Sadly, this "practice" of "see/hear/speak no evil" did not originate under our present, fascist, Pretender in Chief; he has merely "kicked it up several notches" and exacerbated (INTENTIONALLY) a bad situation to a dire and dangerous one.
This "appeasement" meme began back under Klintoon and (sadly) was advanced under Boosh.
If one digs deeply enough (though there is plentiful, "documented" evidence) one can point the finger at one particular individual who was most responsible for helping change the narrative and provide "entre" and "access" by radical Islamists (posing as "moderates") to the White House as well as EVERY other major Gov't Agency, to include the DOJ, DOD, DHS, etc.....
And that person is none other than the phony, pretend, "Conservative/Republican," (and bottom-feeding, scumbag, TRAITOR) Grover Norquist.
WHY he is still recognized (and admired no less) by the Republi-Tard Establishment is beyond me?
IIRC, he's head of Americans for Tax Reform and is on the National Rifle Association's board of directors.