The never-subtle Mr. Trump

This may seem like a minor writing point, but it’s significant, and it is happening right now in the mainstream media. News organizations have taken to substituting the president’s name for what would generally be called actions taken by the federal government.

Consider the alleged civil rights violations at Columbia and the subsequent settlement agreed to by the university.

Here’s the NYTimes: “The university agreed to pay a $200 million fine to settle its dispute with Trump.”

Is that what it was all about? A “dispute?” A mere malicious piffle with True?

No, it was multiple Civil Rights complaints made by people who were victimized on the university campus.

This wording implies that the Civil Rights complaints against the university weren’t all that much of a serious deal. It’s just “disputes” with one guy — Trump.

Imagine how that would sound if that same construct were used in the reporting in Little Rock in 1957.

“Little Rock Central High School settled a dispute with Eisenhower, allowing Black students to attend a white school.”

Pretty icky, no? Gov. Orval Faubus would be happy with that reporting.

Look, this is more than sloppy journalism. It seems like a willful attempt to disrespect both the president and those who had their rights trampled at Columbia University.

SAYS WHAT HE SAYS

No matter what you think about Donald Trump, you gotta give him credit for saying what he thinks without regard for who’s sitting next to him and other circumstances that polite society might call for a more reserved response.

For example, last weekend, President Trump went off on windmills right in front of Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, a country that is fully invested in wind energy and requires its people to subsidize this inefficient form of energy.

Says the Trumpster: “We won’t allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery… The most expensive form of energy. They’re made in China.” But that quote doesn’t do Trump justice.

Decorum may have called for a more subtle response. But, as we’re finding out, this president in his second term is anything but subtle. And I like it for a change. (Sherman Frederick is a longtime Nevada journalist. You can read more of his writing at shermanfrederick.substack.com.)