“Surely this time,” the establishment chorus cries with joy, “Donald Trump has gone too far!”
Sorry, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
What Trump did at Saturday night’s debate was ruder than any of his prior insults, profanities or remarks about women. He corrected the historical record about the 9/11 attacks, demolishing the fairy-tale version that has become a central tenet of Republican dogma. It’s true, and you can look it up: George W. Bush was president when the World Trade Center towers fell.
Trump went too far, of course, as he always does. He sought to actually blame the attacks on negligence by Bush and his administration. As I’ve argued in the past, terrorist atrocities should be blamed on the terrorists, not on the officials who try and sometimes fail to thwart them.
But historical fact is historical fact — except in polite GOP circles. After Trump committed his heresy, telling Jeb Bush that “the World Trade Center came down during your brother’s reign,” Marco Rubio quickly began an incantation of the Republican Creed: George W. Bush “kept us safe,” Rubio said, “and I am forever grateful for what he did for this country.”
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