Time magazine has a deeply revealing cover story this week from an extensive interview they did with Trump, and they got him to open up a great deal on what he would want to do if he is elected president. And it was ghastly, damning and chilling. There's no guesswork here, he's telling you in black-and-white. There are a few places he avoids answering specific -- for now, though I think it will be tough to maintain that for another six months. But for the most part -- he tells you.
One of those exceptions is that he dodges explaining what his own position on abortion is, continuing repeat his mantra that it's up to the states. Even when asked specifically -- but what is your view? -- he passes it off as how it's irrelevant, it's up to the states. Well, of course, it's not "irrelevant." The president has the Bully Pulpit and leads the public discourse. And his opinion informs the public who he is and what his direction will be on a myriad of issues that might not be up to the states, but are related. For instance, he's asked about what he'd do if a bill was sent to him about birth being deemed starting at conception -- as some House Republicans are pushing -- and he evades it by saying that it's immaterial because the issue is up to the states. Well...no, that doesn't answer the question. If a bill was presented to him, and it was put on his desk...what would he do? As I said, I think it will be hard to dance around that for six months, but even if he does -- in a whirlawind fandango that would put Gene Kelly to shame -- of course Democrats will continue to paint the ban of abortion at his feet, since there's so much video of him claiming that. And assuming that there's a debate, he will be asked. And if he avoids answering that, President Biden will certainly answer. And point out that Trump is unwilling to -- and point out Trump's previous statements. There's also the reality that just because Trump says he want to do all these fascist things that he will be able to. Some he will. But some will no doubt require Congressional approval, and I feel pretty comfortable that at least the House will flip to Democratic. This all also presumes Trump wins, but is hardly a certainty -- especially since we are still six month away, there are no "official" nominees yet, and the public hasn't begun to pay attention yet, and are just giving approval ratings to polls. That said, it's obviously no certainty that he won't win. Which brings us back to the Time, and Trump's dystopian fascist view of the future. A vision that includes deporting 11 million undocumented Mexicans (an improbable undertaking, yet ghastly in the proposed attempt) -- and worse, using the U.S. military on American soil. Setting up internment camps, a concept that is widely accepted as being one of the darkest periods in U.S. history when it was done to Japanese-Americans during WWII. Allowing states to test women in order to see if they might have gotten an abortion -- perhaps even if that was in a state where it was legal. Possibly firing his Attorney General if he didn't follow Trump's direct order -- a massive violation of American tradition keeping the judiciary separate from the Chief Executive, even when a presidential appointee. And a great deal more. It's not necessary to name everything -- it's all in the article and in much of the news coverage -- but just the few issues noted are more than enough to see the dark alley Trump wants to lead the country down. (I was going to write "...the unsuspecting down", but then I realized they shouldn't be unsuspecting since Trump is telling everyone! But then, there will certainly be many who don't read the article or the news, and will be unsuspecting. Unfortunately, many of those, if not most, will be fine with all he says.) Certainly the hope -- and I think, expectation -- is that by November most others, which is the majority of the country will know. And will be sickened. And will show up in droves to vote. But that will take a huge amount of effort by President Biden's team and Democrats, not something to rely on "expectation." But the expectation is based on that. (Side note: on Alex Wagner's MSNBC show last night, she opened the broadcast by doing a piece on the Time article for about 10 minutes, and then said that she would have the author of the story, Eric Cortellessa, later in the show -- "but first" they cut to coverage of the protest and arrests at Columbia University...which they stayed with for the remaining 50 minutes. I fully acknowledge the protest was important and visually good television and should have been covered. I would also suggest the future of democracy and a Trumpian fascist future is more important, and they could have returned to their own lead story and Mr. Cortellessa after perhaps a half-hour. It is my hope that they have him back tonight.) In the end though, the reality which is deeply problematic is that, as I've written so often in the past, this isn't about Trump -- we do know who he is, even this bleak. It's about the elected Republican officials who willingly enable him...and the Republican base that blindly follows their cult leader.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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