Trump self-deals, lies and seems to fall asleep in meetings. The media treats it all as priced in' | Margaret Sullivan

Social media behavior, alleged inattentiveness in meetings, and claims of ignoring Americans’ finances are presented as part of a pattern of misconduct. Talks with Iran are described as including pride in not thinking about personal finances and as involving constant lying about the war’s supposed success. Additional actions are listed as damaging institutions and undermining voting rights for Black Americans, alongside self-dealing and misuse of the justice department. Coverage is characterized as treating these actions as normal for Trump rather than as grounds for major accountability. The piece contrasts earlier eras where similar conduct would have driven impeachment or conviction headlines. It also notes prominent media attention to funding related to anti-weaponization efforts using taxpayer money.

"His social media posts are unhinged. He seems to fall asleep in meetings. He proudly proclaims he's not thinking even a little bit about Americans' personal finances in talks with Iran. And he lies constantly about the supposed success of the war with Iran he started for no good reason. That's just the start, of course, when it comes to Donald Trump's disastrous second presidency."

"There's the ruination of the Kennedy Center, the building of a ballroom (or bunker?) to replace the White House East Wing, and the wrecking ball that the Trump-aligned supreme court has taken to the voting rights of Black Americans. There's the endless self-dealing and the abuse of the justice department's intended purpose. And yet, the mainstream media doesn't make much of any of that, not in any sustained way."

"The shocking excesses and corruption of Trump 2.0 are priced in. These outrages, for the most part, are largely treated as, well, Trump being Trump. It's as if much of big media has decided that it's too much trouble to focus, in any sustained way, on developments that would have resulted in weeks of headlines, if not impeachment and conviction, in the pre-Trump era."

"Some extreme outrages do rise to the surface, provoking a raised eyebrow or two. The New York Times gave its lead news position in print the other day to his anti-weaponization fund of $1.8bn. It's intended to use taxpayer money to compensa"

Read at www.theguardian.com