Opinion: I just can’t win with President Donald Trump’s lovers and haters
Jun 7, 2017, 1:40 PM | Updated: 2:23 pm
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
I just can’t win, be it with President Donald Trump lovers or haters.
Shortly after Trump tweeted about his choice for the new director of the FBI (a highly qualified gentleman by the name of Christopher Wray), I retweeted the president and added a cutesy comment.
7:44am ET: Donald Trump nominates Christopher Wray as new FBI director.
8:05am: Wray begins work on his post-job Congressional testimony. https://t.co/PTPXWv6mRw
— Jim Sharpe (@JimSharpe) June 7, 2017
Which, apparently, triggered someone who goes by the Twitter handle of @PHXSPORTSFAN. They accused me of being “…just another hate-filled liberal out to destroy our POTUS. Keep trying & failing.”
https://twitter.com/PHXSPORTSFAN/status/872440785521614848
Hi. I’m Jim and I’m a hate-filled liberal.
Actually, I don’t go to meetings for that particular affliction. If I did, I probably wouldn’t run into any of the conservative Republican candidates I worked with during my political consulting career.
There’s no telling some people that many I worked with would actually be considered much more of a conservative — at least on fiscal issues — than Trump. They only see that, if I disagree with the president or point out any flaw or make a joke, I’m a hate-filled liberal! (Kinda does have a nice ring to it, though.)
Someone emailed me a Google search result yesterday on what it means to be a sociopath with the assertion in the subject line that “Trump truly is a sociopath.”
Let me assure all the #TrumpTrain people ready to pounce on me that I don’t think the president is a sociopath.
No, I think YOU might be a sociopath if you believe Trump is above any criticism.
According to my belief system, there was only one man who ever walked the face of the planet who was above criticism and I don’t think Trump is the second coming.
As I searched my list of muted Twitter accounts considering whether to put @PHXSPORTSFAN on (I didn’t), I noticed that there are as many Trump haters on that list as there are those who adore him.
Here’s an example of a response I get sometimes. This one from @fothepeople:
Does it suck defending trump every time he does something stupid?
— FO (@fothepeople) June 4, 2017
The @fothepeople account uses a background picture of Trump next to two swastikas. I’m guessing they wouldn’t call me a liberal — hate-filled or otherwise.
Which leads me to ask the question: Is it the president that brings out all this pure, unadulterated insanity in his lovers and haters or is it (gulp) me?
I think I’ll just say it’s me. As crazy as it seems, I think that actually makes social media a safer space for me: A hate-filled, yellow-bellied, Trump-loving, liberal, conservative, Trump-hating, populist Libertarian-Democrat-Republican-Independent.