I know, I know. I keep coming back to what has been the most confounding question of the past decade: why on earth would any sane voter cast a ballot for Donald Trump? The man is personally repulsive, obviously both ignorant and mentally ill and just as obviously totally disinterested in the job of governing.
That question arises again in the context of the Epstein files.
One of the newsletters I read each morning is Robert Hubbell’s, and a couple of days ago, it included a paragraph that amplified the sheer incomprehensibility of Trump support. Hubbell wrote,
Trump’s presidency began with and was facilitated by a cover-up of a sex scandal involving Stormy Daniels. Trump won despite the Access Hollywood tapes in which Trump described his behavior in a way that can fairly be described as that of a sexual predator. Indeed, the E. Jean Carroll defamation case led to a finding by a civil jury that Trump likely engaged in sexual abuse of Carroll that matched his modus operandi described in the Access Hollywood tapes.
No other president of the US—past or future—would have or could survive a single one of the multiple sex scandals that Trump has endured.
Add to that absolutely accurate observation a discussion in the Contrarian of where Americans currently find ourselves as the result of the “performance” of this petulant toddler: the job market has crumbled; the affordability crisis is getting worse with health insurance costs set to skyrocket; the rich and Trump-connected are making out like bandits; and an increasingly decrepit president couldn’t care less about Americans. (In fact, he’s willing to maximize their pain).
Why in the world do approximately a third of our fellow Americans support this bloated excuse for a functioning human? I can only assume that his obvious hatred for the people they hate–those despised “others”–is enough to outweigh not only the daily evidence that he is personally corrupt and despicable, but the incredible harm he is doing to the country–very much including his supporters.
Rather obviously, this conundrum leads to a second question: will the slow-rolling but seemingly inexorable Epstein disclosures be enough to finally shatter the MAGA cult’s inexplicable worship? It’s speculative, but Bill Moreau–founder of the essential Indiana Citizen–recently reminded me that last Thursday was the 100-year “anniversary” of the conviction of the KKK’s D.C. Stephenson.
The 1925 trial of D.C. Stephenson, the powerful Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan, followed the abduction and assault of Madge Oberholtzer, a 28-year-old state education official. Oberholtzer’s dying statement, taken days after she was attacked, led to Stephenson’s conviction for second-degree murder on November 14, 1925. Once seen as untouchable, Stephenson’s downfall sent shockwaves through state government, revealing how deeply the Klan’s influence had reached.
That reminder brought me back to Hubbell’s observation–and the uncomfortable possibility that racist citizens will no longer desert a man who is demonstrably guilty of truly heinous behaviors. Trump has already been revealed as a felon and a predator–unless someone is immersed in MAGA’s alternate reality, they can’t help but be aware of the Access Hollywood tape, the payoff to Stormy Daniels, the 26 women who have accused him of sexual assaults, and the verdict obtained by E. Jean Carroll. (Is the fact that–at least as far as we know– he hasn’t killed and mutilated any of the complainants enough, in MAGA’s eyes, to absolve him?)
It has become abundantly clear that Trump’s disastrous presidential performance– his corruption and ignorance, his pathetic, incompetent Cabinet, his frenzied efforts to rig the upcoming midterm election, his insane rantings on Truth Social–haven’t shaken the support of his rabid base, or caused the defection of the cowardly Republicans currently “serving” in the House and Senate. Thus far, neither has the abundant and clear evidence of his sexual crimes.
Will the inevitable Epstein disclosures finally do to Trump what they did to D.C. Stephenson? I guess we’re about to find out.
As someone had previously asked the question….is this the kind of person you as a parent want your kids to grow up to be like? He has given license to every decrepit emotion within us to become the accepted. How sad for all of us.
There is a red T shirt selling now that says “I don’t care if Trump is a pedophile” and his MAGA cult members are proudly wearing it. The retail wing of the party has the pulse of MAGA.
Michele Burns…. Gag!
I wish everyone were required to watch Burns’ “American Revolution” on PBS and witness the genuine courage of the people–men and women–who built this democracy–and I hope the criminal in oval office isn’t enough to bring it down. He won’t watch, of course, but then he’s clearly never even read the Constitution, either.
Dan,
Trump didn’t gag on Bubba, apparently. 😉
As Sheila points out, if anybody had just a fraction of Trump’s negative baggage, it would end their political career. For Trump, it only enhances his appeal to the MAGA Cult.
The best explanation I can accept is that the MAGA Cult members have completely absorbed Trump into their own identity (EGO). As a result, an attack against Trump is an attack on them. They will continue rationalizing and justifying his behavior to protect their own identity as MAGA. Just imagine, these people mock “wokeness.” That means they aren’t woke or automatons with absolutely no self-awareness. None. Zip. Nada!
