I do not understand. Trump has kept himself in front of the cameras for decades his life so well documented. He has never been subtle but has long lived an open purely hedonistic lifestyle which has ensured he would stay in the public spotlight. From his earlier days palling around with Playboy bunnies and at Studio 54 to the numerous, repulsive and pedophilic photos of him nuzzling a post pubescent Ivanka in beds and the backseat of his limo.
It has also long astounded that, especially with GOP and QAnon’s bizarre conspiracy theories about ‘pizzagate;’ about how Democrats and liberal Hollywood were systematically sexually assaulting children while using them in satanic rituals, the American media has — never — made any attempt to identify the wealth of public information that highlights Trump’s well documented history of pedophilia, sexual perversion and deviancy.
This includes his involvement in a pedophilic modeling network into which he introduced a then 10 year old Ivanka.
"We All Knew About the Trafficking"-The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1)
Trump’s history included a period of time during which he, himself, actively trafficked international models which models interviewed likened to ‘modern day slavery.’ And there are many additional examples with clear documentation. My point is that EVERYBODY knew. Everybody knows. The media knew and had a wealth of source material which they simply ignored.
Former Models for Donald Trump's Agency Say They Violated Immigration Rules and Worked Illegally
Instead of representing ANY of this, a cowardly corporate media which saw dollar signs in the Trump phenomenon instead went with Hillary Clinton’s email and her chest cold. This even though there is so much documentation from a wide range of highly reputable and very well regarded sources.
Teen models, powerful men and private dinners: when Trump hosted Look of the Year
More recently, Trump’s exposure has ranged from the Hollywood Access tapes which were supposed to instantly torpedo his political career (but, of course, didn’t), to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
Trump later moved to the incitement of a violent insurrection literally intended to overturn a free and fair presidential election which killed a half dozen while injuring over 140 police officers (to include a number which were career ending).
Now, of course, Trump has multiple, serious, criminal indictments from insurrection to theft of top secret documents and potential treason during which he has continued to incite and tantrum while repeatedly violating court imposed gag orders. At this same time, Trump was also found libel for sexual defamation and sexual assault. But the media only chooses to identify constant ‘breaking news’ then immediately move onto Trump’s next theatrics and atrocity.
All the while, and somewhat remarkably, ALL of this; ALL of Trump’s authentic history remains covered over and hidden from view by a majority of the American media. Even that which is covered becomes yet another quick distraction.
But everybody knows oh so very well of Trump’s successful stint as a pretend businessman on the cheesy ‘B’ Reality TV show, ‘The Apprentice’ where his tag line was “you’re fired.” The reality is that Trump has NEVER been anything close to a successful businessman even though he cosplayed at being on on TV.
The reality is, as always, quite different. The fact is that even during his stint as the accidental ‘President’ starting in 2016 where he went through senior appointees as a knife through butter, Trump never had the courage to fire even one to their face. He either sent them messages on Twitter (now ‘X’) and/or had his subordinates pass the message along.
America’s modern media — whose likely deeply shamed ancestors include Thomas Paine, Samuel Adams and John Dickenson now pinwheeling in their graves — have continued to enable and push Trump forward while ignoring every bit of his history and current meanderings. And it is exactly this which makes so painfully clear the extreme degree to which he is deeply unfit for any position of political authority; for any position of authority which demands clarity of thought and independent cognition.
As the comedian Michelle Wolf said so presciently during Trump’s term in office: “You guys are obsessed with Trump. Did you used to date him? Because you pretend to hate him, but I think you live him. I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. He couldn’t sell steaks or vodka or water or college or ties or Eric, but he has held you. He’s heled you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster and now you’re profiting off of him.”
Despite much of the now agonized reporting and coverage of Trump, America’s mainstream media is basically doing a repeat of 2016. Then it was full front page spreads by the New York Times on Hillary’s email or cough. Now, despite President Biden’s remarkable productivity in the face of extreme and anti-American obstruction by the GOP and insurrectionist wing of the GOP and despite the dramatic strength of our economy and the coalition building all owed directly to President Biden, all we are told over and over again is that Joe Biden is — old.
Trump is a deeply incurious and intellectually limited man who does not read, won’t tolerate briefings or about anything which challenges his existing and substantial misperceptions and misunderstandings. He prefers, instead, to go with his ‘gut’ fueled by Big Macs and diet Coke led by whatever is in his head at the moment, his rampant uncontrolled narcissism and increasingly evident and destabilizing psychopathology.
Even during the sometimes rather dramatic, theatric and salacious first criminal trial in which he is truly at great risk of a guilty criminal verdict, Trump literally can’t keep his eyes open or stay awake.
How does this speak to his fitness or ability to maintain the pace and cognitive acuity which the Presidency demands at all times of the day and night? The pace and acuity with which President Biden has managed most effectively despite his being — old.
The reality is that it doesn’t. But it does strongly infer that Trump would not and cannot play a coherent lead role in the White House but will be covered for by such actors as Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon and others whose own history and intentions to dismantle our nation, our Constitution and our Democracy while attacking large segments of American citizenry are well established.
