Five years into the current presidential administration — split, of course by the four years of Joe Biden’s presidency — and I am left to wonder what about the many things we’ve been missing as we watch Donald J. Trump stumble and bumble his way to oblivion.
We do not see any visual images of the POTUS enjoying his family. Where are all the grandkids we have heard about? Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany all have little ones, right? Yet the only images we see of Grandpa Donald are those of him dressed in a blue suit, that overly long red tie, with his pile of hair coiffed atop his vacuous skull.
Oh, and of course we see the POTUS in his golf garb, cheating at golf.
The overwhelming image of Trump is him chewing out reporters for doing their job, denigrating them for asking difficuilt questions.
I’m well aware that people in the public eye have private lives. But so many presidents have been more than willing to have their children be photographed doing whatever it is kids do. JFK, had his two small kids in the White House; LBJ’s daughters were frequent fixtures in front of cameras; so were Richard Nixon’s daughters; Gerald Ford had five kids and he was seen spending plenty of time with them; Jimmy Carter had daughter Amy living in the White House; George H.W. I Bush famously referred to his kids and grandkids; Bill Clinton was photographed often with little Chelsea; George W. Bush’s twin daughters often were in front of cameras; Barack Obama’s daughters grew up before our eyes in the White House; Joe Biden let the world watch him play with his grandkids.
I didn’t mention Ronald Reagan for a reason. He had a difficult relationship with his two youngest kids. His two elder kids both were politically active and led separate, equally visible lives.
I want the next president to reveal his family to us, and to demonstrate his commitment to them. I believe can derive his commitment to all American families if we get to see how they treat their own.