Trump Hopes a Traumatic “Major Event” Isn’t Needed to Unite America

Though media coverage Wednesday focused largely on Donald Trump’s Tuesday state of the union, comments from the president made hours before the annual event provide insight into his view of the country’s current status.

PBS Newshour White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor attended a lunch with the president and other television anchors, tweeting about his comments on societal divisions in the United States.

“I want to see our country united. I want to bring our country back from a tremendous divisiveness,” Trump reportedly said, discussing longstanding rifts and citing historical examples like the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

“I would love to be able to bring back our country into a great form of unity,” he also said. “Without a major event where people pull together, that’s hard to do. But I would like to do it without that major event because usually that major event is not a good thing.”

The president was presumably referencing historical “major events” like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, both of which resulted in the United States waging war. However, based on Alcindor’s report, it is unclear whether he specified what other events he was alluding to.

My Links: