By the time today's White House press briefing rolled around, Donald Trump had not sent out a tweet, had not said a word, had in no way acknowledged the fact that two children were murdered at school yesterday and another 19 injured in the 11th school shooting of the year. Yesterday was January 23rd, and already there have been ELEVEN school shootings. One every other day.
Yet President Tweetypants was silent, and that got at least one reporter's attention.
After Peter Alexander ticked off recent school shootings just this week and mentioned the Las Vegas shooting, he asked about the possibility of maybe having a political debate about guns. He had to have known full well that the White House is the wholly-owned subsidiary of the NRA, who coincidentally also has Russian ties, but Alexander soldiered on anyway.
"What has the president done since October to prevent any of the shootings from taking place?" Alexander asked.
Can you guess what her response was? Yes, that's right. "We're trying to crack down on crime throughout the country," she snarled. "The president instructed his administration to make the recent crime wave a top priority."
Recent crime wave, what? Whatever is she talking about? The priority of this administration is to deport brown people, fill private prisons, and limit the number of people who can come in to work from places other than Norway while denying young Dreamers who have given all of their information to the government from having a way to become citizens. That crime wave?
That answer isn't going to fly in light of the fact that recent shooters have been white, as was the as-yet unidentified shooter in yesterday's tragedy.
"Students fearing for their lives while they are attempting to get an education is unacceptable. certainly in this administration...The president believes that all Americans deserve to be safe in their schools and in their communities," she continued.
Again, that distinction. Not "all people," but "all Americans." It's a distinction with a difference, you think?
Touting the administration "crackdown," Sanders went on to say "they've charged more defendants with violent crime offenses than any year in decades, they've charged the most federal firearm prosecutions in a decade, and they've convicted 12 gang members and took down drug trafficking organizations in an attempt to create better communities."
Translation: We're working on whipping brown folks as hard as we can. What do you want from us?
Hint for SHuckabeeS: None of the things you mention have a goddamn thing to do with the school shootings Peter Alexander mentioned. Not. one. thing.
Alexander persisted, once again bringing Sarah back around to the original question: What is the president doing to keep students safe at school?
And then he went on to ask, "What is the policy the president is willing to pursue or actively direct others to pursue so that others are safe."
More argle-bargle from the press secretary, who most certainly does not want to anger the NRA or their Russian affiliates.
When pressed again on it, Sanders stomped her tiny hooves behind the podium and angrily insisted they are all part of the same "crime wave."
Alexander once again pressed in, trying to pin her specifically on school shootings but Sarah had finally had enough. Since the stomping didn't work, she went for the rage quote.
"Let me be very clear," she huffed. "The fact that you are accusing the president of being complicit in a school shooting is outrageous."
Alexander pointed out, "It is [Trump's] advertisement that accused the Democrats of being complicit on a different topic. i'm not accusing the president of anything. I'm--"
"Ignoring the safety and security of our borders is different," Sarah interrupted. "The president is trying to do everything they can to prevent these types of things."
And with that, she walked out. In the span of three minutes, she managed to equate school shooters with gang members, wife beaters, and spewed a bunch of argle-bargle that didn't come near to dealing with the real issue at hand.
And still, no word from President Tweetypants...until after she shut down the briefing. 22 hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted to express his insincere condolences.
Before that tweet, he was tweeting at "Cryin' Chuck Schumer" and crowing about his economy. So really, Sarah's rage was wasted on her idiot boss who doesn't really give a damn about dead kids in school.
