PROMINENT Republicans insist on treating President Donald Trump like a child or a clueless old man, telling Americans that he does not mean what he says — despitePROMINENT Republicans insist on treating President Donald Trump like a child or a clueless old man, telling Americans that he does not mean what he says — despite

The dubious art of explaining what Trump ‘really means’

By David M. Drucker

PROMINENT Republicans insist on treating President Donald Trump like a child or a clueless old man, telling Americans that he does not mean what he says — despite the commander in chief making quite clear he means exactly that.

Trump’s threat to use military force to seize Greenland from Denmark, a US ally via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a recent example. “I don’t think it’s a threat,” Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama told The Bulwark. “I think it’s a promise that we’ll offer some money for it.” Senator John Kennedy offered his own, colorful reimagining of the president’s saber rattling. “Even a modestly intelligent ninth grader knows that to invade Greenland would be weapons-grade stupid. Now, President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid,” the Louisiana Republican told CNN. Trump, Kennedy added, does “not plan to invade Greenland. That does not mean they’re not going to seek a legal, formal partnership with Greenland.”

Trump’s subsequent comments on the matter? All options are on the table, including a military invasion. “We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” the president told reporters during a White House news conference last week. “If we don’t do it the easy way we’re going to do it the hard way.”

The phenomenon of redefining Trump’s rhetoric was somewhat understandable during his first presidency. He was new to elected office and still learning how the federal government operated. Although still somewhat infantilizing of a man who had reached high office, Republicans uncomfortable with the president’s rhetoric could theoretically make the case that Trump didn’t understand the implications of what he was saying, or of his policy proposals.

But as we head toward Year 2 of his second presidency, those excuses have worn thin. Trump has plenty of on-the-job experience and has demonstrated an understanding of executive power, so much so that he rejects most limits on it.

What gives? In my experience, it’s about political expediency. Republicans’ clumsy verbal cartwheels are obvious attempts to avoid publicly disagreeing with Trump while simultaneously attempting to avoid publicly agreeing with him.

It’s been more of the same regarding what’s next for Venezuela following an American military operation that led to the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their arrest by federal law enforcement. During a Jan. 3 news conference , Trump, 79, said the US is “going to run” the South American nation “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”

The president elaborated under questioning by reporters, suggesting his declaration was hardly flippant. “It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me,” Trump said, when asked who inside the US government would be running Venezuela.

Flanking Trump on stage: Air Force General Dan Cain, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others.

Yet the very next day, Rubio revised his boss’ remarks. “What we are running is the direction that this is going to move, going forward. And that is, we have leverage. This leverage we are using and we intend to use,” the secretary said Jan. 4 in an interview on the ABC News public affairs program This Week. To be fair, Rubio’s argument wasn’t wholly inaccurate.

But: Want to guess what Trump said later that day when asked, during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One , if Washington was running the show in Caracas? “Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it will be very controversial,” Trump said. When asked what he meant, the president was blunt: “It means we’re in charge. We’re in charge.”

Naturally, Trump’s unequivocal comments didn’t discourage Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from claiming the president’s rhetoric was equivocal. “I think that’s a matter of interpretation,” the Idaho Republican told NOTUS,  when asked what the commander in chief meant by repeatedly saying the US is “running” Venezuela.

Shawn J. Parry-Giles, a University of Maryland professor who studies political communication and rhetoric, explained the ongoing dilemma posed by Trump and his penchant for provocative rhetoric and proposals.

“His messaging puts members of his party in difficult positions. They manage the rhetorical and political messiness by providing different interpretations that reshape the message into one they can support that appears more reasoned and grounded in legal [and] political principles,” said Parry-Giles, director of the Rosenker Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership . “This is also happening with members of his cabinet. They are trying to reshape his messages into something that would be more acceptable politically.”

They’re hoping to “send” Trump “a subtle message of how the president would better express his views,” she added, while maintaining a sense of decorum that the commander in chief does not. “He routinely flouts such decorous practices,” Parry-Giles said.

All true and all understandable.

