Here's what Donald Trump accomplishes by telling reporters he's 'considering a pardon' for Muhammad Ali, who since his conviction on refusal to be drafted into the Army was overturned, and thus needs no pardon least of all from draft-dodger Trump, "ol heel spurs".
1. Diversion: he's headed up to G7 where he will stand out like a clown at a funeral. Ali is sure to get headlines. Especially because:
2. The White House reporters will likely fail to know, and thus point out, that Ali's conviction was overturned. When they do find out, they will not report this as a Trump gaffe, but as if the fact Ali does not need a pardon is 'the other side' of the story and
3. As those who understand what this means weigh in, the distraction will grow even bigger while
4. Some of those who idolize Ali and don't realize the offer is a scam will think Trump is actually OK on equal rights issues, and of course
5. Those considering flipping on Trump when they're indicted by Mueller will be noting the Prez is in a pardoning mood....while
6. No reporters will question the hypocrisy of criticizing (mostly black) athletes who kneel in protest during the national anthem while pardoning a man who resisted the draft and refused to fight an immoral war...
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ReplyDelete7. Trump says he will ask kneeling athletes to recommend people to pardon, to make some people think that's what the kneeling is about, rather than the immunity of violent police officers. This makes Trump acolytes look on him as the munificent dispenser of justice that even those ungrateful (ahem, black) athletes are, or should be, petitioning.