Do not fear Trump
Donald Trump is riding high, but soon he will be weighed down by the one thing he has shown over and over again in his life that he does not do well with: responsibility.
Soon he will be in charge, and his MAGA movement will control government.
Everything that happens next will be on their watch.
Everything.
Because Trump has surrounded himself with a creature cantina of unfitness, depravity, weirdness and nuttery, when the moment comes — and it will — where wisdom is needed, there will be none in the room.
Disaster will follow misjudgments that will be compounded by a mix of arrogance, certitude, incompetence, stupidity and epic ignorance. The American people will pay the price for believing the lies of a liar, who was made credible by the failure of America’s political elite over the last 25 years to do the things that they said they would do and make wise decisions.
Rahm Emanuel has written the first piece by a senior Democrat that doesn’t seek to evade the magnitude of the political loss, or its causes with an embrace of fantasy. It is tough and necessary medicine for a party that is as lost in the woods as any has ever been over my lifetime.
Meanwhile, the great supplication and appeasement rolls along at Mar-a-Lago.
The parade offers important lessons about the cost of personal debasement in the pursuit of self-interest dressed up as something else.
Whether it is Justin Trudeau or Joe Scarborough, Trump devours weakness. He preys on softness. When his foes come calling they seem to do so with a bag full of quibbles, quivering and whining, while trying to play a version of Trump’s game. It never works. Ever.
Everywhere right now there is a spirit of accommodation, appeasement and supplication in the air.
What Trump plans to do demands opposition that does not relent, and does not tremble. The terrible abuses, corruption and malice demand resistance. The test ahead will be both political and moral.
Americans are a tough people. No wonder they hold the media in such abject contempt. People always reserve their greatest disdain for the people who treat them with contempt, and signal with each breath their smugness, superiority and arrogance. It’s basic human nature.
More than anything else, right now, Americans deserve leaders who are less worried about themselves, and more focused on the wellbeing of the American people. Fearful people can’t lead because cowardice, like courage, is contagious. When integrity, conviction and honesty are called for, cowardice is a cancer.
When Donald Trump takes power he will seek to stifle dissent, intimidate media companies, threaten opponents, journalists, and anyone who asserts themselves in opposition. This must be opposed loudly, fiercely and effectively. It must be confronted relentlessly without fear or panic.
Do not fear Trump. Do not give him that power. Instead, take it from him.
In time, he will fear the American people who will turn on him after a short season of abuse.
The greatest political failure of the last 80 years was the 2024 loss by Democrats to Donald Trump. Period. Don’t let anyone ever tell you this race was unwinnable. It was lost. Understanding the how and why of that is of the utmost importance because three short years from tonight we will be closing in on the home stretch of the New Hampshire primary. What comes next doesn’t need to remind anyone of what came before.
The political situation in America will be very different after 100 days of Trump. The time for pretending will have long passed by then.
I think this is an excellent piece and would like to offer my two cents. Do not allow the hard days ahead to rob you of your health and well-being. Be concerned, but do not be consumed.
I’ve known this demented buffoon for 45 years now. I’m still here. MAGA cannot outlast me and will not win.
I still hold the over 10,000,000 2020 Biden voters who did not show up to say thank you for his accomplishments and to ensure the continuation of his direction. Damn all of them