From the beginning of Donald Trump’s ludicrous pursuit of the presidency, his glaring lack of even a hint of knowledge about any of the duties and responsibilities of the office has been painfully obvious. His remarks on the economy, healthcare, trade, immigration, and especially foreign affairs have been a window into the abyss of prideful idiocy.

For the most part, Trump has dodged most questions on the pressing matters of governing by either diverting to irrelevancies like his standing in the polls, or by relying on bumper sticker platitudes that are thoroughly lacking in substance. His standard policy statement is generally a hollow declaration that he will end terrorism by ending it, or that he will eliminate the deficit by eliminating it. And always there is the boast that he is the only human being capable of producing those results, even though he can’t say how he would do so.

A couple of recent interviews have exposed Trump for the phony braggart that he is. Both the Washington Post and the New York Times provided him with an opportunity to elaborate on his policies. And in both cases he embarrassed himself by not being able to address any topic with anything resembling coherence.

The reviews of these interviews were universally negative, with some expressing surprise at how badly he flopped. The common denominator in the critiques is that Trump is evasive and uninformed. Andrea Mitchell of NBC News said that “When he doesn’t know something, he just changes the subject, makes it all about himself. […] He is completely uneducated about any part of the world.” The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson said that “Donald Trump’s ignorance of government policy, both foreign and domestic, is breathtaking.” CNN’s Tara Setmayer said that “he’s deflecting from the fact that he is wholly unqualified to handle the real issues facing America.” Max Boot, conservative fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations said that “Trump is the most radical and most ignorant major-party presidential candidate in our history.” And it goes on.

Well now we have confirmation from Trump himself. The man who has bragged that “My primary consultant is myself” because “I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things,” spoke with Milwaukee radio host Charlie Sykes and displayed the very same cluelessness that he did with the Washington Post and the New York Times. But he went even further to define himself in terms that are effectively admissions of his own issue illiteracy.

When asked by Sykes to explain his abhorrent remarks directed at women, Trump replied that “I never thought I would run for office,” implying that it’s acceptable to malign women so long as you’re a just a businessman or a television personality or in any profession other than politics. Even worse, Trump’s reply to Sykes’ inquiry about his contradictory stances on issues like single-payer healthcare, abortion rights, and gun control, was that “As a businessman, I never even thought of many of the things you’re talking about.”

Let’s just set aside the fact that any responsible citizen would have given thought to issues. Considering that Trump was a businessman a mere nine months ago, this comment ought to be troubling to anyone considering supporting him. He is saying that matters of war, terrorism, public safety, economics, abortion, immigration, education, civil rights, etc., had not crossed his mind until less than a year ago. In light of that total lack of preparation for the job he’s seeking, it isn’t surprising that he has proven to be a world-class idiot.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The only thing worse than Trump’s obvious intellectual infirmity is the fact that there are substantial numbers of Republicans who are still willing to back his campaign. GOP voters, office holders, and candidates seem ready to disregard his dangerous weakness on critical matters including nuclear proliferation, national defense, and a plethora of pressing domestic affairs. They appear to be perfectly happy to nominate and vote for a man who admits that he’s a moron. Which makes them just as stupid as he is. The voters will have a chance to redeem themselves come election time. But Republican Party regulars and candidates need to disavow Trump now. If not for his boorish behavior, advocacy of violence, racism, and misogyny, than for his inability to comprehend any of the issues that a president must face.