The Road to Hill is Paved with Bad Intentions

No, that's not a typo.  Bear with me.

The other day, Trump posted a long screed online complaining about what the Smithsonian Institution was exhibiting in its museums -- something that no president should spend even the time it takes to put a golf ball on a tee -- but this is Trump, trying to erase history and American culture, so sure, it's just Trump being Trump, ho hum, so normalize it.  But of course, it's as far from normal as is some lunatic saying he wants to re-sod all the National Parks with Bermuda grass because he knows more about grass than anyone in the world.  But that's Trump.  All that's Trump.

"I have instructed my attorneys," he said, "to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities, where tremendous progress has been made. This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the 'HOTTEST' Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums."

Keeping in mind that the opposite of "WOKE" is asleep.  And that to Trump, "progress" is cutting billions of dollars in scientific research from universities that benefit all Americans and the world.  In fact, I'm not even sure what qualities are required to have the "HOTTEST" country in the world -- unless he's talking about Climate Change.  Or bell bottoms.

The thing is, though, as reprehensible as it is for a president to want to change history and culture (especially when that president is clueless about both, like saying there were airports during the Revolutionary War in 1776 and not knowing we've had mail-in voting since the Civil War, 160 years ago), it wasn't even the worst thing he said about it all.  That was when he complained that the Smithsonian museums were focusing "too much on how bad slavery was."

I didn't know that was even possible.  More to the point, who says that out loud -- and on a big public forum??  Crying out that you think we're focusing "too much on how bad slavery was"??!!  Unless you're a white supremacist, or fascist, or delusional, or have dementia.  Or any combination of the above.  Which, of course, brings us back to Trump.

However, this isn't about Trump.  I know I say that a lot, that we know who Trump is and it's really about the MAGOP in Congress who enable him and vote to literally pass his policies into law.  But sometimes it deserves taking a look at that from a different angle.

Because, in this case, not only was there no uncomfortable pushback from any MAGOPs (that I'm aware of) about Trump saying that museums are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was" -- but it brought something else to mind: 

Supporting wholeheartedly a man who says museums are focusing "too much on ​how bad slavery was" turns out to be the hill the MAGOP in Congress have chosen to die on.

Not to mention, of course, all the other fascist, racist, anti-Semitic, white supremacist, crazy, delusional things he has long said and is now saying on a near-daily basis these days, as his degenerative dementia kicks in more, and he goes walkabout on the White House roof shouting down at reporters and waving his hands like a drunken mime.  And at a FIFI World Cup ceremony last Friday in the Oval Office holding up a photo of himself and, as he described it, "my good friend...a man called -- [dramatic pause] Vladimir Putin" that he was going to sign for him, knowing (he said) that Putin "may be coming to the World Cup -- or may not", never mind that Russia is banned from the World Cup, and the Russian dictator is an indicted war criminal by the World Court!  All the while wearing an insecure, desperately-needy cap saying "TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING".  And proudly showing off his picture like he got it from his celebrity crush.  While looking ever more old and tired from just having to attend a photo op event.

Yet above all that -- Trump saying that we are "focusing "too much on how bad slavery was" may stand out above it all. 

Because this is the hill the MAGOPs in Congress have chosen to die on.

This statement.  This man.  All of it.  The rounding up immigrants without trials and deporting them to wherever his wants.  The gutting healthcare.  The massive tariffs on every country in the world.  Arresting judges, arresting mayors, arresting members of Congress.  Handcuffing a senator and throwing him to the ground for asking a question.  The inflation.  The delusion.  The dementia.  And more and more.  And atop it all, there is Trump literally saying --

-- We are "focusing "too much on how bad slavery was." 

And the MAGOP have said, "This is the guy for me!!  This is the guy for our party!!!  This is who we are."

And lest anyone think this is hyperbole, this is not the first time in recent years that MAGOPs passed on criticizing slavery.  And by "recent," we're talking July, 2023.  That's when the Florida Board of Education officially approved new education standards, voted into law by the MAGOP legislature, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, for how Black history is taught in its schools.  The newly-released guidelines now teach middle schoolers that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

This is the law now in Florida.  Which DeSantis defended by saying we'll probably find that "some of the folks that eventually parlayed being a blacksmith into doing things later in life".

Parlayed, indeed.  Oh, those wily slaves.

And Trump has ratcheted that up, wanting everyone to think that we are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was".  This is MAGOP thinking.  This, literally, is even MAGOP law.  This is who the MAGOP are telling you they are.

And doing all this now while knowing that Trump's approval has plummeted to just a ghastly 38% a mere six months into his term.  And it's not going to get better for Trump.  Because he has surrounded himself with unqualified incompetents, who are only there to say "Yes."  And because he has dementia which is degenerative.

And for that, as the hole he's digging and the dementia he has keeps worsening, Trump claiming that we are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was" may be the high point from here on.

And this is the hill the MAGOPs in Congress have chosen to die on.

Yes, the press sort of covered Trump's statement about slavery.  And barely covered his high school man-crush photo story on Putin.  But not much.  It was just too normalized, because this is Trump.  But no, it is not normal.  It's significant.  And of course, there are so many critical Trump stories to cover with Trump.  But these two in particular, while small on the surface, are notable, most especially how we are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was."

Why?

Because this really is not about old, tired, fascist, white supremacist, delusional Trump with dementia, we know who he is.  This is truly about the MAGOPs in Congress who are okay with it all.  And are okay with their leaders saying that we are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was".

That has to be repeated again (and often), until it sinks in deeply to the national consciousness:  MAGOPs in Congress are okay with their leader saying that we are focusing "too much on how bad slavery was".

Actually, because this is the hill MAGOPs in Congress have chosen to die on -- it turns out that we are not focusing on it enough.