Trump: We Stand Ready To Assist Charlie Gard — Just Like The Pope Asked

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: HOTAIR

URL: http://hotair.com/archives/2017/07/03/trump-stand-ready-assist-charlie-gard-like-pope-asked/

by Ed Morrissey


Donald Trump explicitly aligned himself with the parents of Charlie Gard, who have been prevented by UK and EU courts from taking their child to the US for last-ditch experimental treatment for a rare malady. Citing Pope Francis, Trump tweeted that “we would be delighted to … help little #CharlieGard.” The declaration raises the stakes in the Gard case, and perhaps offers new reason for Trump’s Twitter habits:

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump

If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so.
10:00 AM - 3 Jul 2017

This may not get the same level of attention that other Trump tweets did this week, but the media hasn’t ignored it either. Politico, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and yes, even CNN picked up on the tweet within 90 minutes of its publication. Even some critics of Trump’s twitter habit seemed cheered by this exercise of the bully 140-character pulpit:

Noah Rothman ✔ @NoahCRothman

This is a good use of the presidential twitter account. I can't remember its like in the Trump era.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/881875263700783104 …
10:02 AM - 3 Jul 2017

Jeff B/DDHQ ✔ @EsotericCD

I see this and for a moment I imagine an alternate universe of what a Trump with self-discipline could achieve by leveraging Twitter.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/881875263700783104 …
10:09 AM - 3 Jul 2017

The coverage of the tweet in most outlets offers little analysis, although the Post notes that it’s unclear just what Trump and the US can do in this situation. Courts have prevented the parents of Charlie to take their son out of the jurisdiction of the UK’s National Health Service, and there’s little that Trump can formally do to change that situation. However, by taking up the cause as the head of state, Trump has raised the profile of the case even further, which could put pressure on NHS to allow the parents to use the £1.4 million that they’ve raised to bring their baby to the US for the last-ditch effort at saving his life. The remarkable part of this case is just how resistant the single-payer system is to allowing the parents that choice even when it does not involve using any of their resources — and how the European court has sided with the state over the parents.

Another notable point is Trump’s explicit nod to the pope in his statement. Francis appeared to rebuke the Pontifical Academy for Life with his explicit statement in support of the parents yesterday, and veteran Vaticanista Francis X. Rocca of the Wall Street Journal credits the Holy See’s diplomatic efforts with Trump in May as producing real fruit today:

Francis X. Rocca ✔ @FrancisXRocca

And the Vatican's friendly reception of @realDonaldTrump in May is paying dividends ...

https://twitter.com/FrancisXRocca/status/881888774346727424 …
11:27 AM - 3 Jul 2017

Former Vaticanista David Gibson questions Rocca’s point, but Rocca points out the explicit reference to the pontiff:

David Gibson @GibsonWrites
@FrancisXRocca @TheScelata @realDonaldTrump That's a big assumption given that Trump did the opposite of everything Francis asked of him since then.

Francis X. Rocca ✔ @FrancisXRocca
@GibsonWrites @TheScelata @realDonaldTrump More than before! Trump's Gard statement is politically consistent, of course. But he didn't need to cite the Pope, given their history.
11:56 AM - 3 Jul 2017

That’s not the only potential reaction from Francis’ decision to conduct an about-face for the Vatican after the initial statement from the Pontifical Academy for Life. Its director, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, went on the defensive today in explaining the initial statement:

Joshua McElwee ✔ @joshjmac
Head of Pontifical Academy of Life explains that he spoke to @CardinalNichols before making statement on #CharlieGard case

https://twitter.com/PagliaTW/status/881895648227971073 …
11:26 AM - 3 Jul 2017

If nothing else, this shows that the cultural momentum has shifted significantly toward the parents of Charlie Gard. Whether that impacts the legal momentum is yet to be seen, but at least the effort has been made, and in a way that promotes unity over the rights of parents to determine what is best for their child rather than the state.

[Rivergirl]

"Delighted"
Who typed that message?

[Suppressed]

I think this shows that these critics aren't (a) against Trump in a blanket fashion, nor (b) upset that he uses Twitter.

It's the specifics of what he does that garner criticism.

I wish certain Trump supporters could see that.

[endicom]

[However, by taking up the cause as the head of state, Trump has raised the profile of the case even further...

Yup.

This case shows that the NHS, EU, assorted other scum, are about controlling people rather than aiding them.

[Rivergirl]

Jared and Josh Kushner own a health care exchange named OSCAR.  DT should turn the responsibility for the child's care over to OSCAR. Force them to cover the entire cost which no doubt has already exceeded the million dollar cap.

[Suppressed]

Jared and Josh Kushner own a health care exchange named OSCAR.  DT should turn the responsibility for the child's care over to OSCAR. Force them to cover the entire cost which no doubt has already exceeded the million dollar cap.

Excellent idea!

[ABX]

He is right, but I thought the Vatican went totally pro-death on this?

(and if this is how he ran his tweets and overall communication, life would be a lot easier for everyone)

[TomSea]

Way to go Trump;

Well, I'm glad Trump doesn't abandon the disabled and unborn. About all one can say on this.