FILE- In this Oct. 4, 2018, file photo President Donald Trump walks from the Oval Office to the Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington for the short trip to Andrews Air Force Base where he will travel to Minnesota. Big real estate developers like Donald Trump have long benefited from a myriad of legal loopholes and breaks that can shrink their tax bills. Expanding their advantages, the federal tax overhaul that took effect this year handed real estate interests some additional benefits. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
This past week, as the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh continued, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was finally able to give her testimony. This testimony was both heartbreaking and humbling, as it depicted a woman who was truly willing to relive a horrendous moment in her life in order to stand up for something that she believed in. While many felt that Dr. Ford’s words were eloquent and courageous, it should come as no surprise that some people were not as moved by her speech: namely, President Trump.
Instead, as Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Mississippi this past Tuesday, he did little to positively acknowledge the hearings, and instead decided to mock Dr. Ford for her words and actions. According to ABC News, Trump’s speech went a bit like this: “’I had one beer. Well you think? Nope, it was one beer. How did you get home? I don’t remember. How did you get there? I don’t remember. Where is the place? I don’t remember. How many years ago was it? I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know,’ Trump said, imitating Ford. ‘I don’t know, but I had one beer, that’s the only thing I remember’”.
This mockery is not only disrespectful, but is humiliating for both Dr. Ford and President Trump. Despite previously calling Ford a “very credible witness,” Trump is clearly using his remarks at the rally to retract this sentiment. However, it is not yet clear why he is doing so. While Trump has often been known to appoint his friends into positions of power and utilize family as his advisors, he claims this is not the case with Kavanaugh. Instead, Trump stated, “I don’t even know him. I met him for the first time a few weeks ago. It’s not like I want to protect my friend”. As true as this statement might be, if Trump is not trying to help Kavanaugh by making these comments, then they are almost more disgusting. While mocking a survivor of sexual assault while attempting to make a point is awful, the fact that our president is, yet again, running his mouth just for the sake of hearing himself speak is almost worse. The fact that he constantly needs to drag others through the mud in order to gain support and stroke his ego is just another reason why he is unfit to be president. But then again, maybe that’s just politics.
However, condemning this as “just politics” is where the problem lies. Trump’s actions in this case may be upsetting and disgusting, but they are not at all surprising based on his personal track-record and the reputation of many politicians. When Trump has said questionable things before, his actions were questioned but support remained. The same remains true here. While other politicians may have criticized Trump’s behavior after the comments were made, many continued to support the president and Kavanaugh in this nomination. This continued support is perpetuating the problem and adding fuel to the fire. If people were really as horrified by these comments and Dr. Ford’s commentary as they say they are, they would be able to withdraw their support from Trump’s initiative in these issues.
We do not learn or begin to change unless the actions that warrant change are addressed. While Trump’s remarks on Dr. Ford’s testimony are reprehensible, it comes as no surprise that he made them. We continue to encourage his actions each time we say something in his support or refrain from saying something against him. While many of us would like the current state of our country to change, we will not see this change come to fruition unless politicians are able to recognize each other’s errors and have the courage to take a stand. Trump has been extremely offensive in the remarks he has given, not just this time but on many occasions and his administration has done little to clean up the mess. However, with little reprimanding and continued support for him as a politician and our president, we cannot be surprised that this kind of speech keeps spewing out of his mouth.
Emma Hungaski is the associate opinion editor for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at emma.hungaski@uconn.edu.