The Difference Between Obama and Trump, In Their Own Words

Sometimes, the difference between two men is found on two sheets of paper. President Trump was in Israel Tuesday and paid a visit to Yad Vashem, the Jewish state's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and those—both Jewish and Gentile—who fought to stop the Nazi atrocities. It is customary for heads of state, particularly a close ally like the United States, to leave a note commemorating not just their visit, but the gravity of the place and the events to which it was constructed to bear permanent witness.

Here is the note President Trump left today, next to the one President Obama left when he visited in July of 2008:

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"It is a great honor to be here with all of my friends — so amazing and will never forget!" Trump wrote.

And Obama?

I am grateful to Yad Vashem and all of those responsible for this remarkable institution. At a time of great peril and promise, war and strife, we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of man's potential for great evil, but also our capacity to rise up from tragedy and remake our world. Let our children come here, and know this history, so that they can add their voices to proclaim 'never again.' And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims, but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us, and who have become symbols of the human spirit.

We are now led by a man who is fundamentally incurious about the world and dismissive of things that do not involve him personally. Perhaps he could have left some poignant words about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is Orthodox Jewish and whose own grandparents are Holocaust survivors. It did not save him from all his mistakes, but Obama at least had a hunger to learn from the lessons of history.

Want another example? Here's President George W. Bush's note from January 11, 2008:

It does little to place the gravity of Yad Vashem in context, but at least it wasn't about himself. The AP also reported Bush toured the museum with tears in his eyes, an indication that he at least understood on an emotional level, if not a world-historic one.

Can we say either about the current President of the United States?