

And, Mike spent a year plus doing her dismissive and unapproving snipping of Hillary to tear her down.

They are getting treated like the the tools they are in 45s russian type way of doing it.

[The Wielding Truth]

10. No. Level headed people don't act like this.

[Salviati]

13. What you've said is 100% true

Doesn't mean that trump isn't still a piece of shit though.

[unblock]

6. somehow it does feel like this "crosses a line", but why? what's so different about this tweet?

compared to any number of other tweets or speeches, such as his megyn kelly insults, which also featured female blood. now that's a peculiar connection....

but he also "crossed a line" insulting journalists, americans of mexican heritage, women, blacks, etc.


i agree this tweet seems more outrageous than usual, i'm just not sure that it really crosses a line that he hasn't crossed plenty of times before. maybe it's just that it's a bit more obvious than usual.

or maybe it's that mika is not a liberal. so it's ok when he insults rosie o'donnell, but not when he attacks someone who at least used to be basically on his side.

[flibbitygiblets]

44. Maybe because those other awful things he said, he said while still a candidate?

People say lots of stuff when they're on the campaign trail, and then they, you know, rise to the occasion when they're elected.

Donnie Two Scoops never really did much "rising" so to speak, but at least I don't remember him publicly gossip-smearing a woman since he was elected. Mika happens to be part of the media, which is why he thought he could get away with it. And even if he doesn't get away with it, many of his core supporters don't respect women much anyway.

Also in Trump's mind, he's been on "good behavior" since he got elected...you know at least cutting back on the REALLY naughty stuff like grabbing genitals, calling women pigs or ugly, dogs, etc. And I bet that's been really hard for a sexist sack of shit like him! First here was that Irish reporter who he perved on the other day (who looked eerily a lot like Ivanka, just ewww), now this. The pressure of the investigation is getting to him, and he's reverting. Expect more of the same.

Oh, and that quip that he "doesn't watch (Morning Joe) anymore" is so transparent. He's glued to the TV 24/7, because President-ing is boring and hard, who knew!

[unblock]

54. yeah, he "doesn't watch", but he knew they said something to respond to.

either he doesn't watch or he has people who tell him, hey you gotta see this, so he does watch clips.

if he really never even saw what he was lashing out at, then he's got even more problems!

[ginnyinWI]

53. tipping point?

Coming right after the Sanders press briefing yesterday. The journalists are rising up in solidarity.

I could hardly believe that NPR had the item in its news summary at the top of the hour, this afternoon!

[central scrutinizer]

70. She's white and blond and fit

She made good life "choices."

[whathehell]

7. He's a classless low life...

What else is new?

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Things must really be getting ugly in the White House

My take is,Donnie the Dump is going ugly to capture the News Cycle going into the Week End. Remember,we are in Season two of the Reality TV Show,Donnie does the White House.

[Docreed2003]

14. Excellent piece brooklynite, thanks for sharing!

This highlighted succinctly why Trump's twitter barrage is so appalling! I hope we, as a society, continue to push back against normalizing this behavior!

[gratuitous]

15. Throw in how his predecessor handled criticism

There isn't anything in the record of President Obama answering criticism - no matter how lame or unfounded - with Trump-level vitriol and personal attacks. This is in a whole 'nother dimension of childish playground taunts from a 70-year-old man who never grew up.

[MineralMan]

16. Not that big. How many people really like Mika, really?

Not me. The whole Morning Joke thing stopped being interesting to me a long time ago, really. I shut it off in August of last year and banished it from my morning routine.

Trump is offensive on so many levels, that his insult of Mika is just another crude utterance from him.

It's not such a big deal as it seems really. We don't like it, of course, but our voices aren't all that loud, really.

[cwydro]

24. Mika and joe are worshipped here

No idea why

[TNNurse]

32. I do not think so.

We remember their role in the election and have not forgiven them.

My take is that this Twitter crap has nothing to do with running the country. You know paying attention to what the people need and knowing what is going on in the world.

[MineralMan]

37. Hmm...I hadn't noticed that, somehow.

[Egnever]

74. By who?

[LiberalLovinLug]

75. That is wrong

They have a history of fluffing every GOP rep through the years and making excuses for them. Their own little mini-Fox news show on MSNBC. I think everyone here remembers that.

But they, like some (not enough) Republicans are honest enough, and are human enough, to see him for what he is and call him out. Like David Frum and others. I think we should at least give credit where credit's due. And also the more conservative pundits, and politicians that speak out against Trump helps to turn the whole tide.

[Pachamama]

34. I do

[HipChick]

36. They must of really got under his skin..

they were fairly mild today...

[CTyankee]

48. The SNL takedown of Morning Joe (particularly the brilliant work of Kate McKennon

playing Mika) was a treasure! If you didn't see it on SNL go to youtube and watch
it! It's funny as hell...

[ck4829]

18. Maybe it's time to crack down on the power of the bully pulpit then

http://pulpitcrack.freeforums.net/

[WinkyDink]

43. What does that even mean--"crack the bully pulpit"? The term refers to the Presidential power of

persuasion.

[bdamomma]

19. nothing like another distraction

to keep us distracted from the ACA or the whole Russian matter.

It's sad how don the con and the repigs keep on playing the American people.

[bresue]

22. That WaPost article must be coming out today....lol!

[bdamomma]

26. just in time for Friday afternoon

to dictate to the news cycle over the holiday weekend.

[WinkyDink]

45. Ha! Don't discount a new outrage tomorrow! (Today's Thursday.)

[Iliyah]

20. Behind closed hotel doors he probably said some terrible things about

Nancy P. This jerkoff has no respect for anyone.

