A MASS-MARKET newspaper in the US has published a brutal take-down of Donald Trump, describing him as a “uniquely awful” man “not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library”.
The editorial titled “Will Trump’s lows ever hit rock bottom?” published overnight by USA Today, is notable because the paper is not known for its opinion pieces.
The paper’s editorial board took issue with the President’s tweet on Tuesday that attacked Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has called for him to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
Mr Trump’s swipe that Senator Gillibrand would “do anything” for campaign contributions has been interpreted widely as carrying a sexual connotation.
“With his latest tweet, clearly implying that a United States senator would trade sexual favours for campaign cash, President Trump has shown he is not fit for office,” USA Today wrote.
“Rock bottom is no impediment for a president who can always find room for a new low.
“And as is the case with all of Trump’s digital provocations, the president’s words were deliberate. He pours the gasoline of sexist language and lights the match gleefully knowing how it will burst into flame in a country reeling from the #MeToo moment.
“A president who would all but call Senator Kirsten Gillibrand a whore is not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library or to shine the shoes of George W Bush.”
Ouch.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump’s tweet had no sexual innuendo and “only if your mind is in the gutter would [you] have read it that way”.
“This is the same sentiment that the President has expressed many times before when he has exposed the corruption of the entire political system,” she said at Tuesday’s White House press briefing.
“In fact, he’s used similar terminology many times when talking about politicians of both parties, both men and women, and certainly in his campaign to drain the swamp.
“The system is clearly broken. It’s clearly rigged for special interests. And this president is someone that can’t be bought, and it’s one of the reasons that he’s president today.”
USA Today is one of America’s most-read newspapers, with an average daily circulation of more than 800,000. It reaches nearly three million readers each day with digital audiences included.
While not known for its political writing, the paper abandoned its tradition of not endorsing a presidential candidate last year when it urged its readers not to vote for Mr Trump.