If President Trump's reaction to the coronavirus pandemic to proves anything, according to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and the Washington Post's Philip Rucker, it is that Trump is incapable of being surrounded by strong, competent female leaders.
Mitchell made the accusation on her Tuesday show, by giving Rucker examples that purportedly prove her point, "our friends in the New York Times also writing an article, pointing out as you and Ashley [Parker[ have certainly noted that so many of the president's personal attacks are against women, whether it's Governor Whitmer from Michigan, Yamiche Alcindor, obviously Nancy Pelosi. But when they really get personal, they seem to be women."
It may seem that way, because Mitchell has a selective memory. Before the controversy with Alcindor, there was the controversy with Peter Alexander. Before there was Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, there was Jay Inslee in Washington, who when this whole process began thought it would be well worth his time to try to dunk on Vice President Pence on Twitter after Pence had complimented him. Then there are all the other male politicians and journalists Trump has sparred with over the past few years.
Instead of pointing out the obvious, Rucker remained loyal to the narrative, "And Andrea, also the CEO of General Motors who the president lambasted... this fits a pattern for Donald Trump that existed even before he became president. He always had a difficulty dealing with women leaders, strong women leaders, competent women leaders. We saw the way he treated his opponent in 2016, Hillary Clinton. And he did it with especially the Governor of Michigan, but with other women as well. He has a really difficult time figuring out how to deal with them in the limelight and performing their jobs well."
The world is the midst of the greatest public health crisis in over a century, but for MSNBC there is still time to cry sexism, because some things never change.
Here is a transcript of the March 31 show:
MSNBC
Andrea Mitchell Reports12:45 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: So our friends in the New York Times also writing an article, pointing out as you and Ashley have certainly noted that so many of the president's personal attacks are against women, whether it's Governor Whitmer from Michigan, Yamiche Alcindor, obviously Nancy Pelosi. But when they really get personal, they seem to be women. Have you figured that out?
PHILIP RUCKER: And Andrea, also the CEO of General Motors who the president lambasted—MITCHELL: Mary Barra
RUCKER: -- last week. Look—yeah, Mary Barra-- This fits a pattern for Donald Trump that existed even before he became president. He always had a difficulty dealing with women leaders, strong women leaders, competent women leaders. We saw the way he treated his opponent in 2016, Hillary Clinton. And he did it with especially the Governor of Michigan, but with other women as well. He has a really difficult time figuring out how to deal with them in the limelight and performing their jobs well.