The reality is that Trump is not just unfit, but dangerously and destructively so.
How Unfit? Dangerously Unfit
As Steven Beschloss so accurately wrote:
Time magazine put Donald Trump on its cover this week with an unavoidable title: “If He Wins.” What readers find inside and online is a detailed article that largely matches the dangers plotted by “Project 2025” and its authoritarian agenda to move the country toward dictatorship.
That includes mass deportations and detention camps for migrants, a once-independent Justice Department turned into a weapon of Trump’s whims and a once-nonpartisan civil service devolved into a cadre of loyalists. Time reporter Eric Cortellessa heard Trump’s plans to pardon January 6 insurrectionists, deploy the National Guard in American cities at will, give police immunity from prosecution, close the White House office responsible for pandemic preparedness, and permit red states to monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute abortion ban violators.
If you read the article you may be led to believe that Donald Trump has a systematic plan to pursue his darkest desires. But TIME also makes available a transcript of Cortellessa’s two interviews with Trump. Honestly, I barely survived the reading because it vividly displays how profoundly unfit this man is—morally and particularly intellectually—to be anywhere near the levers of power.
They reveal a deeply untrustworthy man untethered from reality, swarming in lies, absorbed by grievance, unable to grapple with policy nuance and dependent on empty slogans to motivate himself. None of this is surprising, but when you read through the hours of interview material, you can see just how shallow his thinking is, how unreliable are his pronouncements and equivocations, how utterly ill-equipped he is to confront the complexities of our modern world—and, really, how crazy it is that serious people are forced to take this man seriously. My mind drifts to Rex Tillerson, Trump’s first secretary of state, privately calling his boss a “fucking moron.”
I encourage people to read Times reporter Eric Cortellessa’s interviews with Trump along with the transcript (for those willing to punish themselves a bit) — but definitely the interviews. It’s time to take Trump at his word and with the seriousness to our nation and to America’s future functioning which it entails. And, again, the agenda which Trump represents is far, far more dangerous; far darker and far more deadly than even he could represent. And, as always, Trump is far less coherent than the media will consistently represent.
Cortellessa: What’s your plan, sir?
Trump: We will be using local law enforcement. And we will absolutely start with the criminals that are coming in. And they're coming in in numbers that we've never seen before. And we do have a new category of crime. It's called migrant crime. It's, ugh, you see it all the time. You see it in New York City where they're having fistfights with police. And far worse than that. You see it all the time. And you're seeing it in all of the cities, especially the Democratic-run cities, which is a lot of the big ones, but you're seeing it in Chicago, you're seeing it in New York and L.A. and getting worse than in other places.
Cortellessa: Does that include using the U.S. military?
Trump: It would. When we talk military, generally speaking, I talk National Guard. I've used the National Guard in Minneapolis. And if I didn't use it, I don't think you'd have Minneapolis standing right now, because it was really bad. But I think in terms of the National Guard. But if I thought things were getting out of control, I would have no problem using the military, per se. We have to have safety in our country. We have to have law and order in our country. And whichever gets us there, but I think the National Guard will do the job. You know, had Nancy Pelosi used the National Guard. You know, I offered them whatever they wanted, but I often—
Cortellessa: How are you going to get state and local police departments to participate in this? Under what authority is the President able to do that?
Trump: Well, there's a possibility that some won't want to participate, and they won't partake in the riches, you know. We have to do this. This is not a sustainable problem for our country.
Cortellessa: Does that mean you would create funding incentives from the federal government for state and local police departments?
Trump: It could very well be. I want to give police immunity from prosecution because the liberal groups or the progressive groups, depending on what they want to be called, somewhat liberal, somewhat progressive, but they are—they’re very strong on the fact that they want to leave everybody in, I guess, I don't know. You know, sanctuary cities are failing all over the place. And I really believe that there's a pent-up demand to end sanctuary cities by people that were in favor of sanctuary cities, because it's just not working out for the country.
Cortellessa: So by your own telling, these are new, bold, and aggressive actions that you would take.
Trump: I don't think they're bold actions. I think they’re actions that are common sense. But I really believe, Eric, that they’re actions that—it's incredible that they've allowed so many people to come into our country, especially considering they were unchecked and unvetted, most of them. They're just pouring in. They're pouring in at levels that no country has ever seen before. It's an invasion of our country.
The lies and confusion reflected just in these paragraphs are staggering. There is no ‘invasion.’ There is no desire by ‘liberal groups or progressive groups’ to ‘leave everybody in’ or ‘pent up demand to end sanctuary cities.’ I am generally a supporter of local law enforcement even with the violent history some (but not most) bring. But I also consider providing ‘police immunity from prosecution’ both insane and another neo-fascist component. There is also no ‘new category’ of migrant crime and, in fact, migrant/immigrant communities are among the safest in the United States.
Communities which are well integrated with migrants/immigrants are documented to be far safer than communities not so integrated. Violent crime and murder remain a problem nationwide and in select cities connected to the still uncontrolled proliferation of guns. But both murder and violent crime have dramatically reduced nationally to notably include New York City. This, whether or not Trump ‘accepts’ such facts.
