In my previous commentary, I said that President Trump’s dismissal of MAGA America was wrong. Not only is he not blowing them away; He doubled the number of appointments to key positions in the government. There is no need to remind this audience of the abysmal lack of qualifications in his nominees for Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence, just to name a few. As I record this, one person has already declined due to a sex scandal.
Why would Trump do this? Because he can do it. If you are a U.S. citizen and 35 years old (required since you are a potential presidential successor), you may be nominated, which is good reason to screen your call. You’re much more likely to get this call if you’ve publicly shown your loyalty to him, especially if you’ve previously been a critic and then put him down. If not, you will not receive this call.
Much of what President Trump is doing is staged, and some of his nominees may not be approved by the Senate. Senators are already feeling the pressure. John Cornyn of Texas questioned one of the candidates and was told that if he voted against him, he would come in third in the primary when he runs for re-election in 2026. Mr. Cornyn should take this threat seriously. MAGA America is full of people with money, know-how, and serious goals.
Why did Trump win? I learn a lot about American politics from my students. One of the assignments I gave my American Government students couldn’t be graded until after the election. In this paper, one student says of peer influencers: Its tenets are: I have to vote for the cheater. ” Catchy, right? And it’s right there. Given the economy, 34 felony convictions, and character issues, vote for Mr. Colorful.
When the major candidates began to be announced in mid-November, one of my students mentioned in class that the number one trending topic on social media was “Can I change my vote?” Ta.
And the old evangelical standby: Trump is God’s instrument on earth, perfected by his great sinfulness, almost a martyr.
Conservative New York Times columnist David French said of the November 18 nomination: Donald Trump is sowing the seeds of his own political demise. ”
The Frenchman’s assessment is premature, no matter how you look at it. Trump is not interested in politics. He’s not going to jail. He will become richer. He would be front page news every day. Life is good. If he “flooded the zone with manure,” in the words of the right-wing provocateur Steve Bannon, whom I sanitized, he would be in the hourly headlines. Certainly he will influence politics, but most of all.
And as for his controversial nomination, he’s only just getting started. Just wait until January 20th, when he will become a “day one dictator”. The 80’s rock group Bachman Turner Overdrive has a great song called “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” Remember that great guitar riff? But I digress.
Beppe Severnini is an Italian journalist who writes about the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of President Trump’s models. Severnini has a very keen eye for dictators who, after disappointments and failures, say: I told you who I was and you enthusiastically voted for me. Shut up and stay well. ”
