Which unfortunate female from central casting is to be tasked with "translating" what Cheeto Mussolini says into what is acceptable? It's not the Monica Crowley, Kimberley Guilfoyle or Laura Ingraham -- all of whom were floated for a while as a possible Press Secretary.
Trump is going with the RNC's master spin-doctor: Sean Spicer. Spicer has proven himself a willing fixer for his boss's wild unpredictability. He has even gone to bat for Trump when he failed to formally denounce adoring Neo-Nazi supporters. They're the alt-Right, dontchaknow?
Spicer was interviewed on New Day by Alisyn Camerota. I don't think either of them could have predicted yesterday morning that "Nuclear arms race tweets" would be the subject du jour.
A.C.: Let's talk about...what he meant with this tweet that is getting so attention about the nuclear arsenal. Trump tweeted out the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes. What does that mean? Strengthen and expand?
S.S.: It means that there are countries around the globe right now that are talking about increasing their nuclear capacity; and the United States is not going to sit back and allow that to happen without acting in kind. And I think the president-elect is very clear that he's going to be very active in putting America's security first and foremost; and if another country wants to threaten our sovereignty, or our safety, he will act.
She specifically asked him what his boss meant about strengthening and expanding our nuclear capability. His Tweet/statement alludes to another nuclear arms race, nullifying decades of treaties designed to do the exact opposite. Camerota asked him if he's specifically referencing the other country with a vast nuclear arsenal, Russia. Nothing derogatory to say about the Motherland from SS. Sure, you can throw Russia in there, but there's other nations with whom we should concern ourselves, and let's change the subject about Russia.
S.S. The president is going to put our nation's security and safety first, and he's not going to worry about how it's -- he's going to do it.
Phew! I feel so much safer now. So what if it seems as if Putin is on a quest to recapture the old SSRs and take the entirety of Europe. That's none of our business. We must put faith in our new Dear Leader.
S.S. he's not going to be a passive president. he's going to be active and make sure that our safety is number one, stop with these questions already!
A.C. I understand. that's different than expanding --
This is a preview of the transparency of this new and terrifying administration. The minister of propaganda, formerly known as the White House Press Secretary, will only give the answers that allow the Executive to act in a manner of its own choosing. To some degree, this has always been the job of the Press Secretary, but now, this is a whole nutha level of vague. Spicer digressed into talk about a U.N. resolution between Egypt and Israel and how Trump just likes to get things done, consequences be damned. Alisyn asked if this was prudent.
A.C.: Do you think that it's appropriate for him to be doing these things before he is inaugurated? There you know we only have one president at a time.
Spicer lied again and said that Trump and his team respect President Obama, but he's going to act any way he damn well pleases. Of course, his brash and thoughtless actions show an unprecedented irreverence for the Obama Administration. Why should this Republican be any different from the ones we've all gotten to know so well?
SS: ... he's not someone that's going to sit back and wait. What is the hit? That he's been a very successful president-elect so far?
A.C.: No, that he's eclipsing the current President.
Sorry Alisyn, nice try, but that's just your perception of reality and facts, which the Trump train has declared D.O.A. The host brought up the elephant in the room: Spicer made the rounds before he hit CNN, stopping at MSNBC. Trump, phoning it in again, told Morning Joe's Mika Brzenzski, "Let there be an arms race" regarding another insane nuclear arms buildup with Russia.
Camerota had to ask specifically what he meant, as no one expected this level of awful. This could easily mean the end of humanity, after all. We've gone from cozying up to Russia to engaging in a new arms race? Alisyn, along with every sentient being, wanted to know how literally we are supposed to take the president-elect. No, really, how literally?
A.C.: So you don't see these words as any sort of escalation?
SS: No, absolutely not. they're -- it is him articulating how he is going to be as president.
A.C. You know we've been cautioned and warned through the election not to take him literally. That we in the media took him too literally. when are we supposed to take him too literally?
Alisyn correctly references the numerous occasions where we've been cautioned not to take him literally, by people in his inner sanctum like Corey Lewandowski and Scottie Nell Hughes. But Spicer disagrees. That was then. This is now. She is concerned about the consequences of a journalist crossing this administration, as it seems Trump's reality will be enforced. If you are susceptible to vertigo, I caution you about the next bit of dialogue.
S.S: People are taking him literally and he's getting results.
A.C. Well, sort of.
S.S. No, not sort of, he's getting results.
A.C. he wants to expand libel laws, he wants to put more journalists in jail. Are we taking that literally or --
SS: I think that there's -- he fully respects the First Amendment. That there's a big difference --
A.C. That's my point. When do we know when to take him literally? He does say some things sometimes designed just for effect, it sounds like.
S.S. And he gets results.
A.C. Yeah, are we expanding libel laws?
S.S. In that case he made it very clear that there are certain things that have to be done to make sure that the truth is taking -- that you can't just have impunity to say whatever you want and not have any consequences (nevermind that Fox News has been doing exactly that for over two decades). So again there's nothing wrong with what he is saying at all.
A.C. Unless you don't like the truth.
S.S.:No, no, but there's a difference -- there's laws so getting things passed and done through the legal process is not some sort of nefarious thing. That's how our country works.
AC: So every tweet you are telling us, from now on, with you as press secretary, that we are to be able to take those words literally?
S.S. Of course you can, if they're from him, I think? -- I don't know what else you would take them as.
A.C. Okay. Sean, we look forward to working with you.
Just chilling. The total lack of clarity, logic, facts and decorum truly scares the hell out of so many of us. It seems the only thing we can do is call out this craziness and stay vigilant.
The Greatest Generation fought to defeat this kind of insanity. What will our generation do?
