Trump and His Unacknowledged Errors

Published in Diario Democracia
(Argentina) on 10 September 2019
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Matthew Gittings. Edited by Elizabeth Cosgriff.
Donald Trump is never wrong, at least according to him. The incessant explanations he gave for his inaccurate warnings that Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama, which resulted in days of mockery and skepticism, are just the latest example of his perpetual unwillingness to acknowledge an error, however harmless it may be. His fervent defense, which has gone on for days, has not only kept the focus firmly on his personal whims, but also on his willingness to deploy government personnel and resources in order to justify an inaccurate assertion, as demonstrated again on Thursday night. Presidential statements can influence markets, shake economies around the world and, in this case, unnecessarily alarm the inhabitants of a state. However, Trump's relationship with responsibility and the truth threatened once more to undermine the importance of presidential words.

“Great presidents admit when they’ve screwed up, they fix it, and they move on,” said presidential historian Jon Meacham. “Right now, it is a mistake about a hurricane hitting a state. But it can also be a far bigger deal and cost people lives, and help create a climate where people can’t trust the government.”
It's not the first time Trump has refused to admit to making a mistake. Examples range from the harmless, such as the declaration that his presidential inauguration had the largest crowd in history, to the most serious, such as his assertion of widespread election fraud in 2016 that led to the creation of an electoral commission in order to demonstrate and support his claim. The current controversy, stoked daily by the president, has ignited the social networks. The hashtag "Sharpie" trended on Twitter and the jokes flourished, but for some, this was a new referendum on Trump’s ability as president.




Trump y sus errores no reconocidos

Donald Trump nunca se equivoca, al menos según él. Las incesantes explicaciones que dio a sus erróneas advertencias de que el huracán Dorian amenazaba a Alabama, y que causaron días de burla y escepticismo, son sólo el ejemplo más reciente de su eterna renuencia a reconocer un error, por inofensivo que sea. Su ferviente defensa durante días, no solo ha prolongado la atención a su capricho personal, sino también su voluntad, nuevamente en manifiesto la noche del jueves, a desplegar a personal y recursos del Gobierno para justificar una aseveración imprecisa. Las declaraciones presidenciales pueden influir en los mercados, inquietar a los capitales en el mundo y, en este caso, alarmar innecesariamente a los habitantes de un Estado. Sin embargo, la relación de Trump con la verdad y la responsabilidad amenazó de nuevo con socavar el peso de las palabras de un Presidente.

“Los grandes presidentes reconocen cuando cometen un error, lo arreglan, y siguen adelante”, dijo el historiador presidencial Jon Meacham. “En este momento, se trata de una equivocación de que un huracán va a azotar un Estado. Pero también puede derivar en un problema mayor, costar vidas humanas y contribuir a crear un ambiente en el que las personas no puedan confiar en el Gobierno”.

No es la primera vez que Trump se rehúsa a admitir que cometió una equivocación. Los ejemplos van desde lo inofensivo, como que la declaración de su investidura presidencial contó con la mayor multitud de la historia, hasta lo más grave, como su aseveración sobre un fraude electoral generalizado en 2016 que propició la creación de una comisión electoral para que demostrara y apoyara su aseveración. La polémica actual, atizada a diario por el presidente, encendió las redes sociales. El hashtag “Sharpie” fue tendencia en Twitter y las bromas abundaron.Sin embargo, para algunos, se trató de un nuevo referendo sobre Trump y su aptitud para la presidencia.
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