We have a president who's clearly out of his mind
Where's Shakespeare when we need him? Only the Bard of Avon could do literary justice to the tortured madness of Donald Trump, who fluctuates between petulant self-pity and weird self-praise.
His brags are especially weird because they usually involve
achievements he hasn't made.
It's as though his saying something makes it true — even though everyone except his most naive devotees can clearly see that he's either hallucinating or lying.
In June, for example, at a rally launching his reelection campaign, he retrumpeted an old campaign promise to "drain the swamp," assuring the adoring crowd that "that's exactly what we're doing right now."
Trump gilded the lie with this beauty: "We stared down the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests."
It's as though his saying something makes it true — even though everyone except his most naive devotees can clearly see that he's either hallucinating or lying.
In June, for example, at a rally launching his reelection campaign, he retrumpeted an old campaign promise to "drain the swamp," assuring the adoring crowd that "that's exactly what we're doing right now."
Trump gilded the lie with this beauty: "We stared down the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests."
In fact, he brought that entire unholy alliance directly into
the White House, the cabinet and every agency to create a corrupt government
of, by and for corporate plunderers. At least 230 corporate lobbyists have come
inside the Trump Inc. administration.
He also opened a luxury hotel right in the center of the swamp, just four blocks from the White House, so he and his family can extract high-dollar hotel payments from special-interest lobbyists wanting favors from the Trump regime of swamp critters.
He also opened a luxury hotel right in the center of the swamp, just four blocks from the White House, so he and his family can extract high-dollar hotel payments from special-interest lobbyists wanting favors from the Trump regime of swamp critters.
But wait ... didn't The Donald make his political hires sign an
ethics pledge agreeing not to lobby the agencies where they work until five
years after they leave?
Yes, but remember, Trump is a master at the Art of the Loophole, and his "pledge" provides ample room for an invasion of weasels, including an exception allowing former officials to lobby on agency rule-making.
Do they think we have sucker wrappers around our heads? Rule-making is what agencies do! So, this gaping loophole frees Trump officials to sell their insider influence to corporate interests wanting to rig the rules against you and me.
Yes, but remember, Trump is a master at the Art of the Loophole, and his "pledge" provides ample room for an invasion of weasels, including an exception allowing former officials to lobby on agency rule-making.
Do they think we have sucker wrappers around our heads? Rule-making is what agencies do! So, this gaping loophole frees Trump officials to sell their insider influence to corporate interests wanting to rig the rules against you and me.
At Trump's vainglorious campaign rally, he also declared that
"nobody has done what we have done in 2 1/2 years." Sadly, that's the
truest thing he's said.
News Alert! News Alert! This just in: Donald
Trump has discovered homelessness in America.
News Update! News Update! Donald Trump says he
has the solution to homelessness in America, points out that he's already ended
homelessness in Washington, D.C.
Once again, we can thank Fox News for its in-depth reporting,
going deep into the furrows of Trump's mind to dig out this startling
presidential insight and achievement.
In a June interview by Fox TV sparklie Tucker Carlson, the
president of the United States articulated his concern about so many Americans'
now living on the streets. Homelessness is "a phenomenon that started two
years ago,"
Trump explained to the clueless Carlson, calling the problem "sad." Our billionaire president showed his usual grasp of history and social awareness by adding, "We never had this in our lives before in this country."
Trump explained to the clueless Carlson, calling the problem "sad." Our billionaire president showed his usual grasp of history and social awareness by adding, "We never had this in our lives before in this country."
Oddly, the Fox Man let this go without questioning it. Maybe he
was dazzled by Trump's next observation, analyzing why people live in the
street: "Perhaps they like living that way," posited our presidential
son of privilege.
Whatever. The Donald proceeded to declare that it's intolerable
to have such homelessness in our rich country — not because so many poor people
are suffering, but because businesspeople and shoppers face the indignity of
having to walk past the homeless to get to their offices, banks, cafes, etc. As
Tucker beamed credulously, Trump proceeded to offer his solution: simply outlaw those people from cluttering our sidewalks and streets. Then, The Donald royally declared that he "may intercede ... to get that whole thing cleaned up."
Tucker beamed credulously, Trump proceeded to offer his solution: simply outlaw those people from cluttering our sidewalks and streets. Then, The Donald royally declared that he "may intercede ... to get that whole thing cleaned up."
Indeed, he claims he's tidied up homelessness before: "I
had a situation when I first became president. We had certain areas of
Washington, D.C, where (homelessness) was starting to happen. I ended it very
quickly. I said, 'You can't do that.'"
After all, Trump explained to the obtuse Fox interviewer, "When you have leaders of the world coming to see the president ... they can't be looking at that."
After all, Trump explained to the obtuse Fox interviewer, "When you have leaders of the world coming to see the president ... they can't be looking at that."
It's one thing to have a president who thinks "Out of
sight; out of mind" should be an actual public policy. It's another thing
to have a president who's clearly out of his mind.
Jim Hightower is
a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the
book, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With
The Flow. Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers
That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families,
environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.