Impressive Old-School Journalism!

Published in El País
(Spain) on 5 September 2018
by Lluís Bassets (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Lena Greenberg. Edited by Nkem Okafor.
Trump often deals the same blows he receives.

Bob Woodward, the Watergate hero who, along with his Washington Post colleague Carl Bernstein, brought down Richard Nixon, just dealt a well-aimed blow to the president, who declares himself an enemy of the press, and who tries to rule the world and impose his lies every morning on Twitter. In the coming days, Woodward will publish his book “Fear, Trump in the White House,” a testament to the inconsistency, ignorance, ineptitude and untruthfulness of a figure whom not even his closest team members hold in esteem.

Donald Trump often deals the same blows he receives. If Woodward didn’t speak with him before writing the book — though he asked to do so by way of half a dozen aides — it was either because of the president’s disdain for the press or because the White House is in hopeless chaos, where rookie mistakes are the rule. This may have been the case with Trump’s latest radioactive tweet, in which he displays his shameless disdain for the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. Trump didn’t hesitate to attack Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to protect Trump’s friends when they were faced with legal proceedings, and he hasn’t hesitated to call on the Justice Department to go after his enemies.

He didn’t pick the best moment for these reproaches, made in reference to the corruption trial of two Republican congressmen. Conservative Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s candidate for the latest vacancy on the Supreme Court, has started the Senate confirmation hearing, in which he must demonstrate his independence of judgment relative to the person who nominated him. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference and collusion in the election campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton, is on the lookout for any sign that Trump has gone from words to action, obstructing justice.

All of this hardly matters to the Republicans, especially not after the death of John McCain, the last representative of decent conservative politics of the past. Trump delivers on the demands made of him by those who elevated him to the pedestal of the presidency: the rich are paying fewer taxes, there are massive expulsions of undocumented immigrants, and the most strategic institution for the protection of citizens’ rights, the Supreme Court, is turning toward the darkness of extremism. Kavanaugh will be confirmed and there won’t be any Republican votes for the impeachment of the president. The economy is going well, and the broken toy that Trump is becoming continues to be useful.


¡Vaya con el viejo periodismo!
Los golpes que recibe Trump se los propina con frecuencia él mismo

Bob Woodward, el héroe del Watergate, que derribó a Richard Nixon junto a su compañero de The Washington Post, Carl Bernstein, acaba de asestar un golpe certero a ese presidente que se declara enemigo del periodismo y pretende gobernar el mundo e imponer sus mentiras cada mañana desde su cuenta de Twitter. Woodward publica en los próximos días Fear (Miedo), el libro que ha escrito sobre Trump y testimonio de la inconsistencia, ignorancia, ineptitud y mendacidad de un personaje al que no le tienen consideración ni siquiera sus más estrechos colaboradores.


Los golpes que recibe Trump se los propina con frecuencia él mismo. Si Woodward no habló con él antes de escribir el libro, aunque se lo pidió a través de media docena de sus colaboradores, fue o por el desprecio del presidente hacia la prensa o porque la Casa Blanca es un caos sin remedio, en la que son regla los errores de principiante. Este pudo ser el caso de su último tuit radioactivo, en el que exhibe su desvergonzado desprecio por la independencia de los jueces y por el Estado de derecho. Trump no ha tenido rebozo en atacar al fiscal general Jeff Sessions porque no protege a sus amigos cuando se enfrentan a procedimientos judiciales, como no lo ha tenido tampoco para apelar a la justicia para que persiga a sus enemigos.

El momento elegido para estos reproches, a propósito del procesamiento por corrupción de dos congresistas republicanos, no es el más oportuno. El juez conservador Brett Kavanaugh, candidato de Trump para la última vacante del Supremo, ha empezado la audiencia ante el Senado en la que debe demostrar su independencia de criterio respecto a quien le ha nominado. El fiscal especial Robert Mueller, que investiga las interferencias y complicidades rusas en la campaña electoral para derrotar a Hillary Clinton, está al acecho ante cualquier indicio de que Trump haya pasado de las palabras a los hechos, obstaculizando la acción de la justicia.

Todo esto apenas tiene importancia para los republicanos. Sobre todo después de la muerte de John McCain, último representante de la antigua y decente política conservadora. Trump rinde los servicios que le exigen quienes le subieron al pedestal: los ricos pagan menos impuestos, las empresas contaminantes funcionan a pleno ritmo, hay expulsiones masivas de ciudadanos indocumentados y la institución más estratégica para la protección de los derechos de los ciudadanos, el Tribunal Supremo, vira hacia la oscuridad del extremismo. Kavanaugh saldrá confirmado y no habrá votos republicanos para la destitución parlamentaria del presidente. La economía va bien y sigue siendo útil el juguete roto en el que Trump se está convirtiendo.
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