A look at Trump's tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
- The AP report says President Donald Trump often shifts blame to others when problems arise, rather than accepting responsibility himself.
- The article cites Trump blaming Joe Biden for a weak economy and high inflation, despite Biden having been out of office for more than 18 months.
- It also says Trump has blamed vandalism for problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, although prosecutors said the damage was caused by shoddy workmanship.
- The report notes that Trump has described the war in Iran and its economic effects as the result of earlier presidents failing to act, rather than as a consequence of his own decisions.
- The White House said Trump is addressing long-standing problems and pointed to policies it says Republicans can campaign on, including tax cuts, lower prescription drug prices, immigration enforcement, more domestic energy production, and a strong stock market.
The report describes President Donald Trump as unusually willing to shift blame when problems emerge. It says he often points to Joe Biden, Congress, or earlier presidents instead of accepting responsibility for economic, policy, or governance failures.
Among the examples cited are Trump blaming Biden for weak economic conditions and blaming vandalism for problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, even though prosecutors said the damage came from poor workmanship. The article also says he has framed the war in Iran and its fallout as the result of years of inaction by prior leaders.
The story places this pattern in the context of Trump’s long-running approach to leadership, noting that he once spoke in terms of being responsible for outcomes and later promised he alone could fix the system. It contrasts that with comments in office such as saying the buck stops with everybody and not taking responsibility for COVID-19 testing shortfalls.
The AP says Trump’s reluctance to accept blame matters politically because it comes as Republicans head toward the midterm elections and try to defend control of Congress. The White House, meanwhile, says Trump is correcting inherited problems and advancing policies it believes voters can support.
一看特朗普在事情出问题时倾向于回避责任
报道将特朗普总统描述为在问题出现时格外倾向于转移责任。文章说，他常把责任指向乔·拜登、国会或更早的总统，而不是接受经济、政策或治理失败的责任。
文中举出的例子包括，特朗普把经济疲软归咎于拜登，也把林肯纪念堂倒影池的问题归咎于破坏行为，尽管检方表示损坏源于施工粗糙。报道还说，他把伊朗战争及其后果描述为前几任领导人多年未采取行动的结果。
文章把这种做法放在特朗普一贯的领导风格中加以说明，提到他过去曾谈到要对结果负责，后来又表示只有他自己能修好这个系统。与此同时，他在任内也说过“责任归大家”，并在新冠检测不足问题上表示自己不承担责任。
美联社指出，这种不愿认责的做法具有政治意义，因为共和党正面临中期选举，需要守住国会控制权。白宫则表示，特朗普是在纠正前任留下的问题，并推动其认为选民会支持的政策。