It’s time for Trump’s report card
President Trump is getting his first report card today on his 80th day in office.
By the way, I鈥檓 not grading him on a curve.
Here goes!
Effective Communications (Reading, Writing and Oral)
Grade D-
Here鈥檚 why.
Trump scores poorly in the areas of 鈥渃omprehends fiction,鈥� and 鈥渞eads orally with fluency.鈥�
After he reads questionable news stories, in universally discredited news sources, he posts them on Twitter as if they鈥檙e fact-based.
In many cases, they are not.
It鈥檚 clear that he fails to 鈥渆xpress written ideas coherently and clearly鈥� because his Twitter rants are usually incoherent, and sometimes, even childlike.
Whenever Trump makes use of teleprompters, his speeches are cringe-worthy because of his unnatural speech patterns that make him sound like he鈥檚 reading the ingredients of a can of soup.
And whenever he鈥檚 at a loss for words, he resorts to his old standby 鈥� he employs the word 鈥渄isaster,鈥� as a catch-all for anything (or anybody) he doesn鈥檛 like.
Mathematics
(Computation and Estimation,
Measurement, and Compares Two Sets of Objects; More Fewer, Equal)
Grade F
Here鈥檚 why.
Trump鈥檚 鈥渃omputation and estimation,鈥� and his 鈥渕easurement鈥� deficiencies were on full view the day following his inauguration, when he claimed he鈥檇 had the biggest inaugural event in history.
He was wrong.
His repeated false claims that he鈥檇 won the election by a 鈥渓andslide,鈥� indicates that he should work on how he 鈥渃ompares two sets of objects (more, fewer and equal).鈥�
He not only hadn鈥檛 won by a landslide, his electoral college margin of victory, when you 鈥渃ompare (any) two sets of objects,鈥� was very small.
Social science
(Economics, History and Countries and Cultures)
Grade C-
Here鈥檚 why.
Trump does seem to have a very good sense of 鈥渆conomics.鈥�
His own.
Making use of public money for personal trips to Mar-A-Lago, not so much.
Plus, he鈥檚 under persistent scrutiny over his refusal to release his tax filings and his questionable pledge to stay at arm鈥檚 length from his many business dealings.
鈥淗istory鈥� isn鈥檛 Trump鈥檚 strong suit either.
He can鈥檛 even remember what he said yesterday, when he says what he says today.
But more than that, he has forgotten his own sordid, birther 鈥渉istory鈥� and his frequent rantings about President Obama鈥檚 golfing, while he鈥檚 gone golfing more than Obama ever did during the early days of his presidency.
Trump鈥檚 lack of knowledge of 鈥渃ountries and cultures鈥� hasn鈥檛 proven to be a positive during his early presidency, either.
He鈥檚 quickly found ways to insult the leaders of Germany, Mexico and Australia, while he maintains his ignorance of Islamic and Hispanic cultures.
Performance results
(Legislative Agenda)
Grade D
Here鈥檚 why.
Oh, Trump鈥檚 vow to make major changes on his first days in office was destroyed when he鈥檇 done none of those things by his second day in office.
He鈥檚 not signed anything of significance that would make good on his 鈥渓egislative agenda,鈥� yet.
True, Trump has been busily signing executive orders. But none of those were sent to him by Congress.
He did sign two Muslim bans that still haven鈥檛 banned a single Muslim.
He vigorously backed a repeal and replacement of Obamacare that went up in flames.
Of course, there鈥檚 that 鈥渂ig, beautiful wall鈥� that, supposedly, 鈥淢exico will pay for.鈥�
But Mexico has vowed not to pay for it. And it鈥檚 still not clear if Congress will.
Citizenship
(Exhibits Self-control, Shows
Respect for Others, Displays Positive Attitudes Toward Learning)
Grade F
Here鈥檚 why.
When he engages in his frequent early-morning Twitter-storms, it鈥檚 wholly apparent that he doesn鈥檛 鈥渆xhibit self-control鈥� or that he doesn鈥檛 鈥渟how respect for others,鈥� while he refuses to 鈥渄isplay positive attitudes toward learning.鈥�
In short, he proves that his lack of self-control and his disrespect for anybody with whom he disagrees is the mark of a president who鈥檚 in need of remedial citizenship training.
That won鈥檛 happen.
He鈥檚 too busy telling everybody how important he is to the future of a country that, for now, doesn鈥檛 seem to care much for his lack of leadership qualities.
Cumulative
(Grade Point Average)
Grade D-
And I鈥檓 being generous here.
Edward A. Owens is a three-time Emmy Award winner and 20-year veteran of news. Email him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.