One of the most infuriating aspects of the last week, besides the systemic racism, is that we are entirely leaderless. Trump has acted like a petulant child, tweeting out how cool it was to watch the Secret Service protect him and the White House with their “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons,” while also doing all he could to blame Democratic mayors and governors for the uprisings.

He also quite selectively named ANTIFA a “terrorist organization.” So it should come as no surprise that Trump’s White House is divided on whether he should address the nation from the Oval Office.

Jared Kushner is against it, according to “The Week,” but not for any decent reason. Nope. Kushner is looking at this like he seems to look at everything. How does it benefit Trump and him? Kushner sees no “political value” in Trump addressing the country:

Some of his advisers, reportedly including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, don’t think there’s any political benefit in Trump addressing the nation from the Oval Office since the few times he’s done so haven’t turned out so great. But others, like White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, believe it’s a chance for Trump to show that he’s a strong leader and a unifier, in a similar fashion to former President George H.W. Bush during the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.

Mark Meadows believes that Trump could be a unifier similar to George H.W. Bush? Old George may have been a bad president, but he was a normal person president and a great “post-president.” IF it was anyone but Kushner arguing that “no, Trump shouldn’t address this” we might guess that it was because the staff knew he’d make race relations worse. But Kushner’s laser focus on “political benefit” is all too believable. It is sad because Trump likely could stop the MAGA-heads and racists that have descended upon the scenes. Trump could also likely stop the attacks against the media. For some reason, Trump doesn’t seem to have any interest in doing either one.

There is mounting pressure inside the White House for President Trump to make a formal address to the nation from the White House amid the chaos and unrest erupting across the United States, sources tell me & @Santucci

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) May 31, 2020

If Trump truly did say that police should respect the media and the protesters, many of them might actually do it.

Unfortunately, we have no reason to think Trump is capable or that it’s even something he wants.

Most on Twitter believe a national address would only makes things worse:

The last thing the country needs now is for Trump to address the country. He is the problem not the solution.

— Gerry Levine (@gerrylev) May 31, 2020

Please no. The country can’t take that.

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) May 31, 2020

I can't imagine a worst catalyst than Trump speaking.

— McBlondeLand (@McBlondeLand) May 31, 2020

ANYTHING that Trump says at this point will only increase the anger in the streets. Only his hardcore supporters believe a word he says or cares what self-serving thing he has to say. It might help if he told William Barr to shut the fuck up, though.

— JohnRJohnson (@JohnRJohnson) May 31, 2020

I don’t think this is a good idea, frankly. He is a known liar who can’t help but sow dissention. It is always about him. He has no interest in uniting the country — if he did, he would have done so in earnest already.

— Susie K (@cocosette7) May 31, 2020

And this perfectly sums it up…

>> @DavidFrum says it's "good" that Trump has no plans to address the nation today: "This president shouldn't speak, because what could he possibly say?" pic.twitter.com/uQ9XlJRwH0

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 31, 2020

****

Peace, y’all

Jason