On Tuesday night, the president tweeted:
Wow! Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi’s place, just LOST his primary election. In other words, he’s out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2018
This tweet turns an inter-mural Democratic argument into a Trump story, and in a remarkably implausible fashion. There are many possible explanations as to why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley, but surely no Democratic voter cast their vote for her because Joe Crowley was not nice enough to Trump.
A similar self-obsessed tone could be heard in a Wednesday morning tweet:
Harley-Davidson should stay 100% in America, with the people that got you your success. I’ve done so much for you, and then this. Other companies are coming back where they belong! We won’t forget, and neither will your customers or your now very HAPPY competitors!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2018
Whatever the merits of either protectionism or free trade, Trump is more focused on framing the Harley-Davidson decision as a personal grievance. “I’ve done so much for you, and then this,” would be a bad break-up line in a soap opera, let alone in a president setting policy.
Taken together, the two tweets highlight the problem with Trump’s egotistical approach to politics. Seeing every new development and policy dispute through the prism of self-regard deeply distorts the president’s view of reality.