During a brief appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 summit, Donald Trump offered a few emotionless and repetitive words about the passing of former President George H.W. Bush.
The only thing Trump seemed to know about the 41st president is that he “loved his family.”
“He was just a high-quality man, who truly loved his family,” the president said. “One thing that came through loud and clear – he was very proud of his family and very much loved his family.”
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Trump’s bland statement on the passing of George H.W. Bush. #ctl #p2 #Bush41 pic.twitter.com/U4suFoZJzz
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 1, 2018
Trump said:
We extended our best wishes, and he was a very fine man. I met him on numerous occasions. He was just a high-quality man, who truly loved his family. One thing that came through loud and clear – he was very proud of his family and very much loved his family. He was a terrific guy. He’ll be missed. He lived a very full life, a very exemplary life.
It would have been better if he just said nothing
In times of national mourning or tragedy, the president typically serves as a consoler-in-chief, bringing the country together with a message of unity. That is particularly true when a former president passes away.
But over the past two years, Trump has shown that he lacks the compassion and ability to be that type of leader. His sleepy and emotion-free statement on Saturday was just the latest demonstration of his inability to rise to the occasion and be a uniting force.
For once, the president should have just stuck to the statement his staff posted to his Twitter account.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
