Donald John Trump has been on this planet since June 14th, 1946. During his 77 years here Mr. Trump has done whatever he has wanted whenever he wanted with very few consequences. Oh he has lost financial judgements on occasion, but they've never been stiff enough to slow him down. Litigations and lawyers come and go, but Don Trump just keeps merrily rolling along.
Decades of legal success and impunity, abetted by brigades of toadies who affirm his every decision, has convinced him that that he, Donald Trump can do no wrong. He can, "grab 'em by the pussy." He can alter the paths of hurricanes with a map and sharpie. He can go home with secret documents that include the nuclear capabilities and weaknesses of the United States, its friends and enemies. He can even show off proposed options for American strategy in the event of a war with Iran.
All of it, not because he was president, but he is Donald Trump and what he says is his, by God, is his. Hey, what do you expect from a man who years ago told a reporter he never asks the Good Lord for forgiveness.
Monday night the former president went on Fox News to do an interview with correspondent, Bret Baier. Unlike the fools at CNN Baier came prepared and to what had to be Trump's surprise he isn't a Sean Hannity style sycophant. In addition the people at Fox refused to let Trump play to a studio full of adoring fans, depriving his ego of the nourishment it constantly craves. The setting was stark and simple. Him, Baier, and the unflinching eye of the camera.
What happened next led more than one TV wag to wonder aloud how many Trump staffers and lawyers jumped out of windows during the broadcast. Yes, it was that bad.
When asked why he kept the boxes of documents Trump began to babble. He went from, they are mine, to they are part of the presidential records act, to they weren't classified, they were newspaper and magazine clippings, to the government never asked for them nicely, to he hadn't had time to look through all of them, to they were mixed in with golf shirts, pants, and shoes and he didn't want the National Archives to get his personal items.
It was a performance so unhinged, Fox contributor, Brit Hume remarked afterward that the former president's answer, "verged on being incoherent.'
Hume was being too kind. Most came away believing Donald Trump, in his own grammatically warped way, had just confessed to committing a federal crime. Even those who didn't see it that way had to acknowledge they had just witnessed a man completely out of rational excuses. Indeed, it appears the next stop for Big Don is the, "I thought the dog ate them," defense.
There was more. When Baier asked him about how he would regain the confidence and votes of suburban women--a demographic which heavily contributed to his 2020 loss--Mr. Trump denied he had lost the election. He ranted about magical tapes which show hard evidence of election misdeeds committed by those who hate him. He completely ignored those suburban women he needs so desperately. It was a display of delusion so profound one has to wonder what sort of terrible drugs he was on.
Reports now say after the interview Donald Trump came away thinking he had nailed it. Those who saw him say he believed his answers were a display of strength and competence which proved his innocence and value as president.
Not exactly. What was actually proven Monday is Mr. Trump isn't an unstoppable messianic leader, or even some Lex Luthor evil genius type. Instead, he looked to be a stammering old uncle with dementia. One who showed up for a family reunion stark naked, convinced no one could see him.
6-21-23
It disturbs me that all world leaders I know of are close to my age, give or take a few years younger or older. Where is the next generation and why are they not shouting loudly to the rooftops to get involved at a high level? That alone would go a long way in resolving the Trump phenomena.
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