Last week saw the carnival known as the Trump presidency hit a new low. The chief clown embarrassed himself, again. This time it was at a campaign event masked as a press conference to discuss sanctions on China for its recent outrages in Hong Kong. Somewhere between the White House door and the Rose Garden Trump forgot this and proceeded to excoriate Joe Biden and other Democrats. He also added to his mountain of lies.
In a telling action, CNN and MSNBC both cut-away from coverage in the middle of the event. It wasn’t the first time this has happened, but their stomachs apparently could take no more. They shifted back to “fake news,” things such as the death toll from the coronavirus and the latest polls documenting that the Trump base has now pretty much shrunken to non-college educated white males living in rural areas. One must wonder why he doesn’t quit now given that he hates losing. Why not let Pence take the November shellacking and then go on TV to condemn him for blowing it?
It is, of course, too early to count chickens regarding the outcome of elections still more than three months away and utterly naïve to expect Trump to do the right thing and simply walk away from the disaster he helped create. So anxious are some of us to be rid of him that we’d guarantee him a pardon from his many felonies if he would just quit. Donald, take my word for it, that would be the deal of the century.
Between now and January 20, 2021, Trump will have many opportunities to do more damage. He could start a war, for example, or disband the CDC and NIH. He could give Alaska to Putin in exchange for the right to build a Trump Tower in Red Square. You get the idea.
And not that it matters, he will have very few opportunities to rehabilitate himself. The economy is headed for a painful recession. Pundits suggest that Trump’s touted stock market “wins” will be history by November, once the reality of the economic tsunami that accompanied the pandemic fully blossoms. The poor souls who incredibly tell us we are fortunate to have a “businessman” as President will realize that the emperor has no clothes. He may very well be run out of DC on a rail by some of his own former supporters. Yes, even reality-denying zealots have a breaking point.
Looking forward to the next three months of our national nightmare, you can expect the following:
No progress on healing the racial divide that continues to simmer. In fact, given the unfortunate inevitability of another tragic triggering event, more civil unrest may be inevitable.
Growing recognition that Trump’s failed leadership has resulted in a pandemic that will still be with us in the fall. Odds are better than 50-50 that the virus will be worse on election day than it is now.
A severe recession. How much stimulus can the Treasury afford? Eventually, as we already are seeing, many small businesses will call it quits. There will also be a realization that some industries, such as airlines and cruise ships may never return to normal.
More scandal. Does anyone expect Trump to turn over his tax returns to New York authorities before election day? Does anyone not expect more Trump administration officials to get caught, or at least be credibly accused, of serious misconduct?
Trump will resort to new lows in his attempt to discredit Joe Biden and Democrats generally. Remember when Trump suggested that Senator Ted Cruz’s father was involved with the assassination of JFK? Remember Trump’s leadership on the “birther issue” that he used to gain national prominence? You ain’t seen nothing yet. By the time Trump is done with Biden, Al Capone will look like a saint by comparison. Remember, truth is not an obstacle to the man described as a sociopath by his own niece.
Trump needs to go and, fortunately, appears to be Biden’s best weapon. The Orange Menace has imploded, but only a fool would assume that the end of his presidency is inevitable. People got to vote. We better take nothing for granted because even though we expect the worst from Trump, he keeps surprising us. America, vote. Do whatever you can to encourage your friends and neighbors to vote. Our future depends on it.
J.E. Dean of Oxford is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. For more than 30 years, he advised clients on federal education and social service policy.
Michael Melloy says
The smugness of this author brings a smile, and many of us recall the same confidently expressed predictions from 2016. Hillary’s election was inevitable, there was “no path to victory” for Donald Trump, and so forth.
But consider this: Michael Bloomberg ran a version of Biden’s Teleprompter and TV commercial campaign, soaring past dozens of seasoned Democrat candidates. And then he had to do live debates without a teleprompter and fizzled away.
And then consider this: Joe Biden has made ZERO appearances without two teleprompters. When he speaks from his basement, he is speaking straight through a teleprompter, his eyes moving left to right as he reads his script. Three weeks ago, he held a “press conference” in a high school gym in Delaware, delivering remarks and then “answering questions” by reading his script through his teleprompters. yesterday, he held another event in Delaware, reading remarks through a teleprompter and refusing to answer any questions from the media. Biden’s advancing dementia dictates he can not be permitted to speak without staffers providing him a script through teleprompters. The Covid-19 Virus provides perfect cover for Biden’s wife and staff to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline.
