SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” That’s one of the Ten Commandments from the Book of Exodus. Donald Trump considers them “suggestions” rather than “commandments,” and usually honors the Sabbath by playing golf. But on May 31, there was a mass shooting in Virginia, and the White House Ministry of Propaganda thought it would be good publicity to send Trump to a church near the scene of the crime for a photo op and a few brief remarks.
Trump apparently insisted on getting in a few holes of golf first, and showed up late to a church service in McLean, VA, making his entrance in golf shoes and a baseball cap. He stood grumpily next to the pastor, who held up a Bible and asked God to give Trump the wisdom necessary to lead this country. Trump left the church without saying a word. The congregation was lucky they didn’t have to listen to one of his rants, but it was a very strange spectacle. And respect to the pastor for his expert level trolling of the Very Stable Genius who doesn’t need advice from man nor deity.
It’s hard to tell whether Trump even noticed. Everyday human interactions are challenging for him, and his official state visits show him in a particularly bad light. Heads of state as different as Kim Jong-un and Queen Elizabeth make him look like a rube. The North Korean dictator trolled Trump by testing missiles during last month’s Singapore disarmament summit. Queen Elizabeth trolled him by giving him a book. Trump wore an ill-fitting formal suit, and was caught dozing off during the Queen’s welcoming speech.
Between the two of them, the North Korean dictatorship and the British monarchy embody the power and the pomp and circumstance that Trump clearly believes are rightfully his. But the ruler he most resembles is the Red Queen from Alice In Wonderland. And lately, he’s been approaching “off with his head” territory.
He hasn’t yet uttered that literal phrase, but he has begun to accuse his critics of treason, which is a crime punishable by death. His Deplorables used to chant “lock her up.” At a rally last month in the Florida panhandle, someone yelled “shoot them,” and the crowd roared its approval. Trump responded with a big smirk.
On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump put his right hand on a Bible (which may have been the only time he ever touched a Bible) and took his oath of office. He swore to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” As it happens, that very Constitution (Article III, section 3) includes a definition of treason: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort."
There’s nothing in the Constitution that makes it illegal to criticize, or even disrespect, the president. “Lese majesty” is only a crime in dictatorships. Nevertheless, if Trump wants to see an example of someone who really fits the definition of treason, all he has to do is look in the mirror. That’s the guy who’s adhering to America’s enemies, giving them aid and comfort – a big part of which consists of Trump’s reckless attempts to turn American foreign policy upside down. He gratuitously insults friendly nations and their leaders. He is chipping away at the post-war security alliances that kept the peace in Europe for seven decades. Who benefits? Nobody but Russia.
Since America has now gone through the looking glass, it is perhaps fitting that the national politician making the most sense about impeachment is a Tea Party Republican, Justin Amash. Meanwhile, Democrats with the clout to start impeachment proceedings appear to be shrinking from the task. I say “appear,” because part of me believes that Nancy Pelosi is steering her caucus towards impeachment while downplaying it publicly. That could be true. On the other hand, she could be as clueless as some of her public statements suggest.
There’s nothing for it but to wait and see. The Watergate scandal had plenty of “damn, he’s going to get away with it” moments. And Watergate, which seemed so complicated at the time, now looks astonishingly straightforward compared to the tangled web that Trump, Putin, and their minions have woven.
Every day brings news of events that are at once perfectly predictable and totally astonishing. The President of the United States has clearly broken the law, but a Justice Department policy forbids anyone from charging him with a crime. His new Attorney General asserts that if there are no criminal charges, there’s nothing to cover up. And if there’s nothing to cover up, then actions that might be considered obstruction of justice under other circumstances are perfectly benign. It’s good to be king.
But as serious as it is, Russian election interference is only part of the problem. Donald Trump is obviously suffering from a variety of health issues that the mainstream press has been reluctant to talk about. It’s all well and good to bemoan “armchair psychoanalysis.” Obviously, the results of an independent medical exam would be ideal. But Trump writes his own annual medical evaluations, and that’s not likely to change unless he suffers a serious health crisis. In the meantime, we have a president who staggers, babbles, slurs his words, and talks nonsense.
When I say that Trump talks nonsense, I don’t mean simply that he says things that are wrong, although of course he does that. But there are plenty of politicians on both ends of the political spectrum who can mount an articulate defense of bad ideas. Trump simply spouts word salad, riffing on his favorite themes, threatening his enemies, and generally making stuff up as he goes along. If he contradicts himself, who cares? He’s a performer, and as long as his fans cheer, he’s happy.
Interrupt his routine, though, and things can go off the rails pretty quickly. When he’s asked to be a statesman, he fails every time. It’s quite remarkable, really, because those sorts of ceremonies shouldn’t be difficult. Trump, like presidents before him, has staff whose business is staging events large and small, from impromptu church drop-ins to elaborate summit meetings with world leaders. I have to assume Trump just won’t listen to their advice. Or maybe he listens but simply can’t retain most of what he’s heard. For whatever reason, Trump reaches a point on most of these trips where he seems confused, as if no one had briefed him what he was supposed to do next. His mental deterioration appears to be getting worse by the day. And most of the national press is either in denial or simply too scared to acknowledge the evidence of their own eyes and ears.
Eventually the dam will break, and some mainstream journalist will summon up the nerve to say the emperor has no clothes. They’d better hurry, though, because Justin Amash is liable to beat them to it.