Charles Krauthammer’s Interesting Take on President Trump: He’s a Pragmatist –Incorrect Attribution!
Summary of eRumor:
Charles Krauthammer wrote an interesting take on President Trump in which Krauthammer argues the president isn’t liberal or conservative — he’s a pragmatist.
The Truth:
A column by political activist and commentator Mychal S. Massie has been incorrectly labeled “Charles Krauthammer’s Interesting Take on President Trump.”
The column appeared at Massie’s personal blog site, The Daily Rant, in 2016 under the headline, “Trump is Not Conservative, He’s a Pragmatist.” By early 2018, the column was being circulated under the headline, “Charles Krauthammer’s Interesting Take on President Trump.”
Mychal Massie describes his blog site as “Christian, conservative opinion.” Massie, an African-American and ordained Christian minister, has gained popularity in some conservative circles for his outspoken views on race in America. He founded the Racial Policy Center (RPC) in 2015, a think tank that advocates for “a colorblind society.” Massie has also been a vocal critic of President Obama and an outspoken supporter of President Trump.
It’s not clear how Massie’s column on President Trump being a pragmatist came to be attributed to Charles Krauthammer, but Krauthammer’s name has been incorrectly attached to political commentaries in the past. Columns about President Obama’s group Organizing for Action (OFA) and the Clinton Foundation being “organized crime” were also attributed to Krauthammer.
As a Pulitzer Prize winner, Krauthammer is one of the most trusted voices in conservative political discourse. It’s likely that his name has been incorreclty attached to these columns on purpose to make them appear more relavant to those who are familiar with Krauthammer’s work.
Charles Krauthammer’s actual views on President Trump have varied. He wrote in July 2017 that revelations Donald Trump Jr. and other members of Trump’s presidential campaign contacted Russians during the 2016 election could be evidence of collusion, noting “This is an email chain released by Donald Trump Jr. himself.” But in August, Krauthammer warned that impeachment would be a “catastrophic mistake.” Krauthammer has been out of the public’s view since having an undisclosed surgery in August 2017. He hasn’t published any commentaries since that time, including this one.