Trump, Macho Macho Victim
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Maureen Dowd
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243
By Maureen Dowd
Opinion Columnist
WASHINGTON â Among many remarkable moments in the past few days, this was my favorite: Donald Trump finally acknowledged that Joe Biden is the president.
Our most notorious election denier revealed that he doesnât really believe the election was stolen from him. Because if he were the Sitting President, as his QAnon followers like to call him, he wouldnât need to run for president.
In a Maryland suburb I covered long ago, a fire chief and his deputy were accused of arson. âFirefighter arsonâ is actually a term, with its own Wikipedia entry, because it happens more often than you might think.
Thatâs what Trump sounded like, in his announcement speech, when he said he would âbring back honesty, confidence, and trust in our elections.â The arsonist seeking a job as a firefighter. He is the liar and con man who undermined confidence in our elections. All that baloney about rigged voting has only hurt Republican participation and swung independents and even some Republicans who were sick of Trump to Democrats. But he doesnât care, so long as he can deflect the blame for his loss.
âAs I have said before, the gravest threats to our civilization are not from abroad, but from within,â Trump said at his flaccid, whiny announcement Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago.
That is actually true, but only because Trump exploited every dark division and base impulse he could find. He would rather blow up our democracy than admit heâs a loser, and that makes him a traitor.
Trump flaunts his faux Macho Macho Man rhetoric. For decades, Republicans have lectured Americans to quit embracing victimhood and stand on their own two feet, and hereâs their leader announcing his presidency on a platform of Woe is me! Quit picking on me! Elect me because Iâm a fall guy!
âI will tell you Iâm a victim,â Trump said to a less-than-festive gathering where Melania seemed like a hostage and Ivanka was a no-show.
His vision was not exactly uplifting: âWe will be attacked. We will be slandered. We will be persecuted just as I have been.â It made âAmerican carnageâ seem like âRoman Holiday.â
Trumpâs martyrdom extends to his life with Melania in an oceanside resort, which he said, âhasnât been the easiest thing.â
âI go home,â he said, âand she says, âYou look angry and upset.â I say, âJust leave me alone.ââ Fun couple!
It wasnât really an announcement so much as another Trump scam to fend off prosecutions and to keep raising money from his supporters.
Trump is no victim. He creates victims. Trump is the first former president subjected to a special counsel investigation into whether he masterminded a coup attempt.
Thatâs mind-blowing, especially since heâs running for president again.
On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland tried to remove politics from an inherently political process by appointing Jack Smith as a special counsel to determine âwhether any person or entity unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the electoral college vote held on or about Jan. 6, 2021.â
Fee-fi-fo-fum, Jack stalks Trump to see if he did something dumb. (The reason it is âaboutâ Jan. 6 could be because the Trump-provoked riot at the Capitol pushed the certification into Jan. 7.)
Smith will also run the investigation, as Garland said, âinvolving classified documents and other presidential records, as well as the possible obstruction of that investigation.â
Trump told Fox News that he âwonât partakeâ in the investigation, as if it were a breakfast buffet at Mar-a-Lago that heâs skipping.
Special counsels arenât so special anymore. Bill Clinton survived the Peeping Tom counsel, Kenneth Starr. Trump survived the investigation of Robert Mueller, which concluded without a clear resolution. Not surprisingly, John Durhamâs effort to discredit that investigation, which started out with a bad intent, has totally fizzled.
Even though Jack Smith, who used to run the Justice Departmentâs public integrity section, issued a statement on Friday promising to âexercise independent judgment,â Trump supporters are never going to buy that. And Trump will inflame them by playing the victim, even though heâs the culprit.
Republicans had to pause from plotting their own investigations of Democrats to ponder the news of a new one on Trump. Lyinâ Ted Cruz was first out of the box with his tweet that Biden had weaponized the D.O.J.: âThis is Trump derangement syndrome but this time with a gun and badge.â Smith looks a little Eliot Nessy, but heâll probably be working unarmed.
Garland obviously is trying to avoid the decision of whether or not to charge a past president. But the fundamental point is this: Just because Trump anointed himself a candidate, he shouldnât be Untouchable.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Weâd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And hereâs our email: letters@nytimes.com .
