There has been considerable criticism over Trump’s description of the bombing of Syria over a dinner with Chinese President Xi where he seemed to have as much recollection of the chocolate cake as he did the decision itself. (“I was sitting at the table. We had finished dinner. We’re now having dessert. And we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you’ve ever seen, and President Xi was enjoying it.”) That comment now looks decidedly presidential in comparison to the comment made by his dinner mate at Mar-a-Lago, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that the bombing of Syria: “It was in lieu of after-dinner entertainment.” Even as a joke, speaking of acts of war like they are versions of the Roman games is distasteful. Even missile strikes involve American sailors or soldiers and airman placing themselves into harm’s way. Having them referred to as “entertainment” at a conference by a wealthy Commerce Secretary to his well-heeled friends is insulting to those who must pay the price of wars.

Ross spoke at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference in California and added “The thing was, it didn’t cost the President anything to have that entertainment,.” In actuality, it cost a bit more than a mariachi group . Just replacing the $59 million Tomahawks missiles will exceed $60 million and that is not counting the other costs associated with the attacks. Putting aside the whole business of attacking another country without congressional authorization , attacking another country is no form of entertainment unless your dinner mates are Loki and Hades.

Clearly, Ross was making what he viewed as a humorous or perhaps a macho aside. However, war is no trivial matter, particularly when a president acts without congressional authority. With critics raising the danger of a president ordering attacks on an arbitrary or casual basis, Ross decided to dismiss an act on a foreign government as just so much entertainment for a party at a ritzy resort. At a minimum, it shows a continued lack of control over messaging in this Administration and at worse a casual attitude toward some of the most serious and weighty decisions of our government.

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