THERE IS NO AMERICA -- THERE IS ONLY THE TRIBE

Inevitable?

EXCLUSIVE on the new #LauraIngrahamPodcast — the Covington Catholic students threatened by the leftist internet mob will be meeting with @realDonaldTrump at the White House as early as tomorrow. @iTunes @PodcastOne

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 22, 2019

I don't know if this is true (I haven't seen it verified by the White House or others in the media). If it is, I'm not surprised -- but I question the strategy.

This became a much bigger story than I expected over the weekend -- but I suspect it's not as meaningful to the general population as it is to partisans and the press. It was a partisan story first because it seemed a clear-cut case of MAGA racism and mob rule (as it still does to a lot of people on the left). Then it became a partisan grievance story on the right when additional information provided more context. (To the right, the additional video footage completely exonerated the kids; much of the left is not at all ready to concede that.) And this is a media story, perhaps the mainstream media's favorite kind -- one in which journalists get to beat themselves up for liberal bias (even though a number of #NeverTrump Republicans, not to mention the administration of the kids' school, had harsh words for them at first).

But does most of America care? If Trump really is applauding them as consensus heroes of America, I think he's jumping to conclusions.

The Trump White House doesn't see America -- it sees its own tribe, and concludes that everyone in America is either part of the tribe or part of some brainwashed remainder. So if the kids get a White House audience, it's Trump attempting to do what he did when he embracing the cause of Brett Kavanaugh, while doing nothing to acknowledge the national wounds Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings worsened.

But my hunch is that, to most Americans, this story isn't a big deal at all. Trump is trying to own the libs and please his base, but I suspect the rest of America isn't interested.

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UPDATE: Fox19 in Cincinnati now says:

Ingraham first reported they could meet with Trump as early as Wednesday, but later stated any meeting would happen after the government shutdown.

So Trump isn't pouncing on this -- either that or the routine security clearances for the kids can't be finalized quickly.

It seems possible this will never happen.