10 Trump Truths
by R. Owen Williams
In his novel East of Eden, John Steinbeck observed that, sometimes, “men do not trust themselves anymore, and when that happens there is nothing left except perhaps to find some strong sure man, even though he may be wrong, and to dangle from his coattails.” Ignored, disrespected, and effectively disenfranchised, many working-class Americans believe they now have a voice in President Donald Trump. It would be a grave mistake to wait for them to “see the light” and “come to their senses.” To get them back, Democrats must recalibrate per the following ten truths about Trump and today’s political landscape.
The Republican Party we grew up with is dead. It ceased to exist years ago. Don’t expect saner heads to prevail since those have all been decapitated. If the slightest sanity resurfaces, Trump will primary it, fully funded by Elon Musk and his tech bros.
The Trumpian Party consists of two types: the selfish and the stupid, where the former mercilessly manipulates the latter. (Please see postscript.) There is no shortage of millionaires and billionaires who care only about reducing regulation and taxes. There is no shortage of uninformed Americans who refuse to see the truth staring them in the face. There is no shortage of relevant history: rich white people have repeatedly hoodwinked poor white people into believing color matters more than class. True, new evidence suggests that inflation and job security are worse than many pundits assumed, but there is nothing in Project 2025 that will fix either.
Donald Trump is a plutocrat, not a populist. He doesn’t care about the little people; he just promised them whatever was necessary to get their votes. His real agenda is to cut the cost of government so that he doesn’t have to pay for it. It’s really that juvenile.
Donald Trump is a colonizer, not an isolationist. Trump would be only too happy to carve up the world with China and Russia. He will sell out Eastern Europe and Taiwan as quickly as he did Ukraine. Trump’s purge of U.S. military leadership serves as a warning for anyone who doubts the president’s autocratic intentions abroad and at home.
Donald Trump (and his alter ego, Elon Musk) is a grifter who will monetize anything he can get his grubby hands on. His meager-minded campaign for Greenland, Panama, and Canada is more about enhancing his legacy than expanding the nation. Though rest assured, he will also try to make a buck for himself along the way. (Be prepared. Denmark will probably sell Greenland for the right price, and Panama won’t be able to resist if the U.S. military shows up at their door. Canadians, by contrast, know a scam when they see one.)
Donald Trump is worse than a narcissist; he’s a solipsist and, more recently, a self-proclaimed oracle. The world has been devoured by Trump’s appetite for attention, leaving him comfy and cozy in a world of his own making, except when needed as God’s messenger. The relentless self-serving craziness (executive orders ad nauseam) is tactical, as spelled out by Steve Bannon, intended to “flood the zone,” to confuse us and divert our attention. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth almost immediately got himself into hot water, not for his incompetence relating to Ukraine, but because he stole the limelight from the boss.
Donald Trump will run for a third term, assuming he isn’t thrown out of this one. It won’t work to cry “constitutional crisis” and suggest “he can’t do that.” Apart from that loyalty oath, in Trumpland, there are no rules.
Donald Trump’s base is more troubled by liberals at home than dictators abroad. For that matter, they don’t care about much of anything abroad. Here at home, they want a white Christian nation that, oh by the way, is disproportionately funded by diverse blue-state dollars. Nine out of ten Trumpians have no idea about the actual purpose/meaning of DEI; they just want to return to a world where gays and transgendered people live in the closet.
The Democratic Party cannot defend civilization through civility, cannot protect protocol through proper behavior, and cannot hope to set a good example. There is a new sheriff in town, and he’s armed with his own rules (again, best understood as “no rules”). You’ve seen what happens when they go low and we go high: Democrats get kneecapped.
Worst of all, there will be no cavalry. Not the Supreme Court, not Congress, not the Constitution, and certainly not shame. Trump and his minions are utterly shameless, and they have no respect for the rule of law, best evidenced by his pardon of Jan 6ers. Now that Congress has been neutered, Trumpians are banking on something the Founding Fathers fully understood: the judiciary is “the least dangerous branch,” lacking the power of purse and military might.
Every day, Donald Trump crosses the line, you know, the line no one is supposed to cross without paying the price. But there he is, getting away with it, over and over and over again. America has never seen a liar, cheater, or con man quite like Donald Trump.
Trump poses an existential threat to our democracy, yet that doesn’t seem to matter to people fed up with higher prices and political correctness. Trump also poses an existential threat to world order, as seen in his ridiculous revisionist history regarding Ukraine. It doesn’t help that the mainstream press relishes the profitability of his antics. But, take note, Trump’s shock and awe are shriveling toward business as usual.
By getting sucked into the rapidly spiraling vortex of Trump’s ceaseless lies and craziness, Democrats relinquish the opportunity to overcome him. The Democratic Party’s worst enemy is too often the Democratic Party. While true, it has not worked to point out that if Trump’s mouth is open, he’s lying. Stop him in court, if possible, but when it comes to the nonsense he spews, the best way to defeat a narcissistic con artist is to ignore him. Forget about slaying every dragon he unleashes. Bring out the offense.
Instead of focusing on abstract matters like democracy and constitutionalism, important as those obviously are, Democrats should offer clearly stated, practical solutions to everyday problems. As much as the party understandably wants to hammer away at Trump’s autocratic actions, without the (unlikely) support of some Republicans, the best Democrats can do is focus on the vitally important mid-term elections. Pick three to five issues that matter to the greatest number of our fellow citizens, create a straightforward, non-patronizing platform of solutions and selling points, and then stick to the script. The time has come to redirect, to point a clear and compelling way forward…to a future where Americans are not left dangling.
P.S. I am of two minds concerning words like “stupid.” On the one hand, it is hard not to pull your hair out at the blind obedience of Trumpians. On the other hand, inflammatory language is unhelpful, especially when the people dubbed stupid are killing themselves to make ends meet. Polarizing language begets polarized politics. The point here is that if Democrats are so damn smart, develop concrete and compelling ways to educate America, address immigration and the environment, or reduce inflation, homelessness, and crime. Don’t try to do it all. Determine what matters to the most people and present a plan, soon. Without that, the crazy won’t stop.
Agee. But I think the focus on the mid-terms is misplaced, given that our voting apparatus is either compromised or suppressed. We’re not going to vote our way out of this mess. Biden was an anomaly and the GOP cheaters will never allow that to happen again.
Dr Williams, where have you been all my life. Not to overstate the matter, but I read A LOT and your piece is the most complete and succinct description of our current state of affairs ever. I guess those with the ears to hear, and the eyes to see, will hear you and see the truth. I only wish there were more of us.