With Christmas approaching, unfortunately, old lies dominate the national news. Mexico is never going to pay for the wall. There was never a Trump tax audit. And the Trump Tower meeting with the Russians wasn't about adoption as the bogus letter Trump dictated would have had us believe.
On Air Force I, Trump said he didn't know about the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. After listening to Michael Cohen's secretly recorded tape of Trump the world knows that was a big fat lie. (Told by a big, fat...never mind.)
We also now know that, while campaigning for the presidency, Trump lied about not pursuing a Trump Tower in Moscow. This explains his eagerness to end Russian sanctions and his pathetic subservience to a dictator who murders political enemies and journalists.
Actually, there were at least 14 contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. So many Russians attended the Inaugural, I'm surprised vendors weren't selling ear-flap, fur MAGA hats. Four months later, the Russian Ambassador and Foreign Minister laughed it up with Trump in the Oval Office. At Putin's insistence, no American journalists were allowed. (In our White House!)
In that meeting Trump reportedly divulged a classified secret about an Islamic State operation. Yesterday, accused Russian agent Maria Butina pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy against the U.S. throwing shade on the NRA and the Republicans she hung out with. (Given the holiday season and that Trump believes Putin over our intelligence like at Helsinki, I almost titled this “Treasonous Greetings.”)
Trump (or “Individual-1,” as he's described in the SDNY sentencing memo) denies connection to Russia so constantly I nearly titled this, “The Boy Who Cries No Collusion.” After the damning memo, Trump tweeted falsely and I might add hilariously, “Totally clears the President. Thank you!” #Delusional.
Meanwhile, is it too much to expect a POTUS to have a middle-schooler's command of English grammar and spelling? He also just makes up words. Trump once wrote “unpresidented,” when he meant “unprecedented.” (Then again, if any presidency was “unpresidented” it would be his.)
Mark Twain observed, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” I add my admittedly more colloquial, “There's a difference between 'feeling your nuts' and 'feeling you're nuts.'”
The title I did use this week is in reference to a Trump tweet in which he wrote three times, “There's no smocking (sic) gun.” (This caused some to ask what is he “smocking?”)
The fact is, Trump doesn't read. And this includes Presidential Daily Briefings in which our national security is at stake. Either he has trouble reading (some experts claim he's a functional illiterate) or is simply too lazy.
On Tuesday, Trump invited Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to the Oval Office to discuss the imminent government shutdown. With the cameras rolling, “Individual-1” made a complete fool of himself and was totally out-negotiated by Nancy and Chuck.
Nancy calmly said to Trump's face, “You don't know what you're talking about.” Later, she referred to the possible “Trump shutdown.” Trump didn't object, probably because he likes anything with his name on it. (Personally, I'd like to see a federal indictment with his name on it.)
By far the strangest person at the meeting was VP Mike Pence who sat so silently he looked like something from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. At best his blank expression could only be described as “Pencive.” (Sorry about that.)
At the end of the meeting Trump bragged, “I'd be proud to call a government shutdown and I'd own it!” (Afterwards, however, he reportedly had a temper tantrum that included angrily throwing papers around like a 6-year-old.)
On Wednesday, Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and “fixer” for over 10 years was sentenced to 3 years in prison, despite his implicating Trump as having directed some of his crimes. (There's beginning to be more felons in Trump's orbit than in a Sopranos episode.”)
Only months ago, Rudy Giuliani, referred to Cohen as “honest and honorable.” Now Rudy says he's a “pathological liar.” Trump's called Cohen, “Weak, incompetent and a rat.” When a reporter asked, “If Cohen's so bad, why did he work for you for 12 years?” Trump's inexplicable answer was, “Because a long time ago he did me a favor.” What favor?! Inquiring minds want to know.
Speaking of the National Enquirer, in return for immunity, publisher America Media Inc. admitted protecting Trump's campaign by illegally paying hush money to and killing the story of former Playboy bunny Karen McDougal. She still alleges having a long-term affair with Trump that began shockingly soon after Melania gave birth to Baron. #Shameless.
Former George W. Bush ethics attorney, Richard Painter, has harsh advice for Trump. “Resign, plead guilty to lower charges and let's move on as a country.” Now that would truly be a merry Christmas.
Jack is at: facebook.com/jackneworth, twitter.com/jackneworth and jackdailypress@aol.com