But after all this time, it should be crystal clear to Republicans — on Capitol Hill and everywhere else — that Trump knows what he’s saying and knows what he’s doing (or what he wants to do.) When he speaks and when he acts, it’s with deliberate intent. Congressional Republicans who oppose an American invasion of Greenland might want to ponder that rather than soothe themselves with fantasies that Trump’s tough talk is about “leverage.”

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Market Opportunity
LiveArt Logo
LiveArt Price(ART)
$0.0004989
$0.0004989$0.0004989
+0.02%
USD
LiveArt (ART) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Is Putnam Global Technology A (PGTAX) a strong mutual fund pick right now?

Is Putnam Global Technology A (PGTAX) a strong mutual fund pick right now?

The post Is Putnam Global Technology A (PGTAX) a strong mutual fund pick right now? appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. On the lookout for a Sector – Tech fund? Starting with Putnam Global Technology A (PGTAX – Free Report) should not be a possibility at this time. PGTAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We note that PGTAX is a Sector – Tech option, and this area is loaded with many options. Found in a wide number of industries such as semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, tech companies are everywhere. Thus, Sector – Tech mutual funds that invest in technology let investors own a stake in a notoriously volatile sector, but with a much more diversified approach. History of fund/manager Putnam Funds is based in Canton, MA, and is the manager of PGTAX. The Putnam Global Technology A made its debut in January of 2009 and PGTAX has managed to accumulate roughly $650.01 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Di Yao who has been in charge of the fund since December of 2012. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. PGTAX has a 5-year annualized total return of 14.46%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 27.02%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. It is important to note that the product’s returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund’s [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower. When looking at a fund’s performance, it…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 04:05
Franklin Templeton CEO Dismisses 50bps Rate Cut Ahead FOMC

Franklin Templeton CEO Dismisses 50bps Rate Cut Ahead FOMC

The post Franklin Templeton CEO Dismisses 50bps Rate Cut Ahead FOMC appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has weighed in on whether the Federal Reserve should make a 25 basis points (bps) Fed rate cut or 50 bps cut. This comes ahead of the Fed decision today at today’s FOMC meeting, with the market pricing in a 25 bps cut. Bitcoin and the broader crypto market are currently trading flat ahead of the rate cut decision. Franklin Templeton CEO Weighs In On Potential FOMC Decision In a CNBC interview, Jenny Johnson said that she expects the Fed to make a 25 bps cut today instead of a 50 bps cut. She acknowledged the jobs data, which suggested that the labor market is weakening. However, she noted that this data is backward-looking, indicating that it doesn’t show the current state of the economy. She alluded to the wage growth, which she remarked is an indication of a robust labor market. She added that retail sales are up and that consumers are still spending, despite inflation being sticky at 3%, which makes a case for why the FOMC should opt against a 50-basis-point Fed rate cut. In line with this, the Franklin Templeton CEO said that she would go with a 25 bps rate cut if she were Jerome Powell. She remarked that the Fed still has the October and December FOMC meetings to make further cuts if the incoming data warrants it. Johnson also asserted that the data show a robust economy. However, she noted that there can’t be an argument for no Fed rate cut since Powell already signaled at Jackson Hole that they were likely to lower interest rates at this meeting due to concerns over a weakening labor market. Notably, her comment comes as experts argue for both sides on why the Fed should make a 25 bps cut or…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 00:36
OpenVPP accused of falsely advertising cooperation with the US government; SEC commissioner clarifies no involvement

OpenVPP accused of falsely advertising cooperation with the US government; SEC commissioner clarifies no involvement

PANews reported on September 17th that on-chain sleuth ZachXBT tweeted that OpenVPP ( $OVPP ) announced this week that it was collaborating with the US government to advance energy tokenization. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce subsequently responded, stating that the company does not collaborate with or endorse any private crypto projects. The OpenVPP team subsequently hid the response. Several crypto influencers have participated in promoting the project, and the accounts involved have been questioned as typical influencer accounts.
Share
PANews2025/09/17 23:58