Living under ‘empty soul’ Trump is ‘humiliating’ — here’s why

New Yorker editor David Remnick described the singular "humiliation" that comes from enduring Donald Trump's presidency.

The veteran journalist recalled how Trump presented himself as a Republican candidate and compared that to his blame-shifting presidency, which he told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" was all the more tragic as the coronavirus claims thousands of American lives.

"What you have right now is a president of the United States who began his national ascent at the Republican National Convention saying, 'I alone can do it,'" Remnick said. "Remember that? 'I alone can do it.'"

"The era then ends with, 'I take no responsibility,'" he continued. "I alone can do it, I take no responsibility."

He compared that lack of accountability with the bravery of doctors and nurses who are braving the virus and traumatizing themselves to treat the sick.

"My city and your city is being saved by people who take the ultimate responsibility," Remnick said. "That's what we're cheering at 7:00 [when hospital shifts change over], and we feel humiliated by having a president who denies science, who makes jokes about models, who tells us that he is No. 1 on Facebook and that his ratings are so great. It is humiliating to live under such a leader, and the consequences are so immense."

Remnick pointed to the firing of Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from command of an aircraft carrier for publicly asking for help because his sailors were getting ill from the virus.

"One humiliating anecdote in a thousand," he said. "Every book that's been written, every honest book written about the Trump administration describes this. One incident after another of a nation being led by an empty soul, by someone who denies science, who mocks science, who chooses to humiliate the press rather than tell the truth to the American people. That is a presidency with consequences in human lives, in national spirit. So at 7:00, we cheer its opposite."