How many of you were even able to get through these few exchanges between Cortellessa and Trump? There is lots more I encourage folks at the least to skim through if not read it word for word...
Read the Full Transcripts of Donald Trump’s Interviews With TIME
To remain at the front, Trump will do as he is told and whatever he is told. The degree to which our military and law enforcement would overtly cooperate with ‘Project 2025’ — frankly, I’m not so certain and may discuss this, too, at a later date. But I would also suggest to not let it and them be put to an unnecessary test.
As I’ve written in the past, Trump would/will willingly contract to build America’s new Concentration Camps intended to hold both immigrants and naturally born American citizens. And the Shoah is on an active historical cycle which, frighteningly, is about coming due. Some of us, to include myself, would be more immediately at risk being in targeted groups. But all opposition in any form will not be tolerated for a moment during any attempted implementation of ‘Project 2025.’
Take this seriously.
We need good, patriotic Americans — not ‘Good Germans.’ And I use this last term with great respect to modern Germany and the degree to which it has responded to its egregious errors of the past. That America would and could openly and honestly do the same is among the greatest fears of the White/Christian Supremacist and MAGA insurrectionist Right.
The point to be made is how very easy even the horrors of the Timeline of History can repeat themself despite lessons which should have long since been learned.
Despite the accuracy of the many points made by Beschloss both in the extended quote I’ve offered as well as throughout his commentary, I still think he and other honest, well documented and corroborated critics of Donald Trump are missing one dearly important point.
This is that Trump, himself, is wholly amoral. He has no opinions or purpose outside of himself which he considers relevant or important, no priority issues other than, perhaps, his advocacy for world authoritarians ranging from Viktor Orban in Hungry to Vladimir Putin in Russia.
I would argue Trump’s still growing and pandering relationship with such vile human beings as Orban and more so, Putin is mainly based on his personal desire to follow in their footsteps towards replicating their form of total control. Orban and Putin, no matter how detestable, do both have a purpose, thought out intent and goals. Trump lacks anything even close but himself and, now, a desperate effort to stay out of jail while receiving guilty criminal verdicts. And such verdicts are coming.
This is what drives Trump and little else but, perhaps, for his bank account. He will do what he is told when he is told and how he is told so long as he continues to be pushed up front to represent this horrific broader agenda and given authority now matter how limited his true ‘authority’ might be. Trump just needs to be assured the cameras will be on him.
As one immediate example, I don’t consider Trump to have nearly as much personal, direct credit for the massive GOP and evangelical Right assault on women’s reproductive health and care with a highlight on the medical right to abortion procedures as he is now taking.
Realize that Trump was long time supporter of abortion. He was then neutral. Trump much more recently tried (rather unsuccessfully, I might add) to advise the GOP and his MAGA Cult to back off of their full frontal assault on women’s reproductive and abortion services.
Since it didn’t work, he just quickly realigned.
Trump’s current iteration is that he should get sole credit for the massive assault on women’s reproductive care and abortion to include his current support for criminalizing abortion, women and abortion providers. He is now all in with increasingly intrusive and arcane Red State legislation to even try to control abortion by their citizens ability to access legal out of state providers.
Imagine women of pregnancy age literally being stopped by state police as they near their respective state line in their car and told to prove they are not pregnant. Don’t imagine it since this process already well underway by multiple Red states.
It’s true that Trump stacked SCOTUS with many of the least qualified Christian Supremacist justices in American history who subsequently lied their way through their respective confirmation hearings.
But to this, I would argue that Trump did so not for his own particular agenda or initiation but because his evangelical sponsors and primary controlling agents told him to do so. Told him to appoint the SCOTUS justices who were spoon fed to him by the hard Right, fundamentalist lobbying organization, the Federalist Society. He had no need to give it any thought — which is among the few things at which Trump is very good
Hypothetically, if Trump were to somehow have had reason to believe that Planned Parenthood and NARAL were his tickets to power, women’s health care and abortion access would have been assured. And the Federalist Society’s agenda was also strongly supported by the Senate’s ultimate self serving coward, Mitch McConnell, who, despite the grotesque constitutional impropriety of his actions, refused to even allow hearings for then President Obama’s SCOTUS selection of Merrick Garland following the death of the remarkable Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
For the record, I’m still convinced that Garland would have served a much better and far more effective purpose on the Supreme Court that as the nation’s Attorney General. But that is for the future and another discussion. Sadly, Garland’s current actions taken as AG have certainly helped serve Trump’s ultimate strategy to delay and distract however indirectly.
In the same way Trump has been a very useful idiot dupe for Putin in Russia, he has played the exact same role in America for and led by the hard, volatile Christian fundamentalist and corporate Right under the simultaneous control and sponsorship of evangelical Christians and, politically, by the Federalist Society and it’s close affiliates.
We must take the ‘Trump’ phenomenon; the still increasing hard Right and Christian Supremacist activism very seriously. And we must use our numbers and our vote to shut it down and STOP the risk it poses to our nation and to each of us as Americans.
Our vote is our primarily available and most powerful tool.