Recently I have been tweeting The Onion, not posting it, even when I thought it was funny.
But this post is so real, so not-funny, and so representative of what is happening that I wanted to share it with you.
It is about Trump’s insistence on intruding into our lives every day, dominating our thoughts with concern about what crazy thing he will do next, what crackpot nonsense he will tweet, which institution he will destroy next, which person he will insult today. It is exhausting and fascinating, like watching a violent car crash and wondering if you too will crash into the wreckage.
It begins like this:
“Good morning, everyone! What a week we’ve got coming up. A tremendous week. The fall season is here, we’re working on huge tax cuts, and there’s a lot of optimism having to do with business in our economy. Also, we’re ending Obamacare. And I’m going to get the wall. But beyond all that, what I’m looking forward to the most is another seven days of infecting every little aspect of your daily lives.
“Oh, you thought you might be able to block me out for even a moment? Good luck with that one. There will be no rest from having to think about me, or my administration, or the latest controversy I’ve thrown myself into. I am inescapable. My name, my face, my voice, my words, and those of my legions of surrogates—no matter how much you try to go about your normal life, I will find a way force myself in. MAGA!
“I will poison every second of quiet reflection that you previously enjoyed.
“I’m like a disease without a cure. There’s not a single thing I haven’t contaminated. News, entertainment, medicine, sports; if there’s a part of culture I haven’t ruined for you yet, just wait. This could be the week. I’ll either claw my way into your waking consciousness or just linger in the back of your mind, ready to pop out at any moment and remind you that I’m the president of the United States and will be for at least the next three years. You know that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach—the one that’s been there since last November? Well, it’s not going away this week, I’ll tell you that.
“I will poison every second of quiet reflection that you previously enjoyed. No more sitting calmly with a coffee on a park bench. No more carefree drives with the windows down and the radio up. No more tranquil moments reveling in the splendor of a sunset. Just me festering in your brain, befouling all you hold dear.
“The mind is funny like that sometimes. The second you’ve freed yourself from the burden of having to ponder my ironclad stranglehold on absolutely every facet of American life, there I’ll be again, ready to resume the endless cycle of fear, regret, anger, and shame. Go ahead, try and tune me out right now.
“Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Donald Trump.”
Read the rest.
The Washington Post reports that his daily attacks on the free press are undermining public confidence in the media.
“THE BIG IDEA: Donald Trump celebrated Sunday that his campaign to delegitimize the free press is working.
“The president touted a Politico-Morning Consult poll published last week that found 46 percent of registered voters believe major news organizations fabricate stories about him. Just 37 percent of Americans think the mainstream media does not invent stories, while the rest are undecided. More than 3 in 4 Republicans believe reporters make up stories about Trump.
“It is finally sinking through,” the president tweeted.
“The first rule of propaganda is that if you repeat something enough times people will start to believe it, no matter how false. Trump uses the bully pulpit of the presidency to dismiss any journalism he doesn’t like as “fake news.” This daily drumbeat has clearly taken a toll on the Fourth Estate.”
The first rule of a would-be dictator is to destroy confidence in the free press.
Trump swore on the Bible at his inauguration to uphold the Constitution. That includes the First Amendment. His daily attacks on freedom of the press, which he called “the Enemy of the People,” violates the oath he took. The term “Ennemy of the People” was borrowed from Josef Stalin.
He also daily violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments in Trump properties and brands around the world and refusing to divest his business interests.
Two grounds for impeachment even without the Russia investigation.
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