At what point does Trump Derangement Syndrome stop being handy shorthand for the liberal media's hatred of the President, and start being taken seriously as an actual mental disorder?
The question arises after witnessing Joe Scarborough raising the specter on today's Morning Joe of the possibility that Donald Trump "doesn't know how to read."
Scarborough made his absurd suggestion in discussing a story in Forbes (which Joe seems to have misattributed to the New York Times) reporting that two Trump advisers came up with the idea of the wall as a rhetorical device to remind Trump to discuss illegal immigration while addressing supporters. Here was Scarborough:
"His own people admitting to the New York Times, they said, actually this was just a memory trick for him in 2014. They came up with the idea of a wall because they knew Donald Trump didn't like to read—or perhaps he doesn't know how to read—it's hard to say. But everybody around him says he never reads."
It would seem superfluous to demonstrate that someone who has risen to the Presidency of the United States — graduating from the Wharton School along the way — knows how to read.
Sure, one could make the argument that someone doesn't like to read or consume briefing books. But not being able to read is another thing. Then again, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Joe actually meant that, considering all that Morning Joe and the rest of the media have alleged without evidence about Trump's mental and physical health.
Nonetheless, let's humor Joe, and put his mind at ease about the President. Scarborough might start by Googling "Trump reading from prepared remarks." He'll get 16.9 million results. There are also countless reports of Trump reading from teleprompters.
So yes, Joe: Trump can read. The more pertinent question: can you think straight, or has your mind been hopelessly addled by TDS?
Note: Scarborough's spiel elicited one of Mika's trademark, long, mmmmmm's.
MSNBC's Morning Joe
January 7, 2019
6:07 a.m. EasternJOE SCARBOROUGH: And he even admitted, Nick Confessore [of the NYT], that when the audience started to get bored or distracted, when they seemed to wander off, he would bring back the wall. And he would talk about the wall, because he said it was the best applause line.
And what about his own people admitting to the New York Times, they said, actually this was just a memory trick for him in 2014. They came up with the idea of a wall because they knew Donald Trump didn't like to read—or perhaps he doesn't know how to read—it's hard to say. But everybody around him says he never reads. So they came up with this trick, that: just say, build that wall, and that would remind him to talk about illegal immigration.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Mmmmmmm.
