Donald Trump’s Big Idea: Don’t Blame Me
But he’s also showing the world that he has no intention of taking responsibility for the hard stuff. Don’t blame Trump, he said on Wednesday, for the deep divisions in American society.
“I’m not president yet, so I didn’t do anything to divide,” Trump said in a phone call to the “Today” show.
.. On Dec. 1, Trump smiled happily as his followers chanted, “Lock her up!” He did not attempt to quiet them, perhaps by saying that he had told The New York Times one day earlier that he did not want to prosecute Hillary Clinton. After all, Trump is not responsible for what his followers say.
The obstinate refusal to take personal responsibility permeates the Trump organization.
.. Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the new national security adviser, is not being held to account for spreading vile lies about Clinton on social media
.. Many Americans who voted for Trump may not consider themselves racist, but they cast a ballot for a candidate who espoused racism and xenophobia and told lie after lie without remorse. They have to take responsibility for their decision, and so do the people who choose to work for Trump.
.. He’s willing to shoulder the heavy burden of flaunting his riches. “Others try to hide their wealth,” he told TIME, but he does not because “aspiration’s a very important word.”