During a recent one-on-one interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, President Trump was asked about his thoughts on the murder of Jacob Blake, a Black Wisconsin man who was shot seven times in the back in front of his children.
Not unsurprisingly, the President leapt to the defense of Wisconsin police officers, saying they were "under siege."
The President then took things a step farther, however, comparing the choice to shoot unarmed Black men to "choking" during a round of golf. The President said:
"Shooting the guy, shooting the guy in the back many times, I mean, couldn't you have done something different? Couldn't you have wrestled him? I mean, in the meantime, he might've been going for a weapon and there's a whole big thing there. But they choke. Just like in a golf tournament, they miss a three-foot putt."
President Trump goes one-on-one with Laura Ingraham | Part 2youtu.be
This analogy seemed to go too far for even Ingraham, who not-so-subtly prompted the President to clarify his line of thinking:
"You're not comparing it to golf. Of course, that's what the media will say."
But the President was oblivious to the social cue, saying:
"I'm saying people choke."
Once more, Ingraham tried to steer the President back on course, saying:
"People panic."
But Trump was insistent on using his golf/choking metaphor, despite the added uncomfortable associations choking now has with the racial justice movement after the death of George Floyd.
The President pressed on by saying:
"People choke. You could be a police officer for 15 years and all of a sudden you're confronted. You've got a quarter of a second to make a decision. If you don't make a decision and you're wrong, you're dead. People choke under those circumstances and they make a bad decision."
Twitter was disgusted by the Presidents thoughtless, shallow comparison.
You know you've gone too far when even Laura Ingraham thinks you're being a bit insensitive.
President Trump's strategy for the upcoming election seems fairly obvious at this point—stoke racial and prey on people's fear to gain power.
Among the many qualities a good President should have are compassion and tact, two things President Trump is sorely lacking.
