Double Negativity
By Laurie Baron
SAN DIEGO — President Trump claimed that he had misspoken when declaring in Helsinki that he saw no reason for believing Russia interfered in the 2016 American elections by attributing his error to leaving out the word not. “The sentence should have been, ‘I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t, or, why it wouldn’t be Russia.’” Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. So the following are what he really meant to say in the past: *
“By not eliminating the tax breaks and special interest loopholes that primarily benefit the wealthy, our framework ensures that the benefits of tax reform will not go to the middle class, but to the highest earners.”
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“Nobody can feel much safer than the day I took office. There isn’t any non-nuclear threat from North Korea.”
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(On John McCain): “He is a war hero. He’s a war hero because he didn’t escape when he was captured. I don’t like people who don’t escape when they are captured.”
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“We’re going to have strong, very strong borders by not keeping families together I don’t like the sight or the feeling of families not being separated.”
*
“No, I’m not a non-racist. I am not the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you.”
*
Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted via lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com. San Diego Jewish World points out to new readers that this column is satire, and nothing herein should be taken literally.