Off the radar, or at least out of the mainstream controlled media, Donald and Melania wrote a letter threatening the journalist and author, Michael Wolff, with a “billion-dollar lawsuit” for defamation of their character, among other things. There is a law in New York called “anti-slap,” which means you can’t go around threatening to sue people to silence them. It’s a way to restrict free speech, and the Trumps are really good at that, and our lame media has allowed them to win at these. Not Wolff! He and his lawyers immediately filed a lawsuit against them in New York. He hopes to drag them into a courtroom for discovery so he can ask them questions in front of a court reporter. 😉
That’s what CBS and ABC should have done. Drag his ass in front of the court for a deposition or discovery.
Maybe, given our times, the answer is that he had “R” next to his name of the ballot.
MAGATS don’t care about incompetence in governing, as long as Orange Jesus makes the libs uncomfortable, they will support him. They are racists and misogynists, which makes him their hero.
We must remember that the MAGA faithful heard the news of Trump’s misdeeds only sparingly and in context of how he was being treated unfairly while being fed a steady stream of other grievances to maintain their loyalty, their fealty. They live in a completely different information environment and world view. It’s not hard to understand at all.
Todd, I think this should read “That means they aren’t woke or automatons with absolutely no self-awareness. None. Zip. Nada!” as “but automatons.”
Michele, that has to be the dumbest of dumbness…gross! It’s worse than the tee shirt I saw a grandmother type wearing years ago, with an arrow pointing to he crotch, saying “Trump (or “He”)can grab me here!”
At the gym, this morning, a guy was wearing a “47” hat.
Bigotry, fear, insecurity, misogyny have to be what motivates these sad people.
How about, what we saw in ’16, and continues to thrive in small minds, was the outburst of years, decades, of pent up, suppressed, racism, bigotry, etc., finally having found “permission” to express itself.
From another perspective, the Trump business acumen is currently derailing the entire US economy and killing the job market. This is the same thing he has done repeatedly with his businesses. How many bankruptcies has he caused and then benefitted from the fallout? His supporters will have a hard time avoiding the results of his “economic policies”. But Trump and Fox will blame Biden and the Democrats, so nothing will change and MAGA will believe it.
@Michele Burns… I saw an image of a 60-ish Trump supporter with a red t-shirt emblazened with those words. Someone pointed out that it was an AI image and posted the original unredacted photo. The guy was indeed wearing a rather normal (if there is such a thing) Trump t-shirt but not with those words. We have to be careful.
Donald Trump’s decades of countless illegal dealings, frauds, destroying smaller businesses by refusing to pay for their work or paying 30 cents on the dollar, his sexual escapades, close connection to attorney Roy Cohn who was as disgusting as The Don is today, attorneys he didn’t pay along with 20 years of tax evasion didn’t stop Republicans from latching onto the one man in this nation who would legalize their racism, sexism, anti-Hispanics, antisemitism and hatred and run America with their goal being to become the only totally white nation globally.
Thank you Sheila And Todd!
Perhaps Followers are enjoying the Headlines just like they Would/Did enjoy Reality Shows; Soap Operas: Dramatic Series on Tech Sets while they go/went about their normal life activities….until the reality of actions taken a/effects/ed their “actual lived lives”.
:It has become abundantly clear that Trump’s disastrous presidential performance– his corruption and ignorance, his pathetic, incompetent Cabinet, his frenzied efforts to rig the upcoming midterm election, his insane rantings on Truth Social–haven’t shaken the support of his rabid base, or caused the defection of the cowardly Republicans currently “serving” in the House and Senate.” Is it possible, then, that “the Epstein connection” is what will lead to his downfall? Whatever it takes, I guess; but even without knowing what else Trump has done in connection with Epstein, it will pale, I feel sure, compared to what you, Sheila, have repeatedly and effectively presented in your daily writing….
Siloed information sources and the fact that some people are just thrilled to be able to openly blame all of their ills on people with darker skin, Jews, and women who “don’t keep their place” explains a lot. Just knowing that they can publicly disparage, spit upon, or even attack them with impunity makes some people happy.
(Troubled life? Hate dark skinned people? Like doing soldier cosplay where you can physically abuse people? Join ICE and get paid for that)
That being said, Epstein may finally bring Trump down by turning off non-MAGA people who thought thinks would get better if during the election they stayed home, voted third party, or actually believing the myth that running a big business means that you can run a government, voted for Trump.
If that happens, it will be important for anti-MAGA forces to NOT form a circular firing squad, nor succumb to the notion that we “just have to return to ‘normal'” and fear to prosecute Trump and his crew of law-breakers.