On Thursday Donald Trump held the latest of his White Nationalist Cult Rallies in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was a routine outing wherein he regaled his disciples with the same old playlist of rancor and lies that comprise every Trump event. Apparently the StormTrumpers never tire of hearing him call Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas, promise to build a an idiotic wall on the southern border, lie about Democrats, and brag about himself for things he never did.
Another staple of Trump’s rally protocol is to deliver post-event reports about how awesome and beloved he is. The size of his crowds has been an obsession since the pitiful attendance at his inauguration. Judging by the attention that he continues to pay to this self-flattery, it’s more important than anything he says in his rambling, mostly incoherent speeches. And the aftermath of this address was no different. In an attempt to create a false impression of his indomitable popularity, it was not sufficient to post a single boastful tweet. No, it took five frantic tweets for Trump to hail the worshipful adulation of his cult followers.
The tweets covered a variety of egocentric obsessions including: a general thanks for showing up; a specious claim to record breaking attendance; another false assertion that the “Placed (sic) was maxed out”; a command to look at what he vainly called “tremendous overflow“; and finally, he reiterated, without evidence, that he had drawn the “Biggest crowd EVER,” while also whining about the media coverage, which he said was “fake” and the work of “the enemy of the people.”
Needless to say, Trump was lying about his “maxed out” crowd. And the proof of that was in video images on Fox News of empty seats directly behind him as he was speaking. Another notable problem with these tweets is that they violate federal law. While Trump is allowed to hold campaign rallies, his Twitter feed is an official platform of White House business. As such it cannot be used for politicking. Not that federal law would deter a recidivist criminal like Trump.
There is good reason for a sick braggart like Trump to be plagued by – and over-compensating for – his own inadequacies. A recent poll by his pals at Fox News found that the top four candidates for the Democratic nomination for president (Biden, Warren, Sanders, and Harris) handily beat Trump in 2020 general election match ups. In fact, Trump doesn’t even break 40 percent. He’s also trying to avoid the reality that his failed economic policies are leading the nation into the Trump Recession. All of this portends disaster for the Trump reelection effort.
Still, with the abundance of bad news that surrounds him, you have to wonder what sort of deranged mind is so singularly focused on persuading everyone that he is the subject of undying adoration. Rather than present himself as a competent steward of the government who is working hard to make things better, Trump is singing his own praises as a public attraction. This is a holdover neuroses from being a reality TV personality. Even worse, it’s Trump’s malignant narcissism that drives him to such humiliating gestures of self-acclaim.
A garden variety egotist would be satisfied with others paying him tribute. But Trump surpassed that level of psychosis decades ago. He’s a knotted ball of insecurities who knows deep down that he’s an incompetent failure. And that suppressed knowledge dooms him to an existence of flaccid impotence as a leader and a man. The problem is that it’s also hurting an entire nation of innocent victims of his ignorance and misdirected vengeance. Hopefully, we won’t have to stand for that much longer. If Trump isn’t impeached, he is likely going to suffer the ultimate humiliation when he’s voted out of office and indicted for crimes against America.
UPDATE: On Saturday afternoon Trump added fourteen (14!) more self-congratulatory tweets, mostly from random, anonymous fans slobbering over him. He’s even sicker than I thought.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.