Because his awfulness can’t be contained by the porous borders of the United States, Donald Trump is on a world tour right now. In Israel, he visited the Western Wall, which resulted in this photo of a man attempting to look pensive while visions of Kentucky Fried Chicken danced in his head:
“Have I touched it long enough?”
It seems impossible to believe Trump is capable of either prayer to a higher power or the deep introspection which would be appropriate here. Of course, he doesn’t really seem capable of any introspection whatsoever, and his visit to Yad Vashem certainly provides no proof to the contrary.
Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to victims of the Holocaust. For over 60 years, it’s honored the memory of the dead and taught millions about the atrocities of the past. They have a guestbook which visitors may sign. Have a gander at what Donald Trump wrote:
It is a great honor to be here with all of my friends – so amazing & will never forget!
It’s just jaw-dropping. I keep thinking we’ve hit rock bottom in terms of the embarrassment Trump can cause, but he just keeps digging. What can one even say about such imbecility? For the sake of stark comparison, here’s what Barack Obama wrote during his 2008 visit:
I am grateful to Yad Vashem and all of those responsible for this remarkable institution. At a time of great peril and promise, war and strife, we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of man’s potential for great evil, but also our own capacity to rise up from tragedy and remake our world. Let our children come here, and know their history, so that they can add their voices to proclaim ‘never again.’ And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims, but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us, and who have become symbols of the human spirit.
That’s incredibly eloquent. Of course, everyone knows former President Obama is an incredibly eloquent man, so that’s practically cheating. What about someone less blessed with rhetorical gifts? Let’s see what Hillary Clinton wrote in 2009:
Yad Vashem is a testament to the power of truth in the face of denial, the resilience of the human spirit in the face of despair, the triumph of the Jewish people over murder and destruction and a reminder to all people that the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten. God bless Israel and its future.
Ah heck, that’s quite good too. Maybe her husband (and former President) Bill Clinton flubbed it?
Today we have come one step closer to the time when the people of Israel will live in peace with all of their neighbors, when the awful events of death and destruction memorialized here will be banished to the past.
It’s been over twenty years since you wrote that, and we’re still awfully far from peace in the Middle East, Bill! Still though, we must admit that it’s well-written. We’re going to have to go deeper. George W. Bush, now no one would accuse him of being overly articulate! What did he write?
God bless Israel
Well, that’s not great, but it’s also not awful. Bush didn’t focus on himself or his “friends”, and he didn’t include the line “so amazing”. He kept it simple, and as a result, even his inscription was vastly superior to President Trump’s.
Of course, as we’ve seen time and time and time again, it could always have been worse. For instance, Trump could have scribbled down some state secrets for all to read.
