Trump Continues to Show Us Who He Is
No Mask of "Deals" To Cover the Face of Incompetence
Trump's "90-deals-in-90-days" was supposed to supply him with 90 days to "prove" that he's a canny, competent leader who's playing 9-level chess while everyone else is playing, pitifully of course, at … er, something.
Alas, the now renamed to "1-deal-in-90-days" program did not deliver to the carnival barker enough content to lie about. Trump TACO’d the 90-day deadline, reassuring only the near-term investors in the stock markets.
So, we're back to listening to Trump's "gut" unadorned by external factors like groveling heads of state. Tariff this and tariff that will have to substitute for the desired aura of "Deals!".
The Problem with Feeding the Devoted
Yet, the promise of these performances were fed to the Devoted like appetizers to alligators. The Devoted are pissed. Even their Epstein salads have been replaced by an "hors d'euvre to be named later”. MAGA's kitchen fires are lit, but there's nothing to cook.
Appetites are growing.
Flailing and Other Exercises
Trump's "obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capacity is an assertion that is evaporating in gusts of daily reality. Peace in Gaza - two words which pose as enemies when included in the same sentence - also evaporated when Bibi came to understand that he would need to surrender power. No Biden he, Bibi opted to return to his many, many, wars.
Trump, purposely lacking Competent staff, bumbles on. An anti-Midas, everything Trump touches turns to rot. Trump in an ever-groping pose for "more", gropes on: Tariff Brazil! Tariff Mexico! Tariff Canada! Trump’s vociferous flailing provides training to other nation’s leaders. Training on how to temper agreements with he who epitomizes instability. US resilience ebbs.
Trump-competence
The carnival’s performances are not closing, they are not even opening. This reality is met by Trump spewing his Tariff-Touretts in Gattling-like emissions in a bid for attention. These are Trump’s attempts to find purchase on the slippery slope of power. Power throws no lifelines.
Ukraine, a problem the US has had the means to solve for years, may present Trump with his only real opportunity for victory. (Or whatever victory means to a carnival barker.) Trump has proactively developed an allergy to aiding Ukraine because doing so forces him to reject his “wisdom” about Putin. Trump does not care about Ukrainians. Trump cares about being seen making “deals”. Trump, if past performance is an indicator of future success, will likely fumble Ukraine as well.
Incompetence, aka: Trump-competence, permeates the globe. Trump-competence in retrospect will include a drawing of Trump feeding the US into history’s wood-chipper. We have empowered the carelessly malevolent, and like the National Debt, this epic political debt will be borne by tomorrow’s Americans.
Trump-competence is showing up more and more in American life. It did not cause the flooding in Texas, but it made it just that much worse. It did not cause the US debt crisis, it just made it that much worse. It did not cause the war in Ukraine, it just makes it that much worse.
Upcoming elections offer Americans what democracy can, opportunities to change course. Fixing this mess is another, more expensive matter.