June 2, 2017
Notes

Climate Carnage: Our Social Media Roundup of the Week

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 01: U.S. President Donald Trump announces his decision for the United States to pull out of the Paris climate agreement in the Rose Garden at the White House June 1, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to withdraw from the accord, which former President Barack Obama and the leaders of 194 other countries signed in 2015. The agreement is intended to encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit global warming to a manageable level. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

It was the quintessential example of the Trump roller coaster. Spent from his overseas trip, Trump laid low the early part of this week while the media feasted on Jared’s Russian backchannel and the fallout from Trump’s face time with the Europeans. Until Thursday’s “great unveil.” That’s when (Move over, Syria! Hello Nicaragua!) Trump brought the hammer down  on the Paris climate agreement. As we elaborated about it seconds afterward, it’s not about anything as much as the attention and the rush earned through sadism and villainy:

The week’s photos also detailed related effects. Steve Bannon, having apparently served his penance, is rising again, while Jared and Ivanka (absent from the climate event, and most everything else this week) have had a great fall. With the Donald, getting too big, making him look bad, stealing any of his limelight, or any combination is the kiss of death.

The other trend we saw, of course, involved Europe (led by Merkel and Macron) already pushing back on Trump (and standing up to Putin). Finally, we apologize if our roundup this week is particularly dark or we ended up harping. We just found it tragic how all-things-Trump obscured the massive bombing in Kabul this week, and continues to divert critical attention from America’s two largely forgotten wars. … And, let’s not forget about Portland.

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 01: U.S. President Donald Trump announces his decision for the United States to pull out of the Paris climate agreement in the Rose Garden at the White House June 1, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to withdraw from the accord, which former President Barack Obama and the leaders of 194 other countries signed in 2015. The agreement is intended to encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit global warming to a manageable level. 

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Michael Shaw
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