GOP/RACISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “He once encouraged supporters to attack protesters — then claimed to ensure the safety of all Americans. He mused that Russia should seize his competitor’s emails — then said it was just a joke. And he whipped his crowd into a frenzy about locking up Hillary Clinton — before insisting post-inauguration that the idea of prosecuting his Democratic opponent is ‘just not something I feel very strongly about.’ President Donald Trump returned to a familiar tactic Thursday of blaming others for a problem many believe he created, tossing his own base under the bus to deflect outrage from GOP allies on Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s a throwback to a field-tested Trump playbook: push the rhetoric further than some allies can handle, then tiptoe back to shrug off responsibility.”
–Gabby Orr and Burgess Everett, “Trump’s field-tested strategy: Whip up a frenzy, then disavow,” Politico, July 18, 2019 6:19 pm