How was Abe Lincoln Questionable?

[Airbrush]

This was posted to "Trump and social media" which was off topic.  Sorry for getting off topic over there.  Would any mod please delete my post over there, and this will substitute for it.  I think this should be a separate topic.  Thank you.

In the recent interview by Harris Faulkner of Fox News, an African-American, Trump stated that what Lincoln did (freeing slaves) "is always questionable."  What the heck is he suggesting...that Lincoln freeing the slaves was a "questionable" thing?!  The slaves should NOT have been freed in HIS opinion, it would seem.  Trump used his mob-boss sign language on Faulkner:

"Lincoln did good, although it's always questionable, you know [WHO knows?!] ...the end result [what the heck is the "end result"?!  The "end result" is freedom for slaves.  What's questionable about that?!] 

Then Trump states that HIS people are free - "WE are free."  Faulkner replies that Lincoln "did pretty well."  However, Trump could not agree but rather hint again "You understand what I mean" which we can infer is a dog whistle that means that the slaves should NOT have been freed.  Trump's people are free, but Faulkner's people are not necessarily free.  Faulkner replies yes AND no.

Mr. President, what the hell do you mean by "And let's take a pass on Abraham Lincoln, 'cause he did good, although it's always questionable, you know, in other words, the end result [Final Solution?!].  Please explain what this means."

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/trump-said-abraham-lincolns-legacy-is-questionable-but-a-black-reporter-pointed-out-we-are-free/

Trump:   "So I think I’ve done more for the black community than any other president. And let’s take a pass on Abraham Lincoln, ‘cause he did good, although it’s always questionable, you know, in other words, the end result"

Faulkner:  "Well, we are free, Mr. President"

Trump:  "But we are free"

Faulkner:  "So he did pretty well."

Trump:  "You understand what I mean."

Faulkner:  "Yeah, no, I get it."

Edited June 13, 2020 by Airbrush

[swansont]

Who knows what he meant. Despite having “the best words“ he seemingly can’t unambiguously vocalize support for equality for any group that has been subject to systemic oppression.

I’m sure his staff will spin this statement to make it sound more positive, or distract from it, if they haven’t done so already 

[MigL]

As always, when it comes to D Trump, no-one is ever sure what he really means.

However, if you consider freeing the slaves the 'end', then the 'means' to get there involved the bloodiest war in American history.
Roughly 360 000 Northerners, and 260 000 Southerners died; the highest American death toll of any war it's been involved in.

Actually you can also make the case that the American civil war was not fought to abolish slavery, that was just a 'happy' coincidence.
It was fought for economic reasons.

All these things could make A Lincoln's motives 'questionable'.
But if you haven't figured it out by now, I myself, do not view the past through a 'modern morals' window.

[J.C.MacSwell]

15 hours ago, MigL said:

As always, when it comes to D Trump, no-one is ever sure what he really means.

However, if you consider freeing the slaves the 'end', then the 'means' to get there involved the bloodiest war in American history.
Roughly 360 000 Northerners, and 260 000 Southerners died; the highest American death toll of any war it's been involved in.

Actually you can also make the case that the American civil war was not fought to abolish slavery, that was just a 'happy' coincidence.
It was fought for economic reasons.

All these things could make A Lincoln's motives 'questionable'.
But if you haven't figured it out by now, I myself, do not view the past through a 'modern morals' window.

Lincoln was certainly an abolitionist, but when he first abolished slavery in 1862 it was essentially a war tactic. States that still had slavery but were not rebelling were exempt from it.

Though I think it's fair to say Donald still has a little way to go before he passes Abe...except perhaps in his own mind.

[Airbrush]

TRUMP:  "I mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little later, you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart. And he was really angry that — he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War.  [Andrew Jackson died in 1845.]   He [Jackson] said, “There’s no reason for this.”  [Trump just stated that Andrew Jackson said that there was no need for a Civil War which started 15 years after Jackson's death.]  People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War — if you think about it, why? People don’t ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?"

Deciphering this word salad, it looks to me like he is saying that Andrew Jackson was "a very tough person, but he had a big heart."  Trump sees himself in Andrew Jackson, tough with a big heart, so Trump thinks he could have compromised with the South or convinced them to give up slavery without resorting to war, just as his idol Jackson would have done.😜

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Airbrush

[J.C.MacSwell]

1 hour ago, Airbrush said:

TRUMP:  "I mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little later, you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart. And he was really angry that — he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War.  [Andrew Jackson died in 1845.]   He [Jackson] said, “There’s no reason for this.”  [Trump just stated that Andrew Jackson said that there was no need for a Civil War which started 15 years after Jackson's death.]  People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War — if you think about it, why? People don’t ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?"

Deciphering this word salad, it looks to me like he is saying that Andrew Jackson was "a very tough person, but he had a big heart."  Trump sees himself in Andrew Jackson, tough with a big heart, so Trump thinks he could have compromised with the South or convinced them to give up slavery without resorting to war, just as his idol Jackson would have done.😜

 

20 years after he "died" he became the POTUS....

[swansont]

2 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

20 years after he "died" he became the POTUS....

Jackson vs Johnson can be very confusing

[J.C.MacSwell]

4 hours ago, swansont said:

Jackson vs Johnson can be very confusing

Ahhh...my bad!