Ambrose: The two sides of Trump

He is afraid of radicalized politics that embrace socialistic ambitions when capitalism has erased material misery all over the planet.

To him, America is “an exceptional nation blessed by God,” but is abandoned when public schools, for example, do not teach patriotism. He said he believes in free thought, thinks the Constitution means what it says and that the rule of law must be maintained.

We should all recognize the crushing sin of slavery, Jim Crow and racism, but that hardly means that accompanying greatness has failed to fight back. Trump talked about “a historic struggle for America’s future” when “our very identity as Americans is at stake.” There is a lot to that at a time of increasing encroachments on free speech, talk of packing the Supreme Court, regulatory overkill and shrugging at race riots as nothing much, just $1 billion worth of property damage and a relatively few dead people.

Mangled facts, solid points

Mangling facts while still making solid points, Trump got specific about fumbles by President Joe Biden, such as reawakening an immigration crisis and fighting climate change ineffectively by moves that will cost jobs and strip away energy resources at huge economic and national security costs. In the COVID-19 emergency, Biden has pummeled students by failing to pressure states sufficiently to open safe schools, Trump said before listing his own accomplishments as president, pretty impressive.

He then addressed the future, with, for instance, the idea of making the Republican Party into a unified party of love, bringing together people of varied races and creeds. That sounds splendid but is not in tune with his striking out at fellow Republicans who have failed to kneel before him. His self-centered disposition is contrary to the goal. What especially came to mind was the riot in the Capitol. Yes, the impeachment proceedings were more show than substance, but here is a president who sat for hours in the White House calmly watching the mayhem on TV while doing nothing to stop it, a dereliction of duty.

He turned off his phone, made no move to call the National Guard, ignored concerned aides, seemed undaunted by any threat to lives or a peaceful transition of power, a cherished principle.

Even given a long list of inanities, I have defended Trump frequently, have seen the progressives as often worse than he was and was myself disturbed by media bias. But here was someone without any signal of character whatsoever. There are a number of Republicans who would be acceptable presidential candidates. He is not one of them.