While many across the country are either happy with Donald Trump’s pace or are frustrated that more hasn’t gotten done (like the repeal of Obama Care) that isn’t the case with the Inside-the-Beltway bubble reporters seen on Wednesday night’s edition of PBS’s Charlie Rose show.
Substitute host and Time contributing editor Jon Meacham invited on his fellow liberal reporters to complain that Trump’s first few weeks in office have already “exhausted” America and “confused” the world.
Meacham began the show by asking the panel “Thus far, turbulent seems a more than fair description, given that Trump has exploded so many of the historical norms that have long governed the conduct of the presidency. So the question now is whether we are living in a new normal of chaos or whether the president and his evolving team have both the capacity and the will to run the country in a way that preserves some sense of order at home and abroad?”
MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle responded: “I think a lot of people are nearly exhausted by what has happened in the course of just a little over a month in this presidency....The level of exhaustion in the country, it’s every day is full of a Niagara of surprises or statements that sometimes shock or sometimes offend.”
NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell expanded the territory of those upset by Trump: “The world is confused....people in foreign capitols wondering what the heck is going on?”
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The following is a transcript of the relevant exchanges as they were aired on the February 22 edition of PBS’s Charlie Rose show:
JON MEACHAM, TIME CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: On Monday, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster was named national security advisor replacing the controversial Michael Flynn. The pick was regarded by many as a stabilizing to an otherwise turbulent administration. And thus far turbulent seems a more than fair description, given that Trump has exploded so many of the historical norms that have long governed the conduct of the presidency. So the question now is whether we are living in a new normal of chaos or whether the president and his evolving team have both the capacity and the will to run the country in a way that preserves some sense of order at home and abroad.
...
MIKE BARNICLE. MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: I think a lot of people are nearly exhausted by what has happened in the course of just a little over a month in this presidency. Obviously people who voted for Donald Trump are probably somewhat pleased because they regard everything that has happened as something that he had promised would happen. And he is conducting his presidency in that manner. But the level of exhaustion in the country, it’s every day is full of a Niagara of surprises or statements that sometimes shock or sometimes offend. And you wonder, at least I wonder in talking with people, when that level of exhaustion will peak and what happens to the body politic when it does peak?MEACHAM: Right. Any analogous moment, you think, to that level of exhaustion in the country?
MICHAEL DUFFY, TIME EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: No, not that I’ve experienced, nothing like that. And I think it will be a level of not just exhaustion but dissatisfaction with the results. Usually what makes people unhappy isn’t so much, you know the tempo but the product.
...
MEACHAM: Andrea, do you see particularly on the foreign policy front, Mike mentioned the Munich trip, where you had foreign leaders asking ‘Should we believe Vice President Pence and his reassurances or should we believe the President and his avowals of disruption. What do you think the world is thinking of this right now?ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The world is confused. And the President said he wanted to be unpredictable. And he has been unpredictable. But that does sow confusion in the minds and of allies around the world. Look it was not only Munich, it was also Brussels at NATO. And a BBC reporter bluntly asked the Vice President of the United States, ‘Whom should we believe, you and your reassurances about NATO or the President of the United States in his latest tweet or his comments at a news conference. I think the news conference last weak was deeply disturbing. The 77 minute sort of stream of consciousness news conference. It was really unprecedented, unparalleled. And that really concerned a lot of people. Ambassadors here writing quick updates home and people in foreign capitols wondering what the heck is going on?
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MIKE BARNICLE: I am a little more looking at and thinking about and wondering about the reaction in gas stations and barbershops and supermarkets where they have the TV on and Donald Trump is a constant presence. And I’m wondering when and if the public tires of the voice, gets fearful of embarrassment. He is the President of the United States. And we have a vision of the presidency as a people. And we don’t want the president obviously to embarrass us in front of the world. And I’m just wondering if that will happen, when it will happen, what the reaction will be if it does?MEACHAM: Yeah, is there a tipping point there?
