The zealous anti-Trumpers of the left seem to me to be badly misreading the present moment. A whistleblower reveals a corrupt attempt to trade aid to Ukraine for dirt on the Bidens. Emboldened, more whistleblowers come out of the woodwork.
Trump says he did it, then says he didn’t do it — “no quid pro quo.” He stonewalls any impeachment investigation except, as at the border, people keep finding a way around the wall and begin testifying anyway.
in the middle of all this, Trump throws the Kurds to the wolves, pleasing tyrants in Moscow, Ankara, Tehran, and Damascus, and calls it a victory. And as a poison cherry atop this toxic sundae, over-acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney comes out and says, of course Trump was willing to trade aid for political dirt. Get over it. This ain’t beanbag.
Some thought Mulvaney’s admission was a confession, and that he was trying to save himself by throwing Trump under the bus, but I think that is entirely wrong. I think he was simply channelling his boss. Some say this entire chain of events proves that Trump is unhinged, that the wheels are coming off the bus, that a cornered rat of a president is having a meltdown.
In fact, I think we are just witnessing the latest episodes of the ever-more flamboyant reality program Hail to the Cheat or Life with Donald: The Apprentice President. Trump seeks to make sensational news, wow the crowd, keep the spotlight on himself every minute of every day. He’s convinced that his people love to see him lie, cheat, and steal. He’s a lovable rogue.
They like it when he does the opposite of what all the smart alecks with fancy degrees and credentials recommend. They cheer when he cozies up to thugs and bullies and mocks and smears idealists and honest citizens who believe in nonsense like the rule of law and constitutional norms. This is a very American scenario. The loudmouth drunk at the end of the bar, with an opinion on everything and the facts about nothing, is suddenly made king.
Trump makes his own rules, mocks the saps and lives by a few simple, unarticulated precepts. But if he ever read anything, these would be his touchstones.
“I refused to be a fool, dancing on the string held by all those big shots.” Vito Corleone.
“My grandfather’s last words, just before they sprung the trap, were ‘you can’t cheat an honest man, never give a sucker an even break or smarten up the chumps.’” W.C. Fields.
“The less we have, the more we are required to brag.” Steinbeck.
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me, it’s who’s going to stop me.” Ayn Rand.
“It’s not the truth that matters, but victory. If you win, you don’t have to explain.” Adolf Hitler
“Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public.” P.T. Barnum.
“What if your hinges all are rusting?
What if, in fact, you’re just disgusting?
Razzle Dazzle ‘em
And they’ll never catch wise.” Billy Flynn from “Chicago.”
“If the president does it, it’s not illegal.” Richard Nixon.
“I am the greatest!” Donald Trump
If this correctly captures the mind of the man in charge, then here’s what we can expect. If they threaten to impeach, he’ll double dare them to do it. When they call him corrupt, he’ll call them third-rate politicians. If they take him to court for accepting emoluments, he will simply boast of booking the 2020 G-7 at his Doral golf resort and invite Putin to attend. When they say he got help smearing his rival in 2016 from Putin, he’ll deny it while asking for help to smear his rivals in 2020 from China, Ukraine and Putin. If they’ve got lawyers, so what. He’s got lots of lawyers.
Not only that, his crowds are bigger. He’s smarter. He’s a winner, they’re all losers. And whether they know it or not, dirt has always been tougher than Mister Clean. Truth is overrated. And even though he ran his casinos into bankruptcy, he is still ready to double down on every bet. Are they?
Finally, he knows that TV is more powerful than law, logic, victory or defeat. It saved a wretch like him. Impeach him if you can. Get more votes than him. He’ll still win. He’ll be on Fox, Twitter, and packing them in at rallies forever.
And if they do win a round in 2020, get ready for the biggest comeback of all time — Trump 2024. That Constitution they’re all so fond of doesn’t say impeached former presidents or those who lose re-election bids can’t run again. The only entrance requirements are to be a natural-born citizen of the USA and to be 35 or older. Stay tuned, enemies of the state. The show is just getting started. Including a sequel: Ivanka 2028.