“L'État, c'est moi”
Trump supporters rush to make their dire predictions come true
When the news channels announced the 34 guilty convictions against former Donald Trump, I was both happy and sad. Happy that our system worked, that a person who spent a lifetime bending and breaking the rules was finally being held accountable, and that the trial itself had ended without any vigilante deciding to take out one of the people involved.
That may sound overly dramatic. Given the state or our nation, I don’t think it is. Trump’s followers are fed a constant media diet of outrage and grievance, and many of them are heavily armed.
But I was also sad that our nation is at this point. Again.
It’s just been one sad moment after another ever since a reality TV star and shady real estate developer floated down an escalator and declared he was running for president because evil brown people were invading our country.
We should have no illusions: this is not the fatal blow it should be regarding the presidential race of 2024. We know this because we’ve been here before. When news of Trump’s Access Hollywood tape came out in 2016, many were convinced that it was the end of his campaign.
But he survived that; he can probably survive this. The question is, can the United State of America survive another four years of Trump?
On the day after, another sad and depressing moment of déjà vu is occurring: Republican political figures are outdoing themselves in posturing outrage about the jury ruling. One favorite theme: the fact that the leader of a political party is found guilty proves that America is becoming a third-world, corrupt government.
“Banana Republic,” they scream. The case was based on clear abuse of campaign laws, actions that already sent one person to jail? Doesn’t matter: “Banana Republic!” Donald Trump’s signature was literally on the checks that helped to pay off a porn star in order to avoid yet another public humiliation? Doesn’t matter: “Banana Republic!” The case was heard before a jury of his peers and they unanimously ruled him guilty on every single charge? Doesn’t matter: “Banana Republic!”
You really want a Banana Republic? How does a presidential candidate who is a convicted felon seeking to become the most powerful person on earth while promising to punish his enemies sound?
How about a party that is at war with its own justice system—a system that is right now prosecuting at least two Democratic members of Congress and the son of the current Democratic president? This directly refutes the claim that the justice system is out to get anyone or favors one party over the other.
Republicans are laying the groundwork for the very thing they say they fear. They have made an idol out of privileged, self-important tyrant. They reject any person or institution that does not blindly follow Trump. The justice system follows health care, climate science, educators, and the military on the long list of enemies for ardent Trump supporters.
One of the many ridiculous “it’s different for Trump” talking points is that he shouldn’t be tried in New York City, because the people there usually vote Democratic. So, we need a partisan litmus test to find justice? We have to cherry pick jurors who are more sympathetic to the accused?
No one knows Donald Trump better than the people of New York City. They have lived with his presence and seen his actions. They knew him before he had a TV show. They are very much his peers.
I listened to much of Trump’s remarks on the morning after the verdict came down. The 40-minute speech was all about him, of course. He’s the victim. The system is out to get him. Corrupt judges and attorney generals—kind of weird how there are so many of them, isn’t it? Maybe don’t commit so many crimes.
But it’s not a crime, if you’re the president… or want to be, I guess. This is a presidential candidate who thinks that anyone who is against him is against the United States. Over and over again, he conflates himself and the nation. He’s right. We’ve never seen anything like this. And I’m tired of looking at it.
During the speech, Trump mentioned three times that he was up six points in one poll. Well, three times that I heard, I didn’t listen to the whole thing. When I hear these speeches, part of me thinks the more he talks the worse he looks. But not to his followers, apparently. They can’t wait for that banana republic.
