Wehner: The Afghans That Trump’s Attacking Are People Who Helped The U.S. During The War Or Were Taliban Targets
PBS NEWSHOUR: Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW and Peter Wehner, a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, join John Yang to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump’s push for an even tougher crackdown on immigration in the days following the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national on the streets of Washington.
JOHN YANG, PBS NEWSHOUR: The president is responding to the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national on the streets of Washington with an even tougher crackdown on immigration. For analysis of that the rest of the week, we turn now to Capehart and Wehner. That’s Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW, and Peter Wehner, a contributing writer at “The Atlantic” and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. David Brooks is away this evening. This is still the big domestic story as the week ends. Pete, I wonder how you – what you make of the way the president responded. He immediately sent in 500 more troops. He immediately blamed the Biden administration for admitting the alleged shooter, and then cut off – essentially cut off a lot of immigration. PETER WEHNER, THE ATLANTIC: Yes, I’d say he reacted predictably and awfully. He predicted – as he is. This was sort of the Trump DNA kicking in. I should say first that I just find a kind of ghoulishness that happens, when people die, tragedies in life, and the way that the people who die and the victims are turned into political pawns. That’s always left me kind of disquieted. That’s particularly the case here and now. But, look, Trump is taking advantage. This is going back to the fever swamp from which he came. His first announcement when he – for president in 2015, when he came down the golden escalator, was what? It was an attack on Mexicans, where he said they were drug dealers and criminals and rapists. Then, during the campaign, he said that he was going to ban Muslims from coming into the country. And that united his base. So I think he’s returning to form, but I think it’s broader now. And in this case, with the Afghans that he’s attacking, these are people who either helped the United States during the war or were targeted by the Taliban themselves. And this was an act of American decency and compassion. And to take that and turn it around and to go after these – this weak and vulnerable people and then broaden it to a wider attack on immigrants is a really ugly thing to see.
