There香蕉视频直播檚 a line of thinking out there that too much weight is being placed on the outrageous words coming out of U.S. President Donald Trump香蕉视频直播檚 mouth and there香蕉视频直播檚 not enough focus on what he香蕉视频直播檚 actually doing.
And, to a degree, that may be true. But only to a degree.
That香蕉视频直播檚 because regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the position of U.S. President is the most powerful in the world. And when a president speaks, not only do people listen, the words carry weight like no others.
That香蕉视频直播檚 why his reported characterization of African countries as 香蕉视频直播渟h**holes香蕉视频直播 in a meeting last week is so concerning. Once the initial shock of such a phrase coming out of a sitting president香蕉视频直播檚 mouth wears off, the questions about why he would say such a thing, what it tells us about his personal beliefs and what impact it will have on future U.S. government policy spring to the fore.
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 ability to get legislation passed in his country香蕉视频直播檚 Congress may have been limited during his first year in power but that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean he didn香蕉视频直播檛 do香蕉视频直播攁nd say香蕉视频直播攁 lot. Using executive orders more than any of his predecessors, Trump made plenty of moves to roll back advances made by previous administrations, especially that of the man who preceded him in the Oval Office, Barack Obama.
Often, it seemed, Trump香蕉视频直播檚 moves were made as much to eradicate any legacy Obama may have left as they were to advance public policy in the U.S.
And through it all, Trump couldn香蕉视频直播檛 just do the job he was elected to do. He had to throw in self-aggrandizement, insult, exaggeration and flat-out untruth after untruth.
For Americans, the last year has been like no other in the history of their federal politics.
But it香蕉视频直播檚 not just been Americans who have suffered under Trump香蕉视频直播檚 version of how a president should act. Other counties and their leaders have also been the target of his barbs香蕉视频直播攁nd in some cases, more than just his words.
Canada is facing the demise of the North American Free Trade Agreement thanks to Trump香蕉视频直播檚 personal protectionist stance, a move that could have major consequences for this country. His incendiary rhetoric about North Korea is inflaming an already tense situation when it comes to nuclear weapons and dealing with that country香蕉视频直播檚 unpredictable leader Kim Jong Un and his environmental policies could have a damaging effect on the planet for years to come.
Given his ongoing penchant for turning to Twitter to publicly complain about, or insult, adversaries, many now seem to shrug off the presidents tweets as just Trump being Trump.
But for a man who has proclaimed himself to be a 香蕉视频直播渧ery stable genius,香蕉视频直播 his approach to governing香蕉视频直播攊.e. an inability to look at the what香蕉视频直播檚 good for his country instead of focusing on what he feels makes him look good香蕉视频直播攊s far from smart.
Trump ran for office on a slogan saying he would 香蕉视频直播渕ake America great again.香蕉视频直播
Unfortunately, all he has done is make himself香蕉视频直播攁nd America by extension香蕉视频直播攁 worrisome laughing stock.
As Trump would say when criticizing others: Sad.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.