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Advertisement. Supported by. Maureen Dowd. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Give this article Give this article Give this article. Send any friend a story. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. 243. By Maureen Dowd. Opinion Columnist. WASHINGTON â Among many remarkable moments in the past few days, this was my favorite: Donald Trump finally acknowledged that Joe Biden is the president. Our most notorious election denier revealed that he doesnât really believe the election was stolen from him. Because if he were the Sitting President, as his QAnon followers like to call him, he wouldnât need to run for president. In a Maryland suburb I covered long ago, a fire chief and his deputy were accused of arson. âFirefighter arsonâ is actually a term, with its own Wikipedia entry, because it happens more often than you might think. Thatâs what Trump sounded like, in his announcement speech, when he said he would âbring back honesty, confidence, and trust in our elections.â The arsonist seeking a job as a firefighter. He is the liar and con man who undermined confidence in our elections. All that baloney about rigged voting has only hurt Republican participation and swung independents and even some Republicans who were sick of Trump to Democrats. But he doesnât care, so long as he can deflect the blame for his loss. âAs I have said before, the gravest threats to our civilization are not from abroad, but from within,â Trump said at his flaccid, whiny announcement Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago. That is actually true, but only because Trump exploited every dark division and base impulse he could find. He would rather blow up our democracy than admit heâs a loser, and that makes him a traitor. Trump flaunts his faux Macho Macho Man rhetoric. For decades, Republicans have lectured Americans to quit embracing victimhood and stand on their own two feet, and hereâs their leader announcing his presidency on a platform of Woe is me! Quit picking on me! Elect me because Iâm a fall guy! âI will tell you Iâm a victim,â Trump said to a less-than-festive gathering where Melania seemed like a hostage and Ivanka was a no-show. His vision was not exactly uplifting: âWe will be attacked. We will be slandered. We will be persecuted just as I have been.â It made âAmerican carnageâ seem like âRoman Holiday.â Trumpâs martyrdom extends to his life with Melania in an oceanside resort, which he said, âhasnât been the easiest thing.â âI go home,â he said, âand she says, âYou look angry and upset.â I say, âJust leave me alone.ââ Fun couple! It wasnât really an announcement so much as another Trump scam to fend off prosecutions and to keep raising money from his supporters. Trump is no victim. He creates victims. Trump is the first former president subjected to a special counsel investigation into whether he masterminded a coup attempt. Thatâs mind-blowing, especially since heâs running for president again. On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland tried to remove politics from an inherently political process by appointing Jack Smith as a special counsel to determine âwhether any person or entity unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the electoral college vote held on or about Jan. 6, 2021.â Fee-fi-fo-fum, Jack stalks Trump to see if he did something dumb. (The reason it is âaboutâ Jan. 6 could be because the Trump-provoked riot at the Capitol pushed the certification into Jan. 7.) Smith will also run the investigation, as Garland said, âinvolving classified documents and other presidential records, as well as the possible obstruction of that investigation.â Trump told Fox News that he âwonât partakeâ in the investigation, as if it were a breakfast buffet at Mar-a-Lago that heâs skipping. Special counsels arenât so special anymore. Bill Clinton survived the Peeping Tom counsel, Kenneth Starr. Trump survived the investigation of Robert Mueller, which concluded without a clear resolution. Not surprisingly, John Durhamâs effort to discredit that investigation, which started out with a bad intent, has totally fizzled. Even though Jack Smith, who used to run the Justice Departmentâs public integrity section, issued a statement on Friday promising to âexercise independent judgment,â Trump supporters are never going to buy that. And Trump will inflame them by playing the victim, even though heâs the culprit. Republicans had to pause from plotting their own investigations of Democrats to ponder the news of a new one on Trump. Lyinâ Ted Cruz was first out of the box with his tweet that Biden had weaponized the D.O.J.: âThis is Trump derangement syndrome but this time with a gun and badge.â Smith looks a little Eliot Nessy, but heâll probably be working unarmed. Garland obviously is trying to avoid the decision of whether or not to charge a past president. But the fundamental point is this: Just because Trump anointed himself a candidate, he shouldnât be Untouchable. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Weâd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And hereâs our email: letters@nytimes.com . Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram . Advertisement.