Trump advisor Jason Miller stopped by CNN This Morning on Thursday, and was left squirming when anchor Kasie Hunt confronted him about Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post that featured a screenshot of an image of younger Kamala Harris smiling next to Hillary Clinton, with a caption underneath that read, “Funny how blowjobs impacted both their careers differently.”
“What would you say to the vice president of the United States about the comment that [Trump] reposted?” Hunt asked.
“Well, I saw the social media post,” Miller replied. “I have not discussed that with the president. I don’t know if the president even saw the comment that was on there or simply the picture.”
Miller then quickly pivoted to accuse Democrats of attacking Trump with even more vitriol, telling Hunt, “The attacks that have been levied by Kamala Harris’ campaign and by Harris’ allies against President Trump — not just recently but over the past year and a half, two years, ever since he came down the escalator, quite frankly—in the case of many leftist-centered people, have been quite horrific.”
Hunt asked Miller if he thought the criticisms against Trump have been “as horrific” as the image Trump had reposted. Miller replied, “Oh, a hundred times worse.”
“But they haven’t been sexual in nature in this way,” Hunt pointed out.
“Again, I haven’t discussed that with the president,” Miller said. “I don’t know if the president even saw the comment that was on there. That’s not something that I have asked.”
It’s a title, used like “President Obama.” I don’t think normal people say “the president” about former ones. This is weird conduct.
Emily Post’s Etiquette (the standard for people who dine regularly with multiple forks) says addressing former Presidents this way is incorrect.
https://emilypost.com/advice/addressing-a-former-president-of-the-united-states
It carves out a slight exception for informal settings, but still advises against.
I agree. I think “Mr. Obama” is appropriate 2017 and onward. But like is noted there, “President Obama,” is still at least a common mistake, I could see how that extends into formal settings as well.
I don’t think “the president” is common. Nor a mistake, coming from that source.
I’d probably address him as Dr. over Mr., despite knowing that generally even presidents with a doctorate get Mr.