Just the first week...
As the first week of the new presidency comes to a close, what can be said. Was one day more cringeworthy or appalling than the next. It seemed to evolved in half days. There is no need to comment on the specifics.
Broadly speaking, Donald Trump and Steve Bannon seem to be laying the groundwork for an assault on the basic tenets of our democracy, already. Freedom of the press and voting rights for all are the two clear targets now. One could go on and on talking about Trump as a buffoon, narcissist, chronic liar, or megalomaniac, but that was well known. That Bannon is a crude right wing nationalist and racist was obvious as well. That said, honing in on their targets so soon, so obviously, and so aggressively was not expected.
One could almost think that Trump is becoming unhinged. He is so accustomed to doing absolutely anything that he wants. Walk a half block down 56th street from Trump Tower to a fine steak house, spend a few days playing golf at one of his properties in Florida or Scotland, fly to Kazakhstan or Chicago or wherever to look at a possible new investment, or just loll around in his gilded 80 foot long living room. He has lived with few constraints.
Unlike in the campaign, he can no longer tell the press corps to go home and then slip out to a private room at 21. He is living at the White House without Melania and his young son and likely without the servants who are most familiar with his every need. Maybe Ivanka and Jared stop in from time to time, but apparently they have a life. So is he just left to his non-stop television news watching and twitter sending for the night, trapped, and getting more wound up and paranoid.
This feels dangerous.
Broadly speaking, Donald Trump and Steve Bannon seem to be laying the groundwork for an assault on the basic tenets of our democracy, already. Freedom of the press and voting rights for all are the two clear targets now. One could go on and on talking about Trump as a buffoon, narcissist, chronic liar, or megalomaniac, but that was well known. That Bannon is a crude right wing nationalist and racist was obvious as well. That said, honing in on their targets so soon, so obviously, and so aggressively was not expected.
One could almost think that Trump is becoming unhinged. He is so accustomed to doing absolutely anything that he wants. Walk a half block down 56th street from Trump Tower to a fine steak house, spend a few days playing golf at one of his properties in Florida or Scotland, fly to Kazakhstan or Chicago or wherever to look at a possible new investment, or just loll around in his gilded 80 foot long living room. He has lived with few constraints.
Unlike in the campaign, he can no longer tell the press corps to go home and then slip out to a private room at 21. He is living at the White House without Melania and his young son and likely without the servants who are most familiar with his every need. Maybe Ivanka and Jared stop in from time to time, but apparently they have a life. So is he just left to his non-stop television news watching and twitter sending for the night, trapped, and getting more wound up and paranoid.
This feels dangerous.
posted by John Borden at 4:29 PM
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