As terrorist attack unfolds in New York, Trump attacks black journalist

On Monday morning, New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal was rocked by an explosion, the result of an apparent attempted terrorist attack. One man is in custody after reportedly detonating a pipe bomb that may have malfunctioned, injuring four but killing no one.

As that story unfolded, however, Donald Trump was too busy engaging in his favorite pastime of attacking prominent black citizens to comment on the attack, instead singling out CNN’s Don Lemon for mockery while New Yorkers weathered another morning of terror:

Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day – Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the “dumbest man on television!” Bad Reporting.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2017

Trump’s attack on Don Lemon is just the latest in an unrelenting pattern of Trump administration viciousness toward prominent black Americans, including Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ recent attack on civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), the White House’s all-out campaign against legendary White House correspondent April Ryan, Trump’s demand that ESPN reporter Jemele Hill be fired for criticizing him, and his relentless attacks on NFL players protesting racism.

This pattern is no accident, as evidenced by the fact that Trump sang quite a different tune before his political success depended on nakedly appealing to white supremacists:

"@Renhowe: I enjoyed @donlemon‘s interview with @realDonaldTrump on @CNN Need more interviews like that." Thanks.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2015

"@TIMENOUT: @CNN @donlemon congratulations Don that was a great interview @realDonaldTrump"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2015

Given Trump’s usual responses to terrorist attacks, perhaps he did us all a favor by ignoring it, but what he did choose to speak about during such a fraught moment speaks volumes about his priorities, and his presidency.