Whether digging in or resigning, horrendous smack downs will blight Trump, assuming mental illness doesn’t strike first
As support vaporizes, how much anguish and humiliation can a fragile, spoiled, cornered, image-obsessed figure of ridicule take? Can what Trump laughably threatens others come to pass – “regime change”? We could be talking months, not years as doubts grow the clueless WH poseur runs out the clock. As the public recoils at one more week of steroidal Trumpism, by early 2027 relentless House Democrats will begin their comeuppance march against years of calamitous mis-governance. Worse tidings still if Dems take the Senate, now above 50% IMO.
The past, unbelievable PR leverage from over-the-top lying is crashing thanks to the most ludicrous recent onslaught of mendacity since O.J. Simpson – or that slew of hypocritical Supreme Court nominees. A smarter con man than Trump would not maniacally overplay his hand, mouthing absurd whoppers about six year old elections, total denial of bottom-busting polling, inflated gas and grocery surges, stunningly discredited tariffs, and worst of all: crazed delusions the US “defeated” Iran, all evidence to the contrary and crowned with a mammoth arms bill. Even dim MAGA bulbs get the vast magnitude of today’s con job.
Soon enough, an empowered Democratic Congress will stymy more wasted billions for stupid wars and defy funding for abusive Trump programs that terrorize multitudes, spanning violated rights, majority rule, and the unConstitutional coup by which MAGA unilaterally rules everything. Does Trump have the mental rigor, if not solid self-esteem, to ward off a two-year barrage to rescind MAGA misrule? How about monthly impeachments and censure motions, protections of media and past officials from weaponized indictments, rejection of atrocious cabinet clowns, even protection of federal judges. When motivated, an empowered Congress can face down the most lawless of rogue presidents. Ego won’t resupply wasted arms.
Tradeoffs are real and inevitable
Clearly, staying put delivers two strong payoffs for this virtual prison escapee: 1) deflecting personal legal indictments galore; and 2) keeping the spigot open for graft, bullying, bribery, blackmail, and related corruption. The longer Trump stays, the greater the payola and theft of public billions. On the other hand, how would two years of ceaseless, in-your -face, legacy-blasting degrade Trump and the family name as viable political/business brands? That global loss could dwarf legal costs and penalties. How much pressure breaks the bank, let alone cementing for all time this presidency as the worst ever, indeed the worst imaginable? Trump is celebrated for his thin skin and raging outbursts (private and public), super-sensitivity to put-downs, and dread he will be openly displayed as the nakedest, grossest loser Emperor ever? Stronger folks in better mental condition have cracked under less. Trump is not rational on good days, if any, and more, very bad days loom. So what happens when he completely loses it on camera, lashing out and shredding his persona as being in charge?
Odds are high (and amping up) that House Democrats will rout cowardly, do-nothing lackey Repubs this November. Dem winners will then ride an explosion of disgust, even hatred against MAGA Trump’s mindless demolition of American prosperity and socio-economic mobility – plus hard-won legal and civil rights. Empowered Dem conquistadors will besiege MAGA and TACO infamies, exposing every intentional obstacle to progress and Constitutional government, if not civilization.
So Trump is cornered whatever happens: either constant harassment of lawless misrule, blowing up his highly-valued legacy OR a life-long barrage of legal challenges that could remove much of his ill-won graft, even his freedom of movement (with gold ankle bracelets weighing down his rotundity). From weeks after a Trump resignation until doomsday, the world will stare, open-mouthed, at the circus of the most vulnerable boxer climbing into a heavyweight prosecutorial ring. His record on escaping evidence-loaded convictions, when not president, is very mixed; add in hundreds of millions in legal fees, let alone fines when a career of Trumpian grandstanding is judged felonious outlawry. The big (non-protected) Jan. 6 lawsuit continues apace.
That prospect, like hanging per Samuel Johnson, focuses the mind – and should keep this pathetic specimen busy until truly a babbling incoherent. In short, the future for MAGA and Trump and children promises to be a perpetual legal soap opera that dramatizes the forces of justice vs. a sleazy billionaire’s maneuvers to obstruct, delay and blunt law and order. Look at the good news: enough confirmed calumny plus convictions plus sentencing will decimate worldwide Trump business leverage as potently as MAGA Trump has destroyed America. Not a fair exchange but justice for rich criminals always brings up the rear.
The horror show ain’t leaving, punishment aside
If Trump leaves before the end, what would another MAGA buffoon face? What would suddenly change? Not extended, war-ravaged inflation or higher gas prices, supply-driven consumer shortages, not permanent domestic and international fallout from the Iranian calamity, nor relief from tariff madness, not recession fears, nor the end of the Epstein file extravaganza. Fallout from Iraq and Vietnam lasted decades. In short, even early departure doesn’t drastically change fortunes for any MAGA White House until well after a Democratic Congress, if it can, eviscerates the worst nightmare outcomes. Though cornered and blooded, Trump and family also could have MORE covert skeletons in the closet, a heart-warming prospect.
Even in the short run, enormous downsides from economic and overseas prestige fallout, as in lost tourist billions and lost business and trade are already mounting. Does anyone think foreigners would passively accept totally counterproductive Trump barrages against NATO, treaties, Europe, Africa, Cuba and South America – plus Canada, Greenland, Denmark and Venezuela? We’re talking decades of anti-American hostility, too expensive even to estimate. Of equal duration, how long before a sane, less partisan, less destructive Supreme Court happens? Big 2028 progressive wins could push to add SC justices.
Final complication: judging by the last six months, Trump will be in even worse shape, physically and mentally, by the mid-terms, even worse next year. Talk about your perfect storm: exploding, unfixable disapprovals, more incredibly tin-ear ineptitude against solid majority views (especially independents), and predictably even more no-win saber-rattling (desperation will seek out distractions). Let’s not forget Black Swans that cause chaos and incite blunders by gross incompetents (as with pandemics, climate change, alternative energy technology, ignorance about tariffs, or shredding science research).
All in all, MAGA Trump has boxed itself, devoid of the will or awareness or means to self-correct. This is characteristic of stupid partisans, so locked into self-righteousness they must be right all the time, thus opposition is rebuffed as demonic or treasonous, from “low IQ” losers. Enough voters have already decided “low IQ” MAGA Trump buffoons are crushing life-styles, living conditions and economic choices for the bottom 90%. Only full exposure and full mortification of this benighted movement removes the threat.
P.S. For a terrific, related satiric home run, check out Kimmel’s funny, biting monologue at the end. Final two minutes pitch the mock drug “Rezyne” – one comic way to resolve Trump’s immediate plight as an overwhelmed, senility-plagued misfit well past his pull date.
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