The crazies are now in charge of Trump
And he of them
Friends,
What worries me most about Trump’s dinner last week at Mar-a-Lago with Nick Fuentes, the outspoken antisemite and racist who is one of America’s most prominent young white supremacists, and Kanye West, whose recent antisemitic outbursts have rocked the entertainment world, isn’t just that a former (and possibly future) president would dine with such avowed bigots.
I don’t think Trump is seeking to legitimate antisemitism or racism. The only “ism” Trump believes in is narcissism. Fuentes and West apparently showered him with enough compliments to get an invitation from him.
What worries me is how they got that invitation.
A former president, or anyone even vaguely thinking about running for president, has a staff that’s supposed to warn against dining with people who much of the public view as reprehensible.
That Trump doesn’t have anyone around him to sound that alarm – or at least anyone he’ll listen to – is a serious problem. It’s not just a problem for his own ambitions and legacy; it’s a problem for the nation.
Let me explain.
During the last months of his presidency, the more level-headed of Trump’s staff were known in the White House as “team normal,” by contrast with “team crazy” that presumably helped him plan and execute his attempted coup.
But the only way Fuentes and West would have got an invite to Mar-a-Lago is if the normals had all left. I’m reasonably sure they’re gone. Why would any of them stick around? Why would we expect Trump to keep them around?
So there’s only one explanation for the dinner. Trump has surrounded himself with crazies.
Which makes me think that his run for the presidency this time will be utterly out of control — beyond the hate-filled, bullying, divisive, traitorous, vindictive, and deceitful Trump we have already endured.
It could be so shameful, so despicable, so reprehensible that it will cause all but his most loyal followers to desert him.
Those totally loyal followers probably constitute no more than 30 percent of the American public.
Which would be fine if our democracy holds, as it did in the midterms. DeSantis or whomever else Republicans put up would be nominated. Biden or whomever the Democrats nominate would probably be victorious.
But what happens if that 30 percent act crazy, too? What if they believe the overt racism, antisemitism, and Q’anon conspiracy rubbish that a Trump without guardrails tries to sell them?
What if Special Prosecutor Jack Smith chooses to indict Trump, and as a result, Trump gets some of his crazies to take up arms — resulting in an even bigger and more dangerous version of January 6, thundering across America before the 2024 election?
Trump won’t care. He no longer has any illusions about winning the presidency legitimately. In fact, he’ll welcome the chaos, just as he did January 6.
That’s my real worry: A presidential candidate who would welcome Nick Fuentes and Kanye West to dinner at his home is a candidate without sound advice, a candidate who has no one around him to tell him no, or he’s a candidate who doesn’t give a damn.
Whatever the reason, that presidential candidate is untethered. He is surrounded by people as crazy as he is. Which means he’s even more dangerous.
Once again, I think we are paying far too much attention to Donald Trump and not enough to the Republican Party as well as that portion of Americans who find both appealing. Donald Trump was, and is, patently unfit to be president of the United States. He is also a criminal who needs to answer for his crimes. But the real culprit isn’t Trump its the Republican Party. Donald Trump may be the tumor, but the cancer is the GOP as well as the frighteningly sizable portion of Americans who support what both stand for. Further, no one who associates with that man, or who subscribes to what the Republican Party stands for can be considered “normal”. Not at least if one values democratic governance, inclusion, and a dedication to solving America’s problems in ways the benefit the greatest number. Can we truly say anyone who works for any despot is acceptable? After all, we routinely condemn those surrounding Viktor Orban or Vladimir Putin. Is someone like William Barr any different? Each of these brigands who first enabled Trump’s worst excesses then called Trump out for doing what he did, have made it clear they’ll vote for him if he runs again. Is that really normal? I fear that because of Trump’s ability to attract attention we are once more taking our eye off the ball and are going to be worse off for having done so.
The entire GOP is dangerous. DeSantis is dangerous because he’s smarter than the former occupant of the People’s House. At the same time, I am grateful that more and more ReThugs are distancing themselves from TFG.
I shudder to think of what January will bring with the new Congress.
I am so grateful that Biden is at the helm and that we control the Senate… it could be so much worse.
Segue… We are fighting our own war in this country against guns and mass shooters who have only to walk into a store and purchase a pistol without any background checks or waiting periods. I wish to God Congress would finally enact stricter legislation. ~rant just beginning~
💙🌻💙