Trump’s habitual resort to fiction is in overdrive as the midterms approach. His stump speeches are a virtual black mass with their litany of alleged conspiracies and corruption by his demonic enemies — evil, dishonest, disgusting, horrible Democrats.
It can hardly come as a surprise that some gullible loon has chosen to act to please Trump by sending explosive devices in the mail to the targets of his rhetorical attacks — the Obamas and Clintons, Joe Biden, Maxine Waters, Eric Holder, George Soros, John Brennan, and counting.
Was Henry II surprised when he said,”Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest,” and four knights rode off to murder Thomas Becket?
The real question is why Trump finds it necessary to lie constantly, other than, as in the old parable of the Scorpion and the Frog, because it is in his nature. And the answer is that all his life lies have gotten him what he wants —money, power, respect, applause, votes.
Thanks to reporting by the New York Times, we now know in some detail that he learned at his father’s knee to profit from falsehoods. Their real estate empire was based on illegal discrimination, deals with unsavory characters, and tax evasion that permitted the transfer of almost half a billion dollars to Fred Trump’s heirs while dodging a 55% estate tax bill.
The truth would have landed Trump in legal trouble and made him look like a spoiled rich boy. Claiming to be a self-made billionaire was a useful fiction. He has exploited this false origin story for decades and denied the reality. Without his father around, Trump’s record is one of bankruptcies, business failures, cons and incompetence.
Similarly his political career has been based on lies, beginning wth birtherism, and boasts that he could work wonders if elected. But, in fact, he has failed to master the federal government or to create any new initiatives or innovations, unless you count the imaginary Space Force. He has concentrated on tearing down the work of others rather than building anything new.
His appeal has been to a disappointed and passed-by base of voters for whom the present has been unrewarding. He has promised them a return to an imaginary “good, old days” in which blue collar jobs paid well, foreign competition was not a problem, segregation and isolationism kept white men at the top of the pecking order, and women and minorities knew their place.
Lacking any real plan to deal with post-modern reality, he denies it. He is less a president than a rap artist or con artist, on tour spinning tales of grievance and revenge. He scares his credulous fans with bogeymen, thrills them with phony bravado about standing up to “enemies,” and tittilates them with dreams of wealth, power and victory.
So, beware an invasion by a caravan of Middle East terrorists and Hispanic drug gangs funded by Nazi collaborator George Soros.. Beware horrible, disgusting people like the fake news media and left wing liberals who want to take away your guns and your healthcare, raise your taxes and rig elections. Don’t trust Robert Mueller, a corrupt, dishonest man on a witch hunt who has conflicts of interest. Trust Trump.
Trump will protect you from the failing New York Times, the Jeff Bezos Washington Post and CNN. Putin and the Saudis didn’t meddle in his election or kill journalists, but they do spend a lot of at his hotels and buy stuff from the United States. He’ll give you a ten percent tax cut. He’ll make tremendous trade deals. He’s a billionaire. He knows best. Soon you’ll be tired of winning. Trump is your Reality TV friend. He’s not going to let angry, left-wing mobs take away your jobs.
Why does he lie? Because truth has never gotten him what he wants. So far, lying has worked just fine. Why stop?