Trump called for unity — he didn’t even last a week

Remember a week ago (an eon in today’s politics) during the State of the Union address when President Trump called for unity? Trump said, “Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve.”

As predicted, that supposed sentiment of unity disappeared with the speed of a tweet in just a matter of days. Sadly it comes at a time when the country most needs strong presidential leadership as we face a deadline — again — to fund the government and find a solution for the nation’s Dreamers, like Trump and the GOP leadership promised.

On Feb. 1, Trump tweeted that if a deal wasn’t reached Americans should “blame the Dems!” 

The Democrats just aren’t calling about DACA. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have to get moving fast, or they’ll disappoint you again. We have a great chance to make a deal or, blame the Dems! March 5th is coming up fast.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018

Poof! The nod towards unity Trump pretended to advocate for during the State of the Union was gone in less than 280 characters. Sad, but not surprising to the majority of Americans who knew the call for unity and bipartisanship was fake and hypocritical. 

Soon after, we got true Trump. We saw the president in all his divisive, vindictive, partisan glory as the spectacle of the dueling congressional national security memos is unfolding to a nation that just cannot keep up with the hourly outrages of Trump’s dysfunctional, unfit presidency.

On Feb. 3 Trump tweeted, “the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans.” 

The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans – something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018

The surreal scene started when presidential yes-man Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) announced his intentions to push for the release of a memo drafted by his staff accusing the FBI and DOJ of partisanship when they sought FISA permission to spy on Carter Page, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser with close, years-long ties to the Kremlin.

The memo, however, was chock full of misleading and lopsided accusations and anecdotes with supporting facts and details. It is why Democrats want to release their own version that corrects much of the Nunes memo, which was so shoddy that the FBI and DOJ (lead by Trump appointees) strongly objected to its public release.

Living in a misguided fantasy world when it comes to the Russian investigation, Trump became obsessed with the memo’s release thinking it would vindicate him and make Robert Mueller’s investigation null and void. It did neither of those things. In fact, it served to further divide the country.

But that did not stop Trump from releasing it and continuing his attacks on his perceived enemies, and from perpetuating his ill-conceived conspiracy theories that only serve to undercut public confidence in our most sacred democratic institutions.

Later on Feb. 2, Trump continued to tweet about the memo.

“You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.” Tom Fitton, JW

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018

Soon after the Nunes memo was released, Trump tweeted “this memo totally vindicates” him.

This memo totally vindicates “Trump” in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. Their was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2018

What Trump should realize is that he is the disgrace. A president who calls for unity during his first State of the Union, yet cannot control his arrogance, his ego and his self-centeredness — does not deserve the office. When others do not see the grandiosity of what Trump sees when he looks in the mirror, they become enemies of the state.

But as we have seen from the day Trump took office, he is in no way hindered or restrained by evidence, facts or truth.

We are now one week from the president’s words of “unity” and what does he give us?

Still obsessed with the memos, and facing the decision whether to allow the release of the Democratic version, he tweets again insulting Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) 

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018 

How’s that for unity and working across the aisle?

In Trump’s most recent, and most outrageous divisive comments, Trump recounted the State of the Union address and how Democrats did not clap or stand as Trump talked about his “accomplishments” including the low employment rates of blacks and Hispanics.

Trump called this behavior “un-American” and “treasonous.” Does he know that Republicans stayed silent and stone-faced many a time during Obama’s State of the Union speeches? Does Trump recall GOP Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) disrespectfully yelling, “You lie” at Obama during a speech? Does Trump think that conduct is un-American and treasonous?

Beyond Trump’s behavior unbecoming the presidency of the United States, there is a complicit Republican Party allowing it, for reasons beyond comprehension.

This is a moment when we really do need true leadership, bi-partisanship and unity. Sadly, Trump was never in a position to credibly show it or call for it.

Despite having been called “treasonous” and “un-American,” Democrats are ready to find solutions to fund the government, take care of Dreamers, and protect our national institutions. It is up to Republicans now to show they can have the best interest of the nation at heart, instead of bending to petty partisanship.

Maria Cardona is a principal at the Dewey Square Group, a Democratic strategist and a CNN/CNN Español political commentator. Follow her on Twitter @MariaTCardona.