Fortunately, many of you don’t know David Brooks, or why I bother to write about him, however, you need to know about him, because he represents the elites in the resistance against President Trump.

Recall that it was Brooks, a New York Times columnist, speaking about candidate Barack Obama, saying, “ I remember distinctly an image of – we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at his pant leg and his perfectly creased pant … and I’m thinking, he’s going to be president, and he’ll be a very good president.”

He went on to say, “I think he’s more talented than anyone in my lifetime. I mean, he is pretty dazzling when he walks into a room.”

That’s Brooks.

It’s obvious that Brooks considers himself an intellectual giant.  In his recent column, “If We Had a Real Leader,” he opens describing his appearance on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and the discussion of how past presidents handled moments of national mourning, Lincoln, Reagan and Obama.”

Unbelievably, he wrote, “This week I had a conversation that left a mark.”  Clearly, Brooks is a narcissist.

Leaving a mark is to do, or say something that will be remembered or make one famous or successful; to do something that is very important or meaningful.

Who does he think he’s kidding?  He is a panel participant on a left-leaning network with two other liberal journalists – host Mary Louise Kelly and E. J. Dionne – and makes that claim. How ludicrous.

“The conversation left me wondering what America’s experience of the pandemic would be like if we had a real leader in the White House,” said Brooks as he opined on how President Trump failed to speak on the 100,000 Covid-19 deaths, to present himself “with others as one sufferer among a common sea of sufferers.”

So now, Brooks sees himself as the arbiter on when the president should speak. He has spoken on the subject of Covid-19 deaths on a number of occasions, always remarking that one death is too many.

And must Brooks be reminded that his media colleagues sought to end Trump’s successful daily virus conferences, designed to give the nation confidence that we will win this war against the invisible enemy?

“Of course, right now we don’t have a real leader.  We have Donald Trump, a man who can’t fathom sympathy or express empathy,” wrote Brooks. “He’s emotionally damaged, he is unlettered, and has not literary, spiritual or historical resources to draw upon in a crisis.”

Would that be someone like Rahm Emanuel, who, during the financial crisis of 2008, advised Obama to “never let a crisis go to waste?”

Brooks credited Reagan with his line, “slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”  The line, however, was lifted from John Gillespie Magee’s  “High Flight,” by then speechwriter Peggy Noonan.

Brooks, like George Will and Peggy Noonan, see themselves as intellectuals, and make the mistake of writing over the heads of most Americans.  They simply don’t understand Trump’s populism, and are unwilling to accept it, so they amp up the criticism.

Since Trump’s inaugural address, in speech after speech, he has provided Americans with words – his words – to give our nation belief that we can make America great again.  His July 6, 2017 speech in Warsaw, Poland was one of his memorable speeches abroad.

Here, from President Trump’s Saturday speech at the Kennedy Space Center, are excerpts from his remarks on Minneapolis, that led to his reflection on the nation’s success in space:

ON MINNEAPOLIS – ”The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy.  It should never have happened.  It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger and grief. 

Yesterday, I spoke to George’s family and expressed the sorrow our entire nation for their loss.  Every citizen in every community has the right to be safe in their workplace, safe in their homes and safe in our streets.  This is a sacred right of all Americans that I am totally determined to defend and will defend.

“My administration will always stand against violence, mayhem and disorder.  We will stand with the family of George Floyd, with the peaceful protestors and with every law-abiding citizen who wants decency, civility, safety, and security.  We are working toward a more just society, but that means building up, not tearing down.

“I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob and menace.  Healing, not hatred, justice, not chaos, are the mission at hand.

“It is essential that we protect the crown jewel of American democracy, the rule of law and our independent system of justice.”

President Trump then made the difficult transition from the situation in Minneapolis and other cities, to uplift the NASA and Space X employees, and America on our latest achievement in space:

ON SPACE – “Let us also commit to a brighter future for all of our citizens right here on earth. When Americans are united, there is nothing we cannot do.  From day one of my administration, we put America first.

“Today, as we gather in this special place to celebrate not only the launch of a new spacecraft, but our nation’s bold and triumphant return to the stars.  It’s a special day.

After reviewing past achievements in space, he looked to the future:

“Today’s launch makes clear the commercial space industry is the future. This launch also marks and exciting turning point for NASA.  This agency will now focus it’s unmatched expertise like nobody’s ever seen and power and integrity to do what NASA does better than anyone else and it’ not even close.

“We have created the envy of the world and will soon be landing on Mars. The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. But as has often been stated, you can’t be number one on earth, if you are number two in space.

“In the years ahead, America will go bigger, bolder, further, faster, and America will go first.  American will always be first.

“Exploration is a test of our values and of our faith.  America is a nation defined by its commitment to discovery, to solve mysteries, to chart the unknown, to press the limits, to achieve the fullest expression of life’s potential and to ensure that America is a nation that always leads the way and especially in space.

PONDER THIS – In the world of David Brooks, his dream president – Barack Obama – would have made a statement on Minneapolis dripping with literary, spiritual, and historical significance.  A unifying speech.

Instead, he went back to his community organizer roots and the church of  the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to again play the black victim card, saying, “We have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ – whether its while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in the park.”

Yes, just watching birds in the park.

AND FINALLY, this advice for the future, post Covid-19, from Brooks, the intellectual arbiter:

“Right now, science and the humanities should be in lock step: science producing vaccines, with the humanities stocking leaders and citizens with the capacities or resilience, care and collaboration until they come.  But, but instead, the humanities are in crisis at the exact moment history is revealing how vital moral formation really is.”

Your understand that don’t you?  Now you know David Brooks, and you can chalk him up as irrelevant, someone not in your orbit.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.