One of the main characteristics of our weak, corrupt Oval Office occupant is that he likes to attack his opponents for that of which he is guilty.
One of the most successful examples is the way he co-opted the words “fake news” after the election. If you recall, after the election everyone realized the impact that false news stories on social media had in shaping public opinion among targeted voters. These “fake news” stories, many of which originated with Russian intelligence operatives to sow discord, were the most widely shared on social media spreading falsehoods like a Pope endorsement of Trump or the lie that Hillary Clinton ran a child sex ring out of an innocuous DC pizza parlor.
Trump responded by accusing literally every story he doesn’t like of being “fake news.” He uses the term all the time, such that it no longer has any meaning and it’s now virtually impossible for us to use the term to describe made-up lies posing as news on Facebook or Twitter. Liberals will need to find a new way to describe lies masquerading as news stories to trick gullible voters thanks to Trump’s incessant use of the term to attack his enemies.
It’s not just “Fake News” either where he’s just accused his opponents of what he’s guilty. There was “You’re the puppet.” There were the attacks that the Clinton Foundation was fraudulent, despite it being a highly rated, efficient charity doing amazing things in the world — while Trump’s foundation was actually fraudulent and his children are now banned from foundation work.
That brings us to the word “TREASON.” For a long time, it’s only been folks on liberal blogs willing to use the word. Hadn’t made its way mainstream yet.
But after the Surrender Summit, in which Trump made clear he is subservient to Vladimir Putin for whatever reason, the word “treason” is being used in mainstream sources:
Former CIA Director John Brennan called Trump’s actions, “Nothing short of treasonous.”
Even conservative, oft-timid Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer is now saying “Trump committed Treason in Helsinki”
The conservative misinformation rag Weekly Standard is now playing defense, whining “Stop calling it treason.”
Incidentally, most of those defending against charges of treason argue that treason technically has to be related to aiding in enemy with whom we are war, not trying to defend Trump’s siding with Russia over the interests of America. But even that technicality rests on minimizing the hacking of elections systems and attacking Democracy as something less than cyber-war.
But regardless, the word is getting out there and it’s not good for Trump. In fact, it’s so serious that in coordination with his official propaganda ministry at Fox News, Trump was forced to defend against Brennan’s treason charge, calling Brennan a very bad person.
But here’s my question: How long before Trump tries to co-opt the word TREASON and starts accusing his opponents of it?
It’s been his pattern for a long time to accuse others of that which he is guilty and to hype up false charges against those who stand in his way. Will he simply try to render “treason” a political term thrown around by both sides as to minimize the seriousness of the charges against him?
And, if he does start to accuse people of treason (like Mueller, Rosenstein, Strzok, Democratic opponents, etc.), then what? Does that become the pretext for the authoritarian crackdown on opposition he so desperately craves?
The bottom line is that Trump is a wounded animal right now. He’s weak, afraid, and has no morals.
Be on the lookout for Trump to start trying to co-opt the word treason as a political epithet to throw at his opponents and to deflect from the growing national consensus around Putin’s puppet in the oval office.
And if he does start trying to use that attack on his opponents, be very, very afraid.