For crying out loud! Like the hero of “Ubu Roi” the absurdist play by Alfred Jarry, Ubu-Trump adds to his store of ridiculous statements every day. The impeachment inquiry, which the Democrats launched as a result of his phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is turning up the volume of his vengeful wrath. The man in the White House is suspected of having sought Ukraine’s aid in investigating the local business dealings of the son Joe Biden, his Democratic presidential rival.
But if @realDonaldTrump belches forth a little more each day on Twitter, it’s not only due to his desire to be provocative. Trump and his allies are deliberately exploiting a conspiratorial divide in American society that has served them well until now. Its plot: Trump is the hero who makes America great again and serves the people. All those who disagree with him are idiots blinded by partisanship, or even traitors plotting against their homeland!
A Paranoid Fable
Does Trump really believe this paranoid fable? No one knows. However, the use of conspiracy and intimidation are revealed in everything he does. One day, Trump tweeted: “How do you impeach a President who has created the greatest Economy in the history of our Country?” His implication was that irrespective of his actions, he is the winner, so leave him alone! During a press conference the following day with the Finnish president who didn’t know where to stand, Trump evaded persistent questioning from a Reuters reporter with an “Are you talking to me?” worthy of Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver.”
One of Trump’s exaggerated political advertisements draws from the movie “Mr. Nice Guy,” depicting Trump as the person who renegotiates bad trade treaties, defends the border and creates jobs, comparing the scene to the movie “The Swamp,” which shows a hateful Democratic quagmire trying to bring him down. Trump frantically retweets Fox and Breitbart editorials accusing the “do nothing Democrats” of mounting a “witch hunt” which is a “lie” and a “scam.” Yet ironically, Trump sees nothing wrong with asking foreign leaders to investigate his political rivals, both in private and in public. He has even repeated that China “should start an investigation into the Bidens!”
Trump Demolishes Diplomatic Protocol
Thus, Trump spends his time demolishing diplomatic protocol. According to The Washington Post, he repeatedly promised Saudi Arabia that he would help secure its admission to the Group of Seven major industrial nations, congratulated Filipino strongman Rodrigo Duterte, who has executed thousands of his citizens without trial, for his “great job on the drug problem,” [asked Vladimir Putin for advice on how best to mollify North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and much more.
Dissenting voices beware! Those who do not approve of this brilliant’s president’s actions 100% are “liars,” “swindlers” and “corrupt.” This includes Republicans. Therefore, if Mitt Romney declares that he is shocked by the conversation with Zelenskiy, he gets characterized as a “pompous ass” who doesn’t even know how to win an election.
From everything we can see, Trump’s conspiratorial style is deeply dividing the American public. According to the site FiveThirtyEight, more than 53% of Americans disapprove of his policies, with 46.5% favoring impeachment and 44.7% against it. Unsurprisingly, the Republicans, who hold a majority in the Senate, overwhelmingly support the president, which could prevent conviction on impeachment charges. As long as the GOP assembles behind him and the economy holds steady, Trump will remain in office, and even, who knows, be reelected in November 2020.
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