Opinion: Trump’s Sharpie is powerful enough to push aside Hurricane Dorian

Parts of the Bahamas haven’t even fully assessed the damage wrought by Hurricane Dorian, and much of the East Coast of the U.S. still faces danger from what was originally predicted to be a catastrophic weather event. Yet since Thursday much of our letter writers’ commentary on the storm has focused on President Trump and his black marker.

It’s a cycle that’s played out more than a few times in this administration: Something of serious national concern happens, the president says something outlandish and gets called out for it, the president bristles at the criticism, commentary ensues and ... what were we talking about again?

So it’s going again with Trump’s refusal to admit he acted prematurely in warning Alabama to brace for Dorian’s wrath, a mistake he amplified by sharing an apparently doctored hurricane chart during an Oval Office briefing.

Rick Dunn of San Diego wants impeachment:

If I tell you something preposterous expecting you to believe it without question, I insult you. So where is the post-hurricane outcry from at least at few Trump supporters? Are they satisfied looking ridiculous by accepting lie after lie, spouting the excuse that “all politicians lie”?

When will they realize that the lies are actually harmful? For how long will they continue to welcome being insulted?

And, just to show that inactivity isn’t limited to Republicans, how long before the House actually starts impeachment hearings?

David L. Burdick of Ridgecrest wanted to speak to the meteorologist-in-chief:

Trump’s altered hurricane map prompted me to call the White House. I asked to speak with the chief meteorologist, the guy with the Sharpie pen who draws their weather maps, so I could get that day’s forecast.

They told me he was on his golf course.

Huntington Beach resident Richard C. Armendariz takes “Sharpiegate” seriously:

Trump played golf while Dorian ravaged the Bahamas on its way to the U.S., but that’s really no surprise. After all, Nero supposedly played his fiddle while Rome burned.

However, “Sharpiegate” is another matter. Mistakes and slips of the tongue happen, but this once again demonstrates that the president is incapable of admitting that he made an obvious mistake.

This is not an issue of strategy but one of credibility. An individual who after a spate of mass shootings recently states that universal background checks may be an option, and then after a phone call from the National Rifle Assn. backtracks, and now is unable to admit that he was wrong about Alabama, is unreliable and untrustworthy.

These are not presidential traits.

Jan Rainbird of Irvine responds to a Trump defender:

Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera is apparently distressed that what Trump says and does “is cross-checked and scrutinized to reveal him to be stupid, uninformed or a liar.” Ironically, Rivera’s succinct and accurate analysis speaks volumes.