President Donald Trump showed a moderated tone on foreign policy during his current Asia trip, but liberals, who should be happy about it, are instead wasting time mocking him, New Republic editor Jeet Heer writes.
In a column on the New Republic's website, Heer notes much of the "knee-jerk" reaction ended up being based on false information, including the supposed gaffe of Trump dumping an entire box of fish food into a koi pond during a visit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
It turned out Trump had only been following Abe's lead.
Heer admitted he had been guilty himself when he tweeted Trump's speech in Japan had been "staggering in its ignorance" when Trump called for Japanese automakers to begin building their cars in the United States.
Turns out, Trump had earlier noted he knows Japan already builds cars in the U.S., and just wants them to build even more. Heer blamed his own piling on of Trump on CBS White House reporter Mark Knoller, who had tweeted, "Pres Trump asks Japanese auto makers if they could build their cars in the US and not just ship them over."
But all the liberal ridicule drowned out Trump's speech on North Korea, which liberals should have been happy with, Heer said.
Trump turned from his previous tweets against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, whom he has mocked with the name "Little Rocket Man" and threatening to rain down "fire and fury," and instead gave an impassioned speech on how the lives of North Koreans differ from those in democratic South Korea.
"Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indications of their allegiance to the state," Trump said. "Those who score the highest in loyalty may live in the capital city. Those who score the lowest starve."
But the quickness for critics "to pile on the president, at the expense of policy analysis," shows the left's "growing problem," Heer said.
"Liberals and their media allies are becoming knee-jerk anti-Trumpists, always on the lookout for the president's next embarrassing, meme-able gaffe — and sometimes pouncing without getting their facts straight."
CNN and the Associated Press joined in the chorus of "admitted liberals" chiding Trump over the koi feeding non-gaffe, he noted.
Even Trump's apparent kowtowing to Chinese President Xi Jinping requires a "nuanced critique," Heer said.
"Such wooing may be cringeworthy, but worth the embarrassment if it cements U.S.–China cooperation, especially when it comes to regional stability," he said. And, Heer added, Trump even indicated he would be open to talks with North Korea.
"Liberals should welcome such news rather than hunting for pseudo-gaffes," he said.
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