Like the Elton John concerts President Trump mentioned midway through his 70-minute speech, his Thursday rally in Great Falls, Mont. was a real greatest-hits affair aimed at his true fans.

In the Montana gathering supporting Republican Sentate candidate Matt Rosendale, the president once again touted the impressive size of his rally crowds, saying he has broken Elton John’s concert-attendance records without the benefit of playing a piano or anything. (“This is my only musical instrument — the mouth.”)

He also cranked out some of his favorites golden-oldies. There were the usual swipes at the Justice Department, the media and the National Football League’s new national anthem policy. There was a return to his beloved — and debunked — claims of voter fraud and abuse. There was a fond shout-out to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who — unlike the “dishonest” news media and “low I.Q. individual” Representative Maxine Waters — is not a bad egg at all.

“Putin’s fine,” President Trump said. “He’s fine. We’re all fine. We’re people.”


But as we know, not all people are created equal in the president’s eyes.

In an insult trifecta, Trump once again called Senator Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” (for her unproven — though not debunked — claims that she is part Native American), then he floated the idea of throwing a DNA testing kit at her during an imaginary debate.

And since this DNA testing thing was almost as much crowd-baiting fun as his false accusations that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, he figured he might as well mock the #MeToo movement, too.

“We will take that little kit and …. we have to do it gently because we’re in the ‘MeToo’ generation so we have to be very gentle.“


Now, here is what is amazing about the president insulting Native Americans, Senator Warren and the #MeToo anti sexual-harassment and sexual-assault movement all at once. It wasn’t even the most offensive thing he did all day.

Earlier Thursday, the White House announced that Bill Shine would be joining the staff as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff of Communications.

“He brings over two decades of television programming, communications, and management experience to the role,” the White House release said. “Previously, Mr. Shine served as Co-President of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network.”

Do you know what else Bill Shine brings to the White House? Plenty of #MeToo baggage.


Shine resigned from Fox last year over his handling of sexual harassment claims against the network. Shine has never been accused of harassment himself, but he was accused in multiple lawsuits of covering up workplace sexual harassment and racial discrimination and of bullying women into confidential arbitration.

So what are we to make of the fact that on the same day the president characterizes the women of the #MeToo movement as being thin-skinned whiners, Team White House brings an accused harassment enabler into its fold?

We could assume that Shine was hired despite his baggage. As we know from the Rob Porter scandal, where Porter was kept on as the White House staff secretary despite allegations that he had abused both of his ex-wives, members of the Trump administration doesn’t seem to think that ill treatment of women is a deal breaker.

Or maybe Shine was hired because of his experience in the harassment-enabling trenches.


More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual assault or improper conduct. He has denied the allegations, but he has also paid hush money to some of his accusers. And last month, a New York appeals court rejected the president’s attempt to stop a sexual harassment suit filed against him by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos, so the president could be deposed.

If explaining and/or protecting President Trump is part of Shine’s new gig, Thursday’s speech in Montana would be a great place to start.

In addition to the #MeToo mocking by an accused harasser, Shine could explain why the man whose Donald J. Trump Foundation charity is being sued by the New York State attorney general’s office for self-dealing and other misdeeds decided to also mock President George H.W. Bush’s “thousand points of light” volunteer initiative.

Or he could explain why, on the same day the president was whipping up the rally crowd with anti-immigration references to the violent MS-13 gang, data posted on the Labor Department website shows Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., applied for permission to hire 21 cooks from overseas. Earlier this week, the club applied to hire 40 foreign workers to serve as waiters and waitresses.


That’s the thing about equality in the Trump White House. There is always plenty of outrage to go around.


Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.com