Brooks: Trump ‘Understands Sense of Belonging’ Better Than Many Critics, Appeals to Western Tradition Are Good

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks praised President Trump’s appeal Western civilization in his Poland speech and argued Trump understands the sense of belonging better than many of his critics.

Brooks stated that he “80% liked” Trump’s speech. He added that he didn’t agree that “Western civilization is at war with Islam and maybe some of the other civilizations around the world.”

He continued, “But I do think there is such a thing as Western civilization. I think it goes — starts with the Greeks and the Romans. Then it goes through the Enlightenment — or the Reformation, the Enlightenment. It goes through the scientific age. And it somewhat defines some of the cultures and mores of Europe and North America, and some other countries. And it’s obviously absorbed a lot of immigrants, and it’s absorbed a lot of ideas and had exchange with Asia and other civilizations, but it’s a thing. And I like the fact that he appealed to that, especially when he’s trying to, I hope, reunify the Western alliance, which has been a powerful force for good in the world over the last 70 years. And, to his credit, he appealed to some of the things that are finest about Western civilization, artistic creativity, rights of minorities, equality for woman. He ran down the list. Whether the guy actually lives by those standards is another matter, but at least he appealed to them.”

Brooks concluded his statement by arguing, “And I think it’s a big mistake anytime anybody makes an appeal to the West or to America, to patriotism, to think, oh, he’s excluding.”

Brooks later added, “[T]his is something Trump does better than a lot of his critics, he understands sense of belonging. And a lot of people think globalization, anytime you make any particularity, you’re sort of offending some other group. But — and a lot of people in this country think they don’t belong to America anymore, and he at least appeals to some sense of belonging. I like the idea that we belong to Western tradition, so I’m glad he appeals to that sort of thing.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett