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Sunday, June 12, 2022

The Eye of the Beholder

 ("Donald Trump, American Monster")

He always says what he means but never means what he says. For Donald Trump, the truth depends on who's asking.

Why was Donald Trump not indicted for his threats against President Zelensky to withhold US support if he didn't dig up dirt on the Bidens, or his challenge to the Secretary of State of Georgia to find 11,780 votes needed to overturn the election results in that state, or his inflation of the value of his properties to lenders to better the chances of securing needed funds, or his instructing Michael Cohen to quiet Stormy Daniels with a payoff to secure his chances at the Republican nomination, or his litany of challenges to his followers to take on the government, by whatever means necessary, in the wake of his election defeat? 

Simple. What you and I heard was not what he intended but merely our misinterpretation of his words and deeds. Donald Trump was guilty only of letting his mouth run ahead of his brain, of amplification and puffery. The criminality was in our minds, not his.

What his followers heard was a man being a man, righting wrongs, exerting his power and guile to get exactly what he wanted. Unless of course, this would result in any criminal charges. In that event, read the paragraph above. 

We catalogued Mr. Trump's exaggerations, his half truths and outright lies during his presidency about Mr. Putin and his relationship with Russia (does anyone even remember the Mueller report and the first impeachment), about COVID and his daily game show on how we should address or ignore it, about virtually every subject that came across his desk (when he wasn't at Mar-A-Lago playing golf) and yet here he is, in 2022, still sneering that self satisfied sneer, still clinging to his stories tighter than that dress did to Marilyn Monroe. Unless of course that could lead to an indictment.

In that event, go back three paragraphs. 

In the end, we hold this truth to be self evident: when it comes to Donald Trump, truth is never self evident, nor are lies. 

Ugliness, as well as beauty, merely in the eye of the beholder.



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perfect piece. So well said. Couldn't agree more.

HR

Anonymous said...

This is a brilliant piece. I share your frustration to the max, but you’ve given expression to the reasons for it far better than I ever could.

Danny

Anonymous said...

Your words are perfect. I get so sad because it seems that all Republicans are trying to fool all of the people all of the time. When does it end? How will it end? --RE