It’s no secret that Donald Trump lives for nothing but reelection. While that may seem to be a no-brainer, bear in mind that Trump needs to be reelected not only for all the standard reasons, money, reputation, ego, continuing his agenda; Trump needs to be reelected to stay out of prison. British Journalist Edward Luce was on Morning Joe Thursday morning and he said Trump’s “back is very much to the wall.”
“He has no idea how to speak to the protests, he has no idea how to unify the nation, he has no idea how to handle the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, he has no idea how to handle this pandemic.”
Luce explains Trump’s ineptitude in handling this lethal confluence of factors by framing it in a manner with which you are quite familiar — to Trump this is all a television show. Financial Times:
What is the point of all this? The key is to view these images through the lens of reality television.
Mr Trump wants Americans to believe that the White House is threatened by domestic terrorists, arsonists, thugs, looters and killers — words he has used frequently in the past few days. US stability is under threat, he claims. The president’s life, and those of decent law-abiding Americans, are threatened by the extremists on the streets. That is the gist of Mr Trump’s message. But it requires a visual backdrop. Hence the hyped-up situation in Washington. A more sober assessment is that Mr Trump’s poll numbers are dropping. He is faced with the triple cocktail of a badly-managed pandemic, the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression and an inability to quell the legitimate anger behind America’s demonstrations.
The article goes on to say that Trump has no political instincts, only optical ones. What we are to draw from this moment in time is that from now on and for the next five months, Trump will stop at nothing to simulate reality in such a manner that he can stoke fear and raise tensions to the boiling point, so that he can then appear to come in and solve the situation. This is a standard Trump M.O. the manufactured crisis. The sublime irony here is that we have real crises, which are tanking us right now, and which Trump is unable to comprehend, let alone solve. To him it’s all play acting and manipulation, with our nation’s capitol as the stage and with real people suffering and dying.
The Trump administration itself is dying. Luce went on to point out that “Trump’s polls are cratering” and he said, “I’ve lived in many democracies, including America. I know a dying administration when I see one.” Meanwhile, as we speak, troops on buses drive into D.C. so that the day’s reality TV shoot can start. Let the games begin. This is all political theater to Trump right now, in a desperate gambit to stay out of court and avoid the inevitable. And he cares not a jot what the cost is to America, of that you may be certain.
Himself has had multiple fences put up around the WH, so there’s at least a block between it and any protesters, plus fences and barricades…and armed guards from someplace, possibly the BoP. Himself’s luxury prison cell….
Hey, may as well practice for the real thing, right?
He recognizes that he belongs behind bars.
Maybe it’s karmic retribution. He builds walls, puts up fences and soon he’ll be imprisoned.
Yeah, pal, I think most of us already figured that much out, thanks. Excuse the irritation, Ursula, but nothing this guy said is new or even news. The only difference I can tell? Trump’s own ineptitude has made it obvious to everyone at the worst possible time for him. Recall what that meme had to say about holing up in bunkers.
Unless I miss my guess, the noteworthy aspect here is that this is a British journalist. I agree, we’ve all reached this conclusion in this country. You know how many times I’ve called him the reality TV president.*
The White House and the country are indeed threatened by domestic terrorists, arsonists, thugs, looters, liars and killers. They are trump, his family, administration, his base and the Republican Party.
We need to vote as many of them out as possible in November and charge, jail, investigate and try trump, Barr, Miller, McConell and Munichin at the bare minimum. It’s not about revenge. Justice demands accountable.
To paraphrase from the latest version of The Magnificent Seven, we should all seek righteousness. But at this point, I’ll take revenge…in whatever form we can get it.
When the Russians were shelling Berlin with a million plus fired. Hitler was in HIS bunker while the old, infirmed, & youth as young as 10 were sacrificing themselves in a lost cause.Trump would have no issue with that. His malignant narcissism tells him that HE is the world, so let it burn…too bad he doesn’t play the fiddle.
I don’t know how many others think this way, but to me all these actions just make him look chicken-s**t. I am hoping most of America views it that way, as well.
I agree with you. He looks weak, feckless and old. He blusters and threatens because all of his other mad dog gears are stuck or toothless.
I think we should avoid hyperbole. Three or four percentage points do not create a crater. He’s bounced back from that before. The slide would have to be much deeper to afford any certainty. In fact, with slippery Trump, I’ll have to see it to believe it.
He was down 11 points to Biden last I knew, and in some demographics as much as 19 points. Double digits are big deals. Although I agree with you, no matter what the polls say, we need to get out the vote like we were fifteen points behind.
By all means, run up the scoreboard as high as we can. But also recognize and accept good signs when we see them to encourage us.
I agree. His approval rating is not cratering. At this point in his presidency, Bush’s approval rating was 28%. https://news.gallup.com/poll/106426/bush-job-approval-28-lowest-administration.aspx
Bad comparison…W had a unified Republican party and a weak, tone-deaf opponent in John Kerry.
I am not understanding your point. Bush’s approval rating was 28%. Clearly, the GOP was not unified in supporting Bush. Trump is far worse than Bush, so it is astounding that his approval rating not only never changes much but also is at about 42% right now. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/ That is much higher than I would expect. It seems to me that for some odd reason, Trump has a much more unified Republican party.
I am not sure how Kerry is relevant here.
The final 2004 vote count doesn’t support the bulk of that post vis-a-vis W. And Trump’s GOP only looks more unified because the sane people have long fled unless they’re grifters. And Biden has proven a much cannier candidate than Kerry thus far, hence the comparison.
I posted a link. My point is that seven months before the 2008 election,Bush’s approval rating was 28%. What does 2004 have to do with it? Some of the GOP might have fled, but Trump still has a 42% approval rating, so most are still with him.
He “knows a dying administration …” May I introduce him to Mr. Electoral College?
I imagine him declaring martial law due to the “terrorists” carrying cardboard signs threatening his militarized brownshirts. He will be saving the country for his racist rich & deluded poor folk. What will we be willing to do? There is no surprise with orangebob shitpants. Just ask yourself “what would Hitler do”? I’m hoping we can sell the WWHD bracelets at the GOP demonic ceremony. Along with the MAGA hats & Trump brand spray on hair, tan, & for the men, frumpy’s guide to love using duct tape & zip ties. One hell of a party.