To the Point
Partisanship and Racism from the Bully Pulpit
Teddy Roosevelt coined the term “Bully Pulpit.” Other presidents have used it to get the nation behind them. For President Trump, it’s an instrument of division. Republicans have given up on a “big tent” party.
Ronald Reagan said, “You can live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman.” But, “You can come to live in America and become an American.” President Trump is telling Congresswomen of color, “Go back where you came from,” even though they are US citizens born in this country and elected to public office. Veteran Republican strategist Stuart Stevens explains why GOP officer holders aren’t speaking out. Journalism Professor Dan Gillmor says journalists are “normalizing the abnormal” by simply reporting what the President says. Historian Tim Naftali compares Trump’s use of the Bully Pulpit to that of past presidents.