CNN took the time during Wednesday’s edition of The Lead to take jabs at President Donald Trump for not being able to get much done during his first three and a half weeks besides create controversy. When asked by host Jake Tapper to walk him through the events of Trump’s first month in office, reporter Tom Foreman joked that “it's more like staggering than walking cause it's quite an experience.” He poked fun at the fledgling administration’s trip ups and hammered it with the accomplishments of past administrations.
“The White House is experiencing growing pains for sure. Truly worse than what we've seen with any other modern president,” Foreman derided as he wondered, “Are they in real trouble? That will depend entirely on their ability to turn what looks like chaos into coordination.”
Foreman explained that even though Trump had been trying to talk policy he and his White House had been shooting themselves in the foot for weeks. “But problems are frequently blocking out that message. Creating a picture of a White House in chaos,” he said.
He rattled off every controversy, starting with “on day-one with the unproven claim of a record inauguration audience.” And moving on to every accidental slip of the tongue, including Kellyanne Conway’s “wildly quotable statement” about “alternative facts.”
The CNN reporter teases the administration for their flawed roll out of the not-a-travel-ban ban and its rough ride through the legal system. Foreman then strangely ridiculed the president for “attack[ing] Democrats for trying to slow down approval of his cabinet members.” Foreman’s chiding on that matter made it sound as though it’s not a proper complaint for a president to have. The level of obstruction by Senate Democrats is unprecedented in modern times.
And that critique of Trump’s anger at the absence of a cabinet brings into question Foreman’s analysis where he lampooned the president for not living up to the standard set by his predecessors:
Certainly, all new presidents face challenges, but in the first 100 days, Bill Clinton passed a federal budget and signed the family leave act. George W. Bush ushered in No Child Left Behind. And started work on big tax cuts. And Barack Obama launched the economic stimulus and laid the groundwork for ObamaCare.
“President Trump could still see substantial successes like that. It is, after all, quite early in his term,” Foreman remarked skeptically, “But a lot of experienced hands in this town are convinced the first thing the White House must do is stop the unforced errors which are taking them way off their game.”
Comparing Trump’s first 30 days to the first 100 days of three former presidents is ridiculous. Trump still has over 70 days to get a major policy proposal rolling. And it’s difficult to do that when many of your cabinet nominations are being held up in committee. Foreman praised the policies of Bush and Obama, but he failed to mention how either of them turned out. The liberal media ripped Bush apart over the mandates and testing standards of his education bill, while the networks ignored ObamaCare’s implosion altogether.
Transcript below:
<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>
CNN
The Lead
February 15, 2017
4:39:11 PM EasternJAKE TAPPER: President Trump seems to thrive on chaos. He likes apparently pitting staffers against one another, having them compete. He likes nonstop flurries of action and tweets. But is this management style allowing him to do the job at hand, or is it preventing him from doing so? Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton told a reporter this week that the Flynn fracas was just the White House, quote, “finding its sea legs.” CNN's Tom Foreman joins me now. Tom, it's tough to keep track of everything that has gone on. Walk us through these first almost four weeks of the Trump presidency. It has felt like four years quite honestly.
TOM FOREMAN: It's more like staggering than walking cause it's quite an experience. The White House is experiencing growing pains for sure. Truly worse than what we've seen with any other modern president. But the question is are they in real trouble? That will depend entirely on their ability to turn what looks like chaos into coordination.
[Cuts to video]
Amid the rush of his first 100 days, President Trump is talking policy.
DONALD TRUMP: My administration remains very focused on the issues that will encourage economic growth.
FOREMAN: But problems are frequently blocking out that message. Creating a picture of a White House in chaos.
SEAN SPICER: These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong.
FOREMAN: It started on day-one with the unproven claim of a record inauguration audience, which when challenged produced the wildly quotable statement:
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Our press secretary gave alternative facts to that.
FOREMAN: Then the president himself chimed in, insisting while he won the electoral vote, he gathered fewer popular votes in the general election only because of illegal voting.
TRUMP: There are millions of votes, in my opinion.
FOREMAN: Again, no proof, and on it goes. A meeting with Mexico fell apart amid sharp words, a raid in Yemen went tragically wrong. The president insisted terrorism is running so out of control:
TRUMP: It's gotten to a point where it's not even being reported.
FOREMAN: When that claim was disputed he issued a list of under reported incidents which took heat, too. The president fired the acting attorney general for not enforcing his travel ban.
SPICER: She was rightfully removed.
FOREMAN: Only to have the courts halt the ban anyway. Even as he has struggled to get his promised repeal of ObamaCare rolling in earnest, the president has attacked Democrats for trying to slow down approval of his cabinet members.
TRUMP: They could move faster on the other side. I will say that.
FOREMAN: Only to see his choice for labor secretary withdraw his nomination two days after the ouster of his national security advisor amid concerns about ties to Russia. And for all that he found time to fire a Twitter rocket at Nordstrom's for pulling his daughter's merchandise which a top aide urged people to buy anyway, which another aide suggested was not the right move.
SPICER: Kellyanne has been counseled.
FOREMAN: Certainly, all new presidents face challenges, but in the first 100 days, Bill Clinton passed a federal budget and signed the family leave act. George W. Bush ushered in No Child Left Behind. And started work on big tax cuts. And Barack Obama launched the economic stimulus and laid the groundwork for ObamaCare.
[Cuts back to live]
President Trump could still see substantial successes like that. It is, after all, quite early in his term. But a lot of experienced hands in this town are convinced the first thing the White House must do is stop the unforced errors which are taking them way off their game. Jake?
TAPPER: All that just happened in 3 1/2 weeks?
FOREMAN: It’s astonishing, that's like a year's worth of news and it's—we’re not through a month yet.
TAPPER: He said it was going to be interesting. Tom Foreman, thank you.
