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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not see any redeeming characteristics in Donald Trump?

220 replies

BlackKite · 08/05/2020 13:00

I have just finished a book "Very Stable Genius" by two reporters from the Washington Post, who have been covering Donald Trump's presidency. The picture that emerges from that book (and other things I have read) is of man of no redeeming characteristics. He is bad tempered, narcissistic, revels in his ignorance, is petty, and a bully to boot.

People who work with him (even those who share a conservative world view) seem to not be able to stand him because of his character as a human being.

AIBU to not see any redeeming characteristics in him? Are there any?

OP posts:
Shockers · 09/05/2020 05:55

Interestingly, a friend of mine moved to Texas, lived there for 5 years, and was an avid supporter of Trump. She’s now back in the UK and can’t believe how little of his foolery was reported on Fox News, and how the reporting made him look completely competent.

Redeeming features? His terrible diet suggests he won’t last too long.

SaskiaRembrandt · 09/05/2020 06:27

Pinkyyy - Bessimo, is that you?

BruceAndNosh · 09/05/2020 06:27

He's teetotal.

Actually, that's NOT a good thing. It means we can't even hope that he was drunk when he was talking bollocks

recrudescence · 09/05/2020 07:02

I won't be giving my reasons as I've suffered enough ridicule on this thread.

I don’t believe you actually have any reasons. Or at least any that would stand up to the slightest examination.

MrSheenandMe · 09/05/2020 08:08

Bullying of those who don't immediately say "Yes you are right" is evil. Some of you would do well in the various great burnings and persecutions of former times. So Pinkyyy does not agree with you. That means she maybe thinks about things differently from you or has a different experience NOT that you should attack her personally, (and you'd burn her if you could).

Not everybody is a racist, sexist, paedophile, abusive, fascist evil person if they don't automatically vitue-signal.

MaxNormal · 09/05/2020 08:21

I think you've confused "bullying" and "disagreeing with".
Someone makes deliberately controversial statements then wails about it being because of her background week no-one has a clue what that is given that it's words on a screen. That's manipulative.

Pinkyyy · 09/05/2020 08:25

Thank you for supporting me @MrSheenandMe.

I thought this thread was started do people to highlight things that they see as positives about trump. I did exactly that and have been ridiculed for it.

Drombeg · 09/05/2020 08:31

@Pinkyyy, do you live in some alternative universe where people don’t ask you to substantiate ridiculous, unevidenced statements? You sound as if you’ve never been disagreed with or had an argument about a political issue in your life.

EveryLifeHasASoundtrack · 09/05/2020 08:34

Pinkyyy

People just want to know what you based your thinking on.

Pinkyyy · 09/05/2020 08:38

I've already said I'm not giving me reasons just for people to make fun of me, why should I? They've don't it enough already.

Drombeg · 09/05/2020 08:41

Sigh. @Pinkyyy, you were ‘made fun of’ because you gave no reasons for your remarkably rose -tinted viewer DT, despite being repeatedly asked. Do you struggle with reading comprehension in general?

Nanalisa60 · 09/05/2020 08:42

Comedy value!! 😃😃😃

EveryLifeHasASoundtrack · 09/05/2020 08:43

Pinkyyy

Then people will just continue to think that you can’t back up your statements. Personally, I’d prefer to just give my reasons.

Pinkyyy · 09/05/2020 08:44

No I don't struggle with reading comprehension. I'm not thick or illiterate.

I'm off. I don't see why I should be made fun of in this way just because I didn't go to school. It's disgusting.

Original poster
BlackKite · 09/05/2020 08:48

@Disquieted1

“ A load of people shouting off from afar who know jack shit”

Donald Trump is in the news a lot and we do know a lot about him

OP posts:
CassandrasCastle · 09/05/2020 08:49
Drombeg · 09/05/2020 08:51

But you are the only one who keeps going on about how you didn’t go to school, @Pinkyyy, (and as no one here knows anything about you, or where you’re from, it’s not even clear whether you mean school in the UK sense (education for under-16s) or in the US sense (university). )

No one is ridiculing you because you didn’t go to school/university, because no one knew this. They are pointing out that you seem entirely unable to put together a case for why DT has any redeeming features, despite your positive view of him. That’s not something that requires any education, only a basic interest in politics.

MaxNormal · 09/05/2020 08:53

It's because you're asserting a ridiculous opinion and refusing to back it up. It's got nothing to do with how much school you attended, that we only have your word on. You could have a PhD for all I know.

1066vegan · 09/05/2020 08:58

@Pinkyyy I've just caught up with the thread and honestly can't find any personal attacks on you. Your support for Trump has been ridiculed but you haven't. I'm guessing that you might have suffered abuse and discrimination in real life and that's made you hypersensitive to criticism on this thread which in turn has led you to misinterpret people's comments.

From an outsider's perspective, Trump is both ridiculous and dangerous.

Some posters have just listed his faults (which do seem self evident when you read his tweets or listen to his speeches) but many others have given evidence and concrete examples to support their criticism.

But on several posts, you have said that he's great but haven't explained why. Nor have you attempted to rebut any of the criticisms of him.

I can see why he initially appealed to some sectors of US society, particularly the rural poor, who felt that they were being ignored. I can see that he gave them hope for a better future. Some voters were racist and/or sexist so didn't care about his nastier side; others were decent people but felt that the hope he brought and/or their dislike of Hilary Clinton outweighed the bad stuff.

I get all that. But what I really can't understand is why Trump fans still support him now, given his track record and how out of his depth he is. I'd genuinely like an explanation from a Trump voter

Original poster
BlackKite · 09/05/2020 09:03

Trump has become President of the United States, the strongest and wealthiest country on the planet. The leader of the free world and all that jazz. In comparison the OP has done the square root of fuck all*

And there’s the rub. Despite being a more powerful man, would anyone honestly respect him as a human being?

OP posts:
MaxNormal · 09/05/2020 09:06

BlackKite indeed. I was wondering if that poster has similar admiration for the achievements of, say, Putin.
And there are some fairly obvious examples if some very bad men who got to lead powerful nations and carve out a place in history...

JudyCoolibar · 09/05/2020 09:09

I also think his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been absolutely outstanding.

Including the stuff about using bleach, disinfectant and heat internally as a cure for C19, @Pinkyyy?

Hwyrynos · 09/05/2020 09:16

The people who support him here are just listing his policies, that they like.

And as for just saying “he’s better than Obama” ...

That isn’t the same as redeeming characteristics, folks! We’re talking about Trump as a person. He won’t be president forever (thank goodness) so will you like him then? Did you like him before he was president? As a human being? If so... tell us why.

BruceAndNosh · 09/05/2020 09:21

@1066vegan yup, electing Trump once might have been an understandable mistake.
But re electing him? Colossal mistake.

But Biden is not looking like a strong opposition.
A contributing factor in Trump's 2016 victory was an unpopular Democrat candidate.

Its a shame a country as huge as USA can't come up with 2 decent contenders to face off in November

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 09/05/2020 09:37

I think @Shockers' post explains where @Pinnky is coming from:

Interestingly, a friend of mine moved to Texas, lived there for 5 years, and was an avid supporter of Trump. She’s now back in the UK and can’t believe how little of his foolery was reported on Fox News, and how the reporting made him look completely competent.

Pinnky and probably most of the other Trump fans on this thread will have been spoon-fed a very distorted account of his achievements and abilities.