Apparently, a few pro-Trump readers aren't exactly thrilled with me. (Okay, maybe more than a few.) I received a rather unpleasant example last Friday from an “acquaintance” who shall remain nameless.
He and I have a close mutual friend who's moving back here next month. Though he's never been friendly to me, I said a quick hello and mentioned I'd recently talked to our friend. When he asked sarcastically, “Did you discuss Trump?” things went south. “With what you've written, you should be in jail with Hillary and Barack 'Hussein' Obama,” he fumed. Good Lord.
I tried to diplomatically extricate myself but he wasn't having it. The softer I spoke the louder he got. Passersby were starting to look over. I found myself wondering if Andy Rooney ever went through this.
Admittedly, I find Trump's presidency thoroughly depressing for a variety of reasons, including his white supremacist following for whom he's seemingly legitimized hate. As it happens, Monday marks the 100th birthday of JFK who stood not for hate but for hope. Maybe Darwin was wrong.
I find Trump a classless, ignorant, narcissistic bully. (I know, but how do I really feel?) At only 127 days, his presidency is mired in one serious scandal after another. It's not only depressing, it's exhausting. Ironically, on the campaign trail, Trump guaranteed voters that, as president, he'd provide “so much winning,” that we'd be exhausted. Frankly, I see zero “winning.”
Now let me switch to Mike Flynn whom I actually think might wind up in jail. Flynn spent a grand total of 24 days as National Security Adviser, a record unlikely to ever be broken. In March, Flynn first asked for immunity in exchange for his testimony, saying he “has a story to tell.” I bet he does.
Last summer, at the Republican National Convention, Flynn. in referring to Hillary Clinton, led the crowd in the chant “lock her up.” He shouted rather prophetically, “If I did one-tenth of what Hillary did, I'd be in jail today.” How about lock HIM up?
Flynn also asked self-righteously, “Why would anyone plead the 5th if they weren't guilty.” Trump echoed the sentiment, “The mob is who takes the 5th.” But only a few days ago, sources close to Flynn revealed he's going to ignore a subpoena ordering him to turn over documents to the House Intelligence Committee as part of their Russia investigation. Instead, he will invoke...you guessed it, his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. Some are predicting that Flynn may ultimately “earn” himself a Contempt of Congress charge and be arrested. Stay tuned.
It seems everybody warned Trump about Flynn, even Chris Christie. “If I were president he wouldn't get near the White House.” Obama cautioned the president-elect and, in late January, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who has had an illustrious 28-year legal career, warned Trump. She noted that Flynn hadn't been truthful about his contacts with Russia related to sanctions and that he was vulnerable to blackmail by Russian intelligence.
Rather than fire Flynn, Trump fired Yates. In fact, it took Trump 18 days to ask for Flynn's resignation. Bitter, Trump incoherently blamed it on the media, suggesting to some Flynn might still be in office were it not for a newspaper revelation
In Watergate, Deep Throat told Woodward and Bernstein to “follow the money.” It may be equally true here. I'm convinced Trump is so “dirty” with Russian money and connections, as he might say, “It'd make your head spin.” He's never acknowledged Russians hacked the DNC, saying, “For all we know, it's a 400-pound guy in his mother's basement.”
When Trump isn't busy giving away highly sensitive classified information to the
Russians and in the Oval Office no less, he's revealing to Kim Jung-Un where our submarines are located. In fact, Trump did it again just the other day divulging the info to the autocratic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who in September, 2016, called Obama “the son of a whore.” (Trump loves him some dictators.)
A recent nationwide poll indicated only 31% of the country thinks Trump is “level-headed.” Frankly, I'm shocked it's so high. In December, 2016, when Trump infamously said, “I could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and I wouldn't lose any voters” he revealed to many observers that he thinks he never has to pay a price. That said, I genuinely fear we will.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, on the eve of a special election in Montana, Greg Gianforte, a pro-Trump GOP Congressional candidate, body-slammed a reporter sending him to the hospital. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office cited Gianforte for assault giving him until June 7 to appear in court. (What a fine Congressman he will make.)
Trump supporter violence in mind, this week at Starbucks, I might quietly tip-toe in and out as I get my copies of the Daily Press.
When he's not busy dodging Trumpsters, Jack can be reached at jackneworth@yahoo.com.
