Appearing as a guest on Friday's All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson slammed the Donald Trump administration's accomplishments so far as a "debacle" and declared that the Republican budget has "savagely" taken money from poverty programs and education.
Abramson: "I think both of the scenarios, Chris, that you just laid out equal debacle because, you know, he has done quite a bit, but I think what he's done has been, you know, altogether damaging both to the country and internationally. ... A budget that has savagely taken money from housing programs from the poor, federal money for the schools."
Near the end of the show just past 8:50 p.m. ET, host Hayes asked for her views on the administration:
Is the President accomplishing a lot while people are not recognizing how much he's getting accomplished? Or has it been an abysmal failure thus far? Jill, I'm curious where you come down on this?
Abramson fretted over withdrawal from the Paris Accord and over the Republicans' Obamacare repeal efforts as she began:
Well, I think both of the scenarios, Chris, that you just laid out equal debacle because, you know, he has done quite a bit, but I think what he's done has been, you know, altogether damaging both to the country and internationally as well. It was only two weeks ago that we were, you know, talking about the withdrawal from the Paris Accord which, you know, sets back, you know, all of the goals of environmental progress that the Obama administration spent years negotiating, you know.
The Senate is practically in lockdown right now negotiating their bill to repeal Obamacare in complete secrecy -- no hearings, no ability of Democrats to even find out what's in the legislation at this point.
She then added:
Appointees who oppose the missions of their cabinet agencies in almost all respects. A budget that has savagely taken money from housing programs from the poor, federal money for the schools. One of the only areas where President Trump has actually wanted to increase money is in charter schools. So, you know, I think that, below the surface, he's been doing a whole lot of damage. And obviously some people may see that as accomplishment, but I don't.
