He Is the Same Awful Man

"Yesterday was a stark and sad reminder that winning — in any walk of life — does not change a person’s character."

He is still awful. As awful as ever.

I have sincerely tried to look at this man through fresh eyes since his election. The part of me that believes that politics and human beings are complicated compelled me to give him a fresh chance.

But he is still the same despicable person.

He openly proved his awfulness with his vile and dishonest response to the instant deaths of 67 people in Wednesday’s air crash over the Potomac. He stood in front of the nation and repeatedly lied while bitterly placing the blame for the tragedy on DEI policy. With no foundation.

He is a deeply troubled man.

I honestly did not think that this person could do anything that would really surprise me anymore. I thought that he’d enact policies that might have major impacts on the country, and it would be up to Americans to decide if they were ultimately good or bad decisions. Governing.

But the vile remarks he made to all Americans made my stomach sick. Literally.

Lots of folks who vigorously opposed this man have asked me since the election what I thought would happen to the country under his second watch. Friends have been surprised at my lack of concern or emotional response. I generally tell them that I don’t know any better than they do, and that he won. It’s over. Wait for the midterms and vote to put a check on him.

But yesterday I was reminded of just how awful he really is. Sixty-seven families are in shock and mourning. And they got nothing from their president. Less than nothing. The received vitriol, lies, and a thorough lack of compassion.

A stark reminder that winning — in any walk of life — does not change a person’s character.

I don’t write about politics near as much anymore. I’ve grown more and more weary of it every year since 2016. I now find much more meaning writing about the hidden lessons I see all around us, and how applying fresh wisdom from them can make our lives better.

But there are times when a president has acted so ghastly that I can’t hold it in. So atrociously that it almost defies human logic.

The saddest part of yesterday’s awful speech, beyond the pain caused to the families, is that it can only serve to cleave the country further. In political campaigns, nothing is off limits. It’s hardball, and voters are wise to take all candidates’ claims and accusations with full shakers of salt. For or against DEI? Okay. Then go vote.

But the campaign is long over. The nation needs an American president. He is the one elected leader that every citizen gets the chance to cast a ballot for or against. He is our president.

Yet what we still have, just 10 days into his second term, is the same shock jock. A petulant child, who cannot rise up to meet a national moment. Not even minimally.

At the same time that I felt sick yesterday, I also felt sad. Not only for the crash victims and their families, but for our country. And a little embarrassed myself, as I thought this president might settle down a bit and just let his victory and policy decisions speak for themselves.

But he still has to actually speak, and sometimes, like after a tragedy such as this, we are instinctively compelled to listen. If only for a few minutes.

What an awful few minutes. That revealed, yet again, a truly awful man.

MICHAEL GOLDEN is the cofounder of One Million Degrees, a national award-winning journalist and author of the new book STAYING ALIVE.