Hypocrisy Or Time Travel? — 10 GOP Tweets That Didn’t Age Well
We live in an era of social media and digital influence. Unlike previous generations — where a news story could take days to hit the press and politicians were shrouded in secrecy — now each and every person with an email address can send their thoughts into the deep void that is “The Internet.” This includes anyone from your crazy aunt who gets too drunk at family reunions to the current leader of the free world. As we’ve learned this past election cycle — and as anyone who’s ever been dumped already knows — some thoughts might be better off left unpublished.
1. Sarah Huckabee is probably not having a good day.
On Tuesday, May 9th, President Donald Trump fired the director of the FBI James Comey. In late March, Comey had testified to the House Intelligence Committee that the FBI was “investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election…[including] investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.” He then confirmed that such investigation had begun in late July. We don’t need to imagine, Ms. Huckabee, we literally lived through it.
2. Kellyanne Conway’s emerging self-doubt.
This tweet from 2016, referencing the FBI’s inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s email practices while she was Secretary of State, now reads as a person’s building awareness that her coworkers might not be as honest as she originally thought.
3. In case you weren’t paying attention in high school…
The White House’s first explanation regarding Comey’s firing focused on his handling of the Clinton email inquiry. While this rationale seemed flimsy at best, it dominated the news cycle just long enough to turn Conway’s 2016 tweet into a textbook lesson on the literary use of irony.
4. What exactly is Roger Stone doing?
These tweets aged poorly in a matter of minutes as long time Trump-ally and advisor Roger Stone seemed to contradict himself in a series of tweets related to Comey’s firing. It’s important to note that Stone is frequently mentioned as a potential target of the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the election.
5. Let’s talk about international relations.
In the years before declaring his candidacy, Donald Trump sent dozens of tweets discussing his evolving viewpoint on the Syrian Civil War. His tweets were heavily critical of his predecessor’s international policy and displayed him as an adamant noninterventionist. However, once elected, his tune changed dramatically. In early April, as a result of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons on his own people, Trump sent 59 Tomahawks to strike an airbase in Syria. While the President is not beholden to his tweets when deciding how best to enact foreign policy, his campaign message also upheld strong support for not interfering in one of the world’s bloodiest civil wars — adding another layer of unpredictability to his already inconsistent approach to policy.
6. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
According to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, 557 key positions in Trump’s cabinet remained unfilled to this date. Of these 557 positions, 460 haven’t even received an official nominee from the Trump Administration.
7. The most diverse? Really?
I’ll just leave this here…
8. In case you REALLY didn’t get what irony meant.
In a break from the previous administration’s policy, the White House announced in April that it would not be releasing any visitor logs. In comparison, by the end of former President Barack Obama’s two terms, nearly 6 million visitor names had been made public. He also released his tax returns, but let’s not get distracted.
9. Time travel can be rough.
In his first month as President, Donald Trump issued on a ban on refugees entering the United States from seven predominately Muslim countries. Vice President Pence stood directly behind him as he did so, presumingly attempting to use the Force to wipe out his twitter feed.
10. Next on CSPAN…
Oh, Spicey. After years of criticizing his predecessor’s love of golfing, Donald Trump spent 19 out of his first 99 days in office on the green. This tops not only Obama’s record, but the records of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well.
And one more for good measure…
Yes, Mr. President. It’s called Article 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. You might want to read up on it before you send your next tweet.
BONUS!
A surprise Huckabee appears!