Biden didn’t win the nomination primaries because of anything he proposed; weak candidates and campaigns self-destructed and he remained the last candidate standing.
How long can Biden continue to speak only through a teleprompter and slick TV commercials? His wife and campaign are clearly committed to not letting this happen.
Watch at what lengths the Biden campaign will go to prevent that, and watch at what lengths the Democrat media outlets – CNN, MSDNC, Washington Post, New York Times – will go to ignore or conceal Biden’s dementia.
Carol Voyles says
Biden has a speech impediment, not dementia, and he overcame his stutter.
And it’s troubling that you are reduced to attacking Democrats rather than defending this president.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Thank you for this comment. How any thinking person can defend this vile man in the Oval is beyond belief.
One sees Trump as a sick man. Of course. His followers are the scary ones. They are who our Founders warned us about;
these people are simple enough be suckered in by a con man who relishes hate. Perhaps Aristotle was correct in some ways…
educated and discerning people are the true citizens….
Michael Estrella says
While you concern yourself with Bidens use of a teleprompter, I find myself still wondering what your candidate meant by COVFEFE…and why he has to use two hands to drink a bottle of water…and why he has trouble walking down a ramp…and what is all that sniffling about…and why are so many of those around him felons…and what book of the Bible is 2 Corinthians…and what country is the United Shtatesh…and…..
Tom Alspach says
Yo, Mike, did you catch Trump’s coronavirus press briefing this evening, which he read from a teleprompter? Did you catch the Mt. Rushmore speech that he also read from a teleprompter, and warned about “ toe tally teretism”?
And have you listened to him when he goes off the teleprompter, and talks about things like swallowing bleach to “cleanse” the body of the virus? And claims the cases “will go to zero” and (again this evening) that the virus is just “going to disappear”?
“Evolving dementia” indeed.
As for Gail, below, is it just “childish” to brag about how he can assault women and “grab ‘em by the pussy”? And to pay off a porn star so she won’t spill the beans about his dalliance with her while Melania was at home with young Barron? There is “a lot of good about him,” yes indeed. Why, he even holds up a Bible in front of a church!
John Dean says
Mr. Melloy: I appreciate your reading my piece but am sorry you chose to attack Biden and suggest he suffers from dementia. My comments on the President are based on things he has done, things that he has said, and informed comments of people who know Trump, like his niece and John Bolton. I am hopeful voters will hold Trump accountable for what he has done and for what he failed to do.
Ms Voyle’s comment on your reply is right on the mark.
Mike Huffstetler says
Mr. Dean:
President Trump is by far the best President in my lifetime. I have no time to refute your lies any more!
Defenders of President Trump cannot be silenced by the Democratic control of the media, by the Democratic sponsored anarchist mobs that are destroying our major cities with complicit support of the Democratic Mayors of those cities, or by the attempts by Twitter, Google, Facebook and others to silence the views of conservatives.
Supporters of President Trump, of law and order, of secure borders, of holding China accountable for intentionally spreading the Wuhan Virus, of reasonable tax policies, of maintaining the proud history of the US, and of non-socialist government agendas will show up at the polls in November, the only place that matters!
And attempts by the Democrats to steal this election with fraudulently cast mail-in ballots will be unsuccessful!
John Dean says
Mike: Thank you for reading the piece. I’m surprised you appear to support the President sending federal agents into Portland, Kansas City, Chicago and apparently other cities. I am troubled by that action. I also just read that the President instructed the US Ambassador to Great Britain to approach the British to get the British Open moved to his Turnberry, Scotland golf course. That strikes me as corrupt.
In any case, I appreciate your past efforts to defend the President. Some of the readers of this piece appear to think that if voters can be convinced that Joe Biden is “senile,” they will vote for Trump. I am hopeful that this type of attack, curious when led by a 74 year who sometimes has difficulty with words, will not be the principal feature of the remainder of the President’s campaign.
Gail Zois says
Here we go again, another negative person who thinks he has it right and hopes everyone agrees with him. Wow! Well, there are a lot of people in this county that do support Trump. He is not perfect, he brags about himself and he has childish nick names for some however, there is a lot of good about him that many people just like you do not want to admit nor see. I am not foolish enough to try to convince you and any one else otherwise, instead, I pray for our country and our President Trump.
