I thought it was the Toby Keith concert, but I was wrong. It was Ivanka Trump giving a speech as a stand-in for Il Trumpe (who apparently was low energy. Sad!).
It’s not that Trump was ill, or that he got a replacement speaker–illnesses do happen (remember when Bush 43 barfed on the Japanese prime minister?). What’s weird is that the replacement speaker was an assistant to the president instead of the Secretary of State. First of all, foreign policy is his job. Second, he’s fourth in the line of succession to the presidency–he’s arguably one of the most important, if not the most important, cabinet officials.
Instead, the president’s daughter gave the speech.
This is not normal.
mikethemadbiologist
Normal, shmormal. Semantics maybe but something could be not normal but not a problem. (I had a big piece of raspberry pie for breakfast the other day. Not normal.) The question is “Is this seriously fucked up?”. Ivanka standing in for the President to give a speech to an audience more significant than a local Rotary club is seriously fucked up. Let’s not mince words.
Ordinarily I’d agree with Chris G. that Ms. Trump would be a completely unacceptable substitute for a president who was unavailable to speak to an important audience in a matter of state. But she was standing if for a “president” who is no more qualified to speak to such a group than she is.
What’s f-ed up isn’t the daughter speaking, it’s that the father is president. That’s what’s “not normal”. All else follows.
Read this article from the always excellent Sarah Kendzior: https://thecorrespondent.com/6591/the-tale-of-the-dictators-daughter-and-her-prince/1864265121147-43ede0f9
She talks about how autocrats always use their daughters to normalize the administration to the people. And we should also remember that Rex Tillerson is not family to trump, so trump will never think to ask him to fulfill his duty to the country.
No I don’t. But I remember when Bush 41 did so.