WHERE WERE WE? – AT 10:53 A.M. ET:  Oh yes, Washington was criticizing Trump.  The Democrats, whose zealotry in opposing Russia has not been notable since about 1967, suddenly emerge as the ultimate cold warriors, outraged that President Trump would even sit in the same room with Vladimir Putin...

Putin's taking of Crimea under Obama?  Uh...yesterday's news.  What did you fascist Republicans want, World War III?

The Russians running all over the Mideast under Obama, a region from which they had been effectively banished since the 1970s?  Uh...can we talk about the Palestinians?

Obama's running down American defense in the face of Putin's military buildup?  Uh...just equipment wearing out.  Faulty equipment, just like Captain Queeg said.  Not Obama's fault.

And so it goes.  Democratic complaints are a joke.  However, the criticism of President Trump's performance at yesterday's press conference with Putin is bipartisan, and the president has to take note.  His comments were sloppy and poorly chosen.  In truth, this president is not terribly articulate on his feet.  He exaggerates, he brags, he is far too effusive, especially in his attitude toward Putin, a thug if ever there was one.

Oh yes, it's true, other presidents have done the same or worse.  President Nixon actually quoted Chairman Mao during his visit to China, honoring a man who'd killed millions.  President Roosevelt sat down with Joe Stalin, and gave plenty away at Yalta.  And Obama restored relations with the criminal Fidel Castro without asking for anything in return that would help the Cuban people.  Jack Kennedy got completely rolled by Nikita Khrushchev at a summit in Vienna in 1961.  All true.

But people forget, and Trump is president, intensely disliked by the press and by most of the Washington swamp dwellers.  They want to bring him down, and he gave them the chance with his loose tongue. 

As Laura Ingraham remarked, his rhetoric is one thing, but his record is far better.  He generally gets what he wants, and gets far more than Field Marshal of the World Barack Obama ever dreamed of.  But then he steps all over his achievements with his open mouth.  We forgive him, but we're getting tired of it.

What to do?

It will pass.  The president is meeting with Congressional Republicans today, and he should consider some of their advice in how to present himself in international settings.  Then he should address the American people, outlining what has been achieved, and admitting to some gaffes.  It's human.  It would be appreciated.

But let us also note the sheer hypocrisy of much of Washington, especially the media, which had no problem with the Obama administration's disastrous foreign-policy record.  After all, he was Barack, come to save us.

He didn't save anyone.  Trump is trying to correct Obama's horrible record, but being more careful with words is part of that process, and in that the president needs work.

July 17,  2018