Of all the words President Donald Trump could have flubbed in his harangue railing against “far-left fascism†at Mount Rushmore, “totalitarianism†was the perfect stumble, critics jabbed on Twitter Saturday.
Trump, as he does when he’s muddled about pronunciation, seemed to fade out mid-word in his speech Friday evening, but appeared to say something like “toe-tally-tario-tism.†(He also mispronounced “Ulysses S. Grantâ€Â as “Ulysse-us.â€)Â
Trump slashed anti-racism protests across the nation, characterizing activists as a “violent†mob ― an inaccurate characterization of the mostly peaceful demonstrations ― and vowing to take action against them, In the process he echoed words used by totalitarian regimes against protesters, making it all-the-more rich that he mispronounced totalitarianism.
The Lincoln Project, created by never-Trump Republicans who have emerged as among his wittiest and sharp-edged critics, played a clip of the president mangling the word — then followed up with a photo of him saluting a military official of North Korea.
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, also noted the word stumble. Even more troubling, he emphasized, is that “Trump has no idea what words like fascism and totalitarianism mean.â€
He called Trump’s address “perhaps the most un-American speech ever delivered by an American president & on the July 4th weekend no less.†McFaul said his “only solace†is that the “degree of craziness†of the speech is “probably best explained by Trump’s current level of desperation.â€
It was off to the races for the rest of critics on Twitter.Â
Some also took note that Trump — who is fond of dictating what people do during the national anthem — should not have saluted because he is not a military veteran. He obtained five draft deferments, including one for bone spurs, during the Vietnam War. Members of the military and veterans salute; the proper etiquette for civilians is to hold their right hand over their heart during the anthem.
For something completely different, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, issued his own message for July Fourth, urging everyone to “fight every day to make sure†that the American Dream is “as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria.â€
It was retweeted by The Lincoln Project.
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