On her 4:00 p.m. ET MSNBC show Monday, Deadline: White House anchor Nicolle Wallace was eager to dismantle the “mythology at the White House” that President Trump possessed any “humanity” whatsoever. That nasty rhetoric then prompted panelist Donny Deutsch to play armchair psychiatrist and trot out his favorite attack line that Trump was a “sociopath.”
“A serious question about Donald Trump’s humanity, because there’s a mythology at the White House. And I first heard this mythology spoon fed to those of us who cover him after the Syria strike, that he was so moved by the images, the horrific images of the children suffering from the chemical attack in Syria, that that helped motivate him to act,” Wallace proclaimed.
Why all the dehumanization of the President? Because he didn’t deliver on gun control: “And you heard the same stories after the horrific tragedy in Parkland, that this changed him. That’s B.S. I mean, they lie when they tell stories about the President’s humanity. He didn’t do anything.”
Deutsch chimed in:
I think they lie on two levels. At best, it would be a nanosecond that he felt something. But to our, some of our earlier discussions – I’m not going to go there about him being a sociopath – I don’t think he’s capable of the basic empathies that we feel as human beings, and that’s what a sociopath is. I think everything is immediately translated to “me.”
I don’t think – I’m not inside him, but everything I know, and know him 20 [years], when we see children dying, we as humans, we as parents, feel a certain way. I honestly don’t think it translates to him, and that’s what makes him a sociopath.
Turning to New York Times reporter Peter Baker, Wallace argued: “...there are moments where the White House likes to tell a story to those of us who cover him of the President being moved or of a human getting his attention. But there isn't a single instance of that being followed by a change in policy.”
Baker gently pushed back on the notion that the President lacked human emotions: “Well, I think you make a good point. You know, I’m not sure he’s not moved. I think he very well may be moved. But the truth is – ” Despite all of her comments to the contrary, Wallace claimed: “Me neither, I’m just saying he doesn’t ever do anything.”
If a politician doesn’t push a liberal agenda, the media simply decide that they are not human. That’s the level discourse viewers have come to expect on MSNBC.
Here is a transcript of the March 12 exchange:
4:41 PM ET
(...)
NICOLLE WALLACE: Let me ask you a question about humanity, because there’s this mythology –
DONNY DEUTSCH: I’m glad you come to me on humanity, okay? You guys talk about politics, issues of humanity – [Laughter]
WALLACE: A serious question about Donald Trump’s humanity, because there’s a mythology at the White House. And I first heard this mythology spoon fed to those of us who cover him after the Syria strike, that he was so moved by the images, the horrific images of the children suffering from the chemical attack in Syria, that that helped motivate him to act. And you heard the same stories after the horrific tragedy in Parkland, that this changed him. That’s B.S. I mean, they lie when they tell stories about the President’s humanity. He didn’t do anything.
DEUTSCH: I think they lie on two levels. At best, it would be a nanosecond that he felt something. But to our, some of our earlier discussions – I’m not going to go there about him being a sociopath – I don’t think he’s capable of the basic empathies that we feel as human beings, and that’s what a sociopath is. I think everything is immediately translated to “me.”
I don’t think – I’m not inside him, but everything I know, and know him 20 [years], when we see children dying, we as humans, we as parents, feel a certain way. I honestly don’t think it translates to him, and that’s what makes him a sociopath.
WALLACE: I don’t know if it does or doesn’t, but it doesn’t translate into action.
And, Peter Baker, let me give you the last word, here, because again, you have chronicled all of these episodes, the strike in Syria, the response to Parkland, his response to the hurricanes, and there are moments where the White House likes to tell a story to those of us who cover him of the President being moved or of a human getting his attention. But there isn't a single instance of that being followed by a change in policy. Am I missing something?
PETER BAKER: Well, I think you make a good point. You know, I’m not sure he’s not moved. I think he very well may be moved. But the truth is –
WALLACE: Me neither, I’m just saying he doesn’t ever do anything.
BAKER: Yeah, look, in Washington, you know, the simplest way to kill something is to play for time, right? If you’re against something changing, you play for time because emotions wear down, energy wears down, momentum wears down.
This happened with President Obama. I remember after the Newtown shooting, we asked at the White House, “Well why aren’t you going to go ahead and move forward with this gun package you say you’re going to put forward now rather than wait another month or two to study it?” And they said, “Oh, the emotion will still be there, the momentum will still be there.” And it wasn’t.
The truth is, on issues like this, you either hit when the moment is there or you don’t. And the people who are against change in Congress, on any issue, play for time and they often can win.
WALLACE: Oh, such a depressing thought, but that is the sad truth about Washington.(...)
