The mental state of Donald Trump has been precarious for years. He is a diagnosed malignant narcissist with megalomaniacal tendencies. He clings to ignorance and a distorted, fantastical perspective that reinforces his self-delusion. And his stunted, prepubescent emotional maturity only exacerbates the severity of his behavioral problems.
Trump’s infantile antics are routinely displayed in his name-calling and frantic Twitter outbursts. But there are deeper and darker examples of how far he has declined into a psychotic abyss. He is now firmly entrenched in the “bunker mentality” defined by one’s inability to associate with reality. Thus, every word and deed – by himself and others – is assessed by how closely it hews to his derangement. And this manifested in a recent tweet about the media that he fears and despises:
Both Commiecast MSNBC & Fake News CNN are watching their Ratings TANK. Fredo on CNN is dying. Don’t know why @FoxNews wants to be more like them? They’ll all die together as other outlets take their place. Only pro Trump Fox shows do well. Rest are nothing. How’s Shep doing?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
So it’s all there. Childish taunts, nicknames, and wild declarations that his perceived foes will “all die together,” while only his defenders will survive. It’s an embarrassing blast of blather that is hostile, demented, and patently false.
First of all, MSNBC frequently beats Fox News in the ratings. Fredo, Trump’s name for CNN’s Chris Cuomo, has increased viewing since taking over that time period. And former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is probably doing just fine. He’s waiting out his non-compete clause and will then likely be courted by every network.
But of course, Trump singles out Fox News as his most favored media martinet. And he insists that “only pro-Trump Fox shows do well.” That would mean all Fox shows, because they are all pro-Trump, and always there to shield him from his persecutors. Well, almost always.
A new poll just published by Fox News contains some very bad news indeed for Donald Trump. It begins by revealing that a majority of Americans (53%) have an unfavorable view of his job performance. That, despite his relentless self-praise wherein he takes credit for the economy, jobs, make-believe trade and foreign policy treaties, a variety of legislation he had little to do with, and a border wall that hasn’t added a single foot.
The Fox News poll also asked if Trump should be impeached. A solid majority of 54% said that he should be impeached, with 50% saying that he should also be removed from office. That debate is currently raging in the House of Representatives, and will shortly be sent to the Senate. Although the Senate’s role has been largely invalidated by the Republicans who are running the show and have admitted that they are colluding with the White House.
The poll also found that a majority of voters (53%) say that Trump abused his power as president. And significantly more respondents say that Trump also obstructed Congress (48%) and committed bribery (45%), than say that he didn’t. Drilling further into the details, a plurality of voters said that they believe Trump held up military aid to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rivals (47%). And when asked if that was proper for a president to do, they resoundingly said “NO” by a 60%-24% margin.
And that’s not all. The poll found that a majority of 52% said that Trump is not cooperating with the Congressional impeachment inquiry. As for whether the Democrats presiding over the hearings in the House were conducting them fairly, a plurality of voters (45%-42%) said that they were. Voters also regard Republicans as being more partisan. By a 16-point margin they say that Republicans just want to protect Trump rather than believe that what he did is not impeachable. Conversely, they say that Democrats genuinely believe that Trump is guilty, rather than just being interested in hurting him politically.
Here’s some additional poll potpourri: 64% say they are the same, or worse off, since Trump’s election. Which does not bode well for his reelection. 68% favor a wealth tax. 66% want some version of Medicare-for-all. 52% oppose Trump’s border wall. And every candidate the poll pitted against Trump in 2020 beat him.
To be sure, Trump will attack this poll as being biased against him. He has attacked Fox News polling in the past, saying that they “have always been terrible to me.” But that is not only untrue, Trump has frequently praised Fox’s polling when it was positive. This is just another example of Trump’s dissociation from reality. If he encounters something negative, he will criticize it and insist that they’ve always been against him. But when he comes across something positive, he embraces it as irrefutable proof of his awesomeness. That isn’t a sane expression of opinion. It’s an illness. And Trump is getting sicker by the day.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
UPDATE: As I predicted…
The @foxnewPolls, always inaccurate, are heavily weighted toward Dems. So ridiculous – same thing happened in 2016. They got it all wrong. Get a new pollster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
Remember when the Tyrant pulled his own poll selecting the worst news media “and not including Fox”!!
The Tyrant is an embarrassment to this country and our planet.
I can sleep again tonight, knowing that, if correct, there is a chance we will get a new competent and capable president. Of course, the nightmare will start again if it’s Republic Prez, but at least even one those ought to be at least sane.
Anyone running against the Democratic nominee will represent “the Party formerly known as Republican”. I don’t know what name they’ll choose for their attempt to hang onto some power, but, seeing that it will be built around the Fiefdom Caucus, I’m going to call them “the New Monarchists”.
Brilliant.
I’ve been calling them the Tyrant Worshiper Party — there is no republican principle in the Tyrant Worshiper Party, and there hasn’t been since St. Ronnie of Simi Valley. All that’s left is their genuflection before Their Beloved God, the Ayatollah Donnie.
Which is being proven as we head into the impeachment trial. That there will be one seems inevitable. What the Tyrant Worshiper Party will do then will determine the fate of our two-party system once and for all. Personally, I am terrified at the prospect….
I am an Independent voter. Though I would not oppose a Republican president in the future, I would be wary. I don’t believe Republicans are evil. We all need a noble leader who will stand by the American people. Perhaps the party doesn’t matter as much as the morality.
Regarding Fox News viewership.. I usually watch CNN. Sometimes others. But I admit to watching Fox News out of curiosity every now and then. Just because I go to the circus on occasion does not mean I wish to vote clowns into office. I sincerely hope Trump will leave office as a cautionary tale so we can take back our reputation as a great country with a great leader.
The real question is pretty basic: why are Republican congress folks, in the face of irrefutable evidence witnessed by us all in televised hearings, and exhaustively summarized by Adam Schiff’s committee and by Bob Muller’s investigation-convictions-indictments, not willing to do what they know in their hearts to be ?the right thing. Namely, they are not willing to carry out their constitutional obligation of oversight ?on the executive branch when presented with such irrefutable evidence of impeachable behavior by the President. A ?system of ?tripartite checks-and-balances within our government, as plainly mandated by our Constitution, is the true genius of the Founders.?? That the current crop of petty, self-serving, cowardly, and profoundly ?unpatriotic ?Republican Senators and? Republican Members of Congress??? can so readily ignore? our fundamental principle of government, and equally ignore their ?fundamental duty is a true national tragedy. Judging by recent polls, a majority of American voters recognize this egregious and treasonous dereliction of duty by Trumpist Republicans. This preponderant center-right-left majority will ?need to righteously hold these tyrannical Trump-dominated Quislings accountable soon if we are to survive as a representative democracy.?