Make the
Asshole
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Bill Press: The bloom is coming off the Trump rose
Bill Press, Tribune Content Agency
Among political pundits, and probably among most of you, dear readers, I stand alone. I don’t buy the invincibility of Donald Trump nor the inevitability of his return to power.
In fact, I’m the only person I know who believes that (a) despite all his teasing, Trump will not run again for president in 2024; and (b) if he does, he’ll lose worse than he did in 2020. And, just for the record, Trump did lose to Joe Biden, by almost 7 million votes. It wasn’t even close.
Of course, I realize, that’s not the view of most political journalists. They relish the image of King Donald, sitting on his throne in Mar-A-Lago, snapping his fingers, and spitting out orders which Republicans nationwide, scared of crossing him, dutifully follow. But take a closer look. That’s not what’s happening.
Start with Virginia. Yes, Republican Glenn Youngkin pulled off a surprise win against former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe. But how’d he do it? Not by running toward Donald Trump, but by running away from him. Youngkin begged Trump not to campaign for him in Virginia. When Trump endorsed him by video at a campaign rally, Youngkin didn’t even show up. Only by publicly distancing himself from Trump was Youngkin able to win in Virginia – and Jack Ciattarelli almost able to win in New Jersey.
Next, consider Republicans in Congress. Everybody rolled their eyes when Joe Biden claimed he could line up Republican votes for a big infrastructure bill. Yeah, over Donald Trump’s dead body, they laughed. But look what happened. Donald Trump ordered Republicans not to vote for the bill. He derided as “RINO” – Republican in Name Only - anybody who’d think of voting with Biden. Nevertheless, 19 Republican senators, including GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, and 13 Members of the House defied Trump and voted for the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – the largest public investment since President Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System in 1956. And what can Trump do about it? Nothing!
Also from his perch in Mar-A-Lago, looking ahead to 2022, Trump’s playing kingmaker: anointing his own choices for Senate and gubernatorial races and expecting all Republicans to agree. Which is not working out as planned. Sean Parnell, Trump’s endorsed candidate for Senate, was in court this week charged with physically abusing his wife and children. Herschel Walker, Trump’s pick in Georgia, has also been accused of domestic violence. Despite Trump’s endorsement, Republican leaders in both states are looking for more viable candidates.
Finally, there are Trump’s mounting legal problems. In the weeks following the November 3, 2020, election, Trump filed dozens of lawsuits alleging election fraud. And yet, as President Biden correctly noted, “In more than 60 cases, judges looked at the allegations that Trump was making and determined they were without any merit.”
But that’s just for starters. For Trump, it’s been downhill ever since. This week alone, Trump suffered five serious legal setbacks. On November 9, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel reported that 13 senior Trump officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, counselor Kellyanne Conway, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany – had violated the Hatch Act. That same day, in biting language, a federal judge rejected Trump’s attempt to block the National Archives from turning over key documents to the House Special Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President,” ruled Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Earlier in the week, the Select Committee subpoenaed 16 former Trump aides, including McEnany, senior adviser Stephen Miller, and campaign staffer Jason Miller - to testify about their role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. That’s in addition to 19 subpoenas already issued to Meadows, former adviser Steve Bannon, and others.
For Trump himself, the legal vice is also closing. A second grand jury’s been empaneled in the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into financial wrongdoing by the Trump Organization. And the New York Times reports that Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis will soon empanel a special grand jury to investigate criminal election interference by Trump in Georgia.
All of which tells me the bloom is starting to come off the Trump rose. So, cheer up. The way things are going, Trump’s losing clout by the day. By 2024, he’ll be so damaged Republicans will eagerly look for somebody else to be the party’s nominee, leaving Donald Trump on the sidelines. Assuming he’s not already behind bars.
LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP!
