In a scoop, The Washington Post reveals that Donald Trump called Australian Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and subjected him to what the Post calls “a version of the vitriol he frequently employs against political adversaries and news organizations in speeches and on Twitter.”
It should have been one of the most congenial calls for the new commander in chief — a conversation with the leader of Australia, one of America’s staunchest allies, at the end of a triumphant week.
Instead, President Trump blasted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over a refugee agreement and boasted about the magnitude of his electoral college win, according to senior U.S. officials briefed on the Saturday exchange. Then, 25 minutes into what was expected to be an hour-long call, Trump abruptly ended it.
If you doubt it, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes points out that “Btw, the Trump tweet totally confirms the contours of the reporting on the Australia call.” And it does, as you can see for yourself:
Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
Of course, 1,250 people aren’t “thousands,” and those refugees, as Hayes also pointed out, are not “illegal”:
Refugees are not “illegal” for the love of God. They are literally the opposite. https://t.co/nSEcy5uLE3
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 2, 2017
MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin makes another valid point, but one, it seems, that could legitimately be asked of each one of Donald Trump’s decisions as president:
One more point— shouldn’t Trump have ‘studied this dumb deal’ *before* he spoke with Australia’s PM? https://t.co/btHomyYgoo
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 2, 2017
You would think. Full Frontal‘s Samantha Bee quips that Trump can’t read, and that would certainly explain a great deal. Probably more accurately, he doesn’t bother to read. He has the attention span of a gnat and the temper of a T-Rex.
The rantings of a madman? You’d be forgiven for thinking so, and you may even be right. This is how Trump treats our friends and allies if he is not threatening to invade them.
Based on this episode, on other foreign policy decisions, like threatening our allies at the UN, and his executive orders, one of which attacked another ally, Iraq, Donald Trump’s decision-making paradigm clearly needs some work.
And that’s being charitable.