President non grata: Trump often unwelcome and unwilling to perform basic rituals of the office

The following article by Ashley Parker was posted on the Washington Post website August 28, 2018:

During an Oval Office meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, President Trump ignored reporters’ questions about Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). (The Washington Post)

Shunned at two funerals and one (royal) wedding so far, President Trump may be well on his way to becoming president non grata.

The latest snub comes in the form of the upcoming funeral for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), which, before his death, the senator made clear he did not want the sitting president to attend. That the feeling is mutual — Trump nixed issuing a statement that praised McCain as a “hero” — only underscores the myriad ways Trump has rejected the norms of his office and, increasingly, has been rejected in turn.

Less than two years into his first term, Trump has often come to occupy the role of pariah — both unwelcome and unwilling to perform the basic rituals and ceremonies of the presidency, from public displays of mourning to cultural ceremonies.

View the complete article here.