[bresue]

21. Why would Rubs be concerned now?

His behavior has been pathetic and evil for a very long time...and they still voted for him.

[WinkyDink]

46. "Rubs"?

[bresue]

59. Well...they rub me the wrong way...so when I am really upset.....

[HockeyMom]

25. Chelsea Handler Tweet to Ivanka

"My Dad is not the President of the United States". Sums it up perfectly. Men Behaving Badly, but NOT our President. No excuse in that position and representing all of us, and for BOTH genders.

[hrmjustin]

27. Trump has no morals.

[Tatiana]

28. So has he finally crossed the line with Mika?

Nevermind the awful way he treated Hillary Clinton, how he aggressively stalked her during the debates, and how he said that Megyn Kelly had blood coming out of her "wherever." Nevermind that he is a sexual predator that walks around grabbing women (and probably children!) by their pussies. Nevermind that he raped at least one wife.

Nevermind that he refuses to defend our country, as he swore he would do, from a foreign threat.

He talked $hit about Mika Brzezinski. OK. I guess whatever guess people to turn on this a$$hole, I'll take.

[chelsea0011]

29. This guys fucking psycho today, was fucking psycho yesterday, and has been fucking psycho everyday

in the past. And people who are acting like this crosses the line are right. But he has crossed the fucking line everyday of his miserable existence. And they are just figuring this out?

[Squinch]

31. Oh, please. His supporters have no line. They only have hypocrisy.

[ailsagirl]

33. How did he savage Mike?

[flibbitygiblets]

38. I assumed that was a typo for "Mika" /nt

[ailsagirl]

51. Oh... yeah

[Proud Liberal Dem]

39. Trump has crossed so many lines so many times long before now

Where has everybody else (but us) been all this time? He has been acting just as bad BEFORE people went to the polls to vote for him for POTUS!!!


Congratulations to everybody whom voted for him, made excuses for him, ignored the other major party candidate or cut her down, or otherwise facilitated his election as POTUS now worrying about the kind of person whom got elected POTUS. We're *probably* going to be stuck with him for the next 4 years. Just promise us that when 2020 comes around, if he's still in office, that you will vote against him and/or at least not help him slide in for another 4 years! PLEASE!!!!

[nikibatts]

40. Hillary ad asked us what we would tell our children. She nailed him on every count ...to no avail.

[WinkyDink]

42. Besides the crude bullying, I think Trump was letting MB AND OTHERS know that he knows or

CAN FIND OUT their most personal information, if it is on a website (as medical records are).

And that he is willing to break the law for revenge.

Mika might be looking into how Trump acquired his knowledge, if indeed she had had a facelift around then.

[CTyankee]

50. the facelift is fine even if she did have it. What he said was crazy and horrible...

[WinkyDink]

60. I'm saying, maybe Trump broke the law by somehow reading her medical records. The

other reasons for condemning his Tweet have been covered!

[Hekate]

47. The GOP/ RW/ moneyed powers that be all thought they could control this monster...

They went along for the ride for what they wanted, and the entire country is suffering as a result.

However, the bigly and powerful who supported him then and now will pay a price -- I can't hope that the monster will actually destroy them, but he is turning on them one by one, and I hope they all feel the pain.

[rockfordfile]

49. No Trump's Russian collusion crosses the line and Republicans' obstruction of Justice crosses..

[BainsBane]

58. I must be desensitized to him

I turned on MSNBC just as Sarah Huckabee Sanders was finishing her press conference. Katy Tur and her guests were aghast at how Sarah lied for Trump (which she and Spicey do every day). They were talking about how the tweet in question was a new low, Republicans had spoken out, etc.... So I'm thinking, what did he say? Then they finally showed the tweet at the start of Belshi's show.
I thought, that's it? How is that worse than his other tweets, his attacks on the Khans and the former Miss America? How is it worse the the rest of the bile he releases all the time?

So I thought that MSNBC must get more outraged when it's one of their own. Or, then I thought, perhaps I've just become used to disgusting behavior from him. Maybe I've lost perspective?

[Cha]

61. CC makes an excellent point..

"Then why, when that person is the President of the United States, should we treat that sort of behavior any differently?"

[oberliner]

62. No, it doesn't

It's exactly the kind of thing he always says.

[Blue_Tires]

63. Only *NOW* does it cross the fucking line?

what about the last six months of bullshit? have we mentally blocked it all out already?

[judesedit]

65. President Obama we miss you so so so much

[judesedit]

66. President Obama we miss you so so so much

[Mr. Ected]

68. It didn't cross a big line, and nothing WILL cross a big line

Unless his 34% find one of his acts or words sufficient enough to say he crossed a big line with THEM.

The rest of us have had enough of this degenerate politician wannabe. Our ball and chain is the 34%. Until they bail, the Boy King is unassailable, and we're all wasting our energy trying to draw it to everyone's attention.

Bob Mueller, on the other hand, may try a different approach.

[Permanut]

69. He's crossed hundreds of lines..

In fact, he's driven his golf cart over them while giving us the finger. No consequences.

[bdamomma]

73. He crossed the line many times

and he deserves the consequences. This is no fucking game. We are better than this, fuck the 34%.

I just hate the guy.

[onecent]

72. Also just lost her father.....this is a tradegy in itself.....

is it any wonder he can't get people to work with him?????? HE IS IN CONTROL....AND THAT'S ALL HE WANTS. I haven't
seen Ivanka and Jared around for about a week either.....

Jared is going to end up speaking with someone, I hope soon.

[Wounded Bear]

77. Trump has crossed more lines than a drone flying a camera over a herd of zebras.

[philly_bob]

78. Note also his abuse of information gained as hotel-keeper for political vendetta.

Doesn't the hospitality industry have standards?