For all his bravado there are moments, usually in the middle of the night when Trump knows he’s at heart a weak coward. I’ve always thought that thought emerges in what’s left of his rotting brain housing group and causes him to lash out the way he does. Terror that other’s will realized how weak and stupid he is and worse, call his bluff. If you think about it more people, countries and entities have been doing so and kicking Trump’s butt. It makes sense that word would get out he’s terrified of an impending downfall at some point, where the semi-secret becomes well known.
The fact is, Trump came out of the gate in his second term trying to bully any and everyone from people, journalists (and their outlets) businesses, educational institutions, law firms and even countries. Some (not enough) stood up to him from the start and beat his ass. Others, too many capitulated. However according to Alternet Trump’s ‘revenge tour’ is faltering and he’s startling to realize it:
President Donald Trump’s latest flailing efforts at “revenge” are becoming increasingly desperate and self-defeating for two reasons: his enemies have learned to fight back, and he knows his own downfall is near. This is according to Miles Taylor, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff in Homeland Security during Trump’s first term and famously leaked White House secrets, who on Friday explained why the president is “genuinely terrified” as his power diminishes and the prospect of consequences looms.
It’s that part about enemies fighting back that got my attention. Trump keeps losing, or not winning which in some matters (the Iran war for example) is the same thing. SCOTUS has sometimes continued to cave (well the six Federalist Society Groomed Justices at least) but the rest of the judiciary is increasingly fed up with Trump and his taxpayer funded law firm still known as the Department of Justice. Others have stood up to Trump too including in the news business even with Trump having gotten a couple of pals to buy legacy media outlets (the Washington Post and CBS) to turn them into Fox-Lite. Businesses and even some GOP politicians are starting to say no, the recent opposition to Data Centers (even Texas Gov. Abbott is now calling for a pause!) indicate.
Then there are entire countries, Iran and now Canada telling Trump to go ‘get stuffed.’ Yes, Trump is flailing and I’m truly starting to believe is in fact terrified that everyone else (especially other countries) will learn that the old strategy of appeasement didn’t work for them any better than the attempts at appeasement worked with Hitler. Once a critical mass of people/countries decided it was time to stand up to Nazi Germany Hitler’s inglorious end was inevitable. Trump knows little history but he probably still remembers THAT.
People often bring up what so often happens to schoolyard bullies when someone finally hauls off and punches them in the nose. That’s usually the end of their bullying. Trump, who we know often fancies himself as a mob boss likely thinks of how things work in that world. When a ‘Don’ loses respect it’s not just other mob families he has to worry about but people within his own organization. Part of Trump has always known this which is why he became known decades ago for pitting subordinates against each other. If they were engaged in infighting with each other they wouldn’t be after HIM. However the word might be out that the best way to deal with Trump is to tell him no. And not be polite about it either. And, worst of all do it PUBLICLY like Iran and now Canada are doing and with startling (for Trump and his fans) results:
“This week, it became clearer than ever that Trump’s victims are no longer coming to the negotiating table. They’re flipping the table over,” writes Taylor, asserting that, “Nothing on earth scares Donald Trump like an opponent who fights back… Something remarkable tends to happen the moment a target stands their ground. Trump starts to come apart. He overcorrects. He crashes the clown car into the median. And when it’s all said and done, he defeats himself.”
The linked article is worth your time to read because it cites examples from individuals to countries that have fought back and bloodied Trump’s nose. Even his MAGAs can see their ‘hero’ has been getting his butt handed to him by Iran. And now freaking Canada is not only fighting back but making fun of him. It remains to be seen how much this will impact their willingness to vote like he orders them to in the midterms but he has to be worried. Once fanboy podcasters his MAGAs (mostly white guys) trash him on an increasing number of things the more Trump worries.
Sure, he’s got Natalie Harp handing him bogus articles that fawn over him and whispering (literal) sweet nothings in his ear but even she is becoming the butt of jokes. I wrote earlier this week about how Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingle responded to Trump’s ham-handed attempt to rename Lake Ontario by saying he should name it “Lake Natalie” so he’d at least care about it/the Great Lakes enough to take care of them! Add in that a lot of White House staffers have the knives out for Harp now, and the number who are bailing while they think they still have a chance to distance themselves from the impending implosion of Trump and hell yes it’s likely he’s terrified:
Previously, Trump was emboldened as his early-term targets capitulated to him one after another. “No longer. The targets have enrolled in ‘revenge studies,’” writes Taylor. “And now that they’ve figured him out, Trump is genuinely terrified.” Taylor asserts that there is clear evidence of this, noting a story that emerged this week.
One last thing the linked article talks about. Like others my initial reaction to the secret meeting Jared Kushner had with Leader Hakeem Jeffries was a mix of outrage and ‘WTF is Jeffries thinking?’ After reading the article I’m now thinking I should have given Jeffries more credit. Kushner reaching out is yet another measure of Trump’s desperation, AND a tacit acknowledgement that the House will be controlled by Democrats after the midterms. In other words Kushner was sent to try and make nice with Jeffries to tamp down or at least delay the investigations that will be coming.
I say perhaps we should withhold criticism of Jeffries is that he recognized this. He saw it as an attempt to take TRUMP’s measure. Just how desperate is he? Jared might think he’s ‘all that’ in the world of DC politics but compared to Jeffries he’s a rank amateur. I suspect Kushner, like any amateur sleuth doesn’t know the basic fact that more often than not the questions you ask tell the person you’re asking much more about you than any response you get from them. Could it be that with so much to do/investigate Kushner has just given Jeffries the means to prioritize how to cripple what’s will be left of Trump’s Presidency within months? We’ll see.
For now I think the premise of the linked article is spot-on. Trump IS terrified that with each passing week (maybe before long day) some other country or huge entity will proverbially punch him in the nose or kick him in the nuts.
He’s got to be concerned about more than his political end. I think he has to be facing his own mortality. It’s quite obvious that his physical condition is much worse than officially acknowledged. There’s a guy on the Lincoln Project who’s an EMT with a doctorate in his field. He breaks down the details of what he can observe. On some level, chump must be aware of this.
Kushner needs to be investigated along with Trump. They are all rotten to the core. Sleezy fish oil salesman. The United States just let’s ANYONE be POTUS.
His approval rating is going to end up lower than his cheating golf handicap! How handicapped can that be: let’s wait and see – could go lower than a snakes bellybutton!