John Dean says
Ms. Zois: Thank you for reading the article. I appreciate that many people support the President. My issues with him, as reflected in the article, go well beyond his nick-naming his opponents (although his nickname for Elizabeth Warren is racist) or bragging about himself.
Since I wrote it he has wished Ghislaine Maxwell (Jeffrey Epstein’s cohort) well during a coronavirus press conference. The news also came out that he asked the US Ambassador to Britain to approach the UK to attempt to get the British Open moved to his Turnberry, Scotland, golf course. That strikes me as corrupt. I join you in praying for the country.
In any case, thank you for writing and not calling me anything worse than a “negative person.” If you have read a few of the other comments, you will understand why I might appreciate that.
Gail M Zois says
Glad that you appreciated that I didn’t throw you under the bus so to speak! Yes, I can see that other readers have said worse. One reader said something awful about my comment. As far as Ms Maxwell, at least Trump wished her well. It would have been nice if he said something more. Republicans are tired of all the negative news and it is just sad that they don’t find any good in our President. He is not a politician and never claimed to be. I always felt that we needed a business man to run this country for many reasons. Dems blame him for everything…now they call it the Trump virus. This virus should never be political. It never ends. I didn’t vote for Obama, didn’t care for his leadership but I tried to find something good in him. By the way, per your article comment, I am a college educated, professional gal so, there are many educated people that support Trump! LOL! Have a good evening.
Gail M Zois says
Sorry for another comment but I need to correct myself. I misread your reply and thought you were referring to the judge on the Supreme Court that is having health issues.
William Burton says
Your reasoning is non existent, your allegations are flatus and moonbeams, and your feeble memory has forgotten the lessons of 2016. Biden is a senile old man who has been in DC for over 4 decades. He was responsible for the greatest incarceration of African Americans in history. He is now the Socialist candidate an he will burn as did Hillary. Please please please let him select Pocahantas as his running mate. Bye Joe, good luck with your dementia.
Stephen Schaare says
Hi William, Better yet, Uncle Joe must pick Stacey Abrams (you know, the Governor of Georgia) as VP. Trump will take 48 states.
John Dean says
“Your reasoning is non existent, your allegations are flatus and moonbeams.” Forgive me if I don’t thank you for commenting on the piece, but thanks for reading it.
Linda Baker says
Wow! I can’t believe the Talbot Spy printed such a hateful opinion editorial. But that seems to be the vitriol of many on the left. Praying for peace in this country!
Alan Boisvert says
Wow, I cannot believe the 37% in this country who condone someone who is obviously racist and someone who suggest ingesting bleach and UV light. Wake up.
Stephen Schaare says
Alan, Is that all you got? Hillary, and the Clinton crime family lost. Get over it!
How has President Trump destroyed your family?
Deirdre LaMotte says
Trump has destroyed laws that protect the water we drink, the air we breath, the separation of powers between branches of government, the integrity of anyone who
disagrees with him, the hard fought alliances that our country depends on,
diminished the Office of the Presidency to
a romper-room level, is fascist, racist and
only cares for DJT.
Yes, I think he has affected every American family.
That is why he will lose.
Stephen Schaare says
” non college educated white males living in rural areas” is how you describe Trump’s base. How about “non college educated black female single mothers” as the Biden base. Let me guess, I am the racist and you are a paragon of diversity and inclusion. Is that about right?
John Dean says
I am most definitely not calling you a racist. Until I saw proof, I would not call anyone a racist. Rather, my comment reflected recent polls showing the President behind in virtually every demographic except for non-college-educated white males living in rural areas. I believe that many people in Trump’s base are not themselves racist.
Regarding Biden’s base, if the polls are correct (and we will only know what his “base” is after the votes are counted in November) includes an overwhelming number of female voters, college-educated white males, and pretty much everyone else with the exception of the one aforementioned demographic. I believe Biden’s “base” at this point is considerably more diverse and inclusive than the President’s. If the President doesn’t change that–and it’s unclear that he can–he will be defeated in November.
In any case, thanks for reading the piece.
Antoinette Wilson says
Thank you, Mr. Dean. Well done. Clearly the 37%, give or take, will not be swayed.
“Trump … is a massive fraud, the evil sum of his deficiencies, devoid of everything but the hollow ideology of a megalomaniac.”
~ Philip Roth