World Stares at Trump: Washington Post

Whether on denying climate change is a problem or pulling US troops from Syria while giving Kurdish allies five days to avoid Turkish forces, Donald Trump rationalizes policies that the rest of the world find incomprehensible. The US president seems alone against the world, suggests Dana Milbank for the Washington Post. Trump blames the intelligence community, the news media, academia and Democrats, suggesting all carry a grudge against him. Trump blames tech companies and the entertainment industry for ignoring Republican interests and Europe and other nations for not contributing enough to NATO operations. He attacks his most loyal supporters for not agreeing with him on the Syria pullout. “Sickeningly, he attacked just-abandoned Kurdish allies as if they deserve the massacre they are now receiving,” Milbank writes. “He portrayed these friends as enemies, saying they’re “not angels,” that it’s “natural for them” to fight…” As winner of the 2016 election, Trump suggests that he can dismiss minority concerns or majority opinions as he pleases. Foreign officials attending press conferences and meetings with Trump generally listen “without expression” and proceed to issue their opinions. – YaleGlobal