A Future for Donald? Probably Not 

January 17, 2021 - 10:30 pm ET
By Rich Weissman, Palm Springs, California (www.richweissman.com)

Imagine if Trump had simply waited in November for all ballots to be counted, gave a polite and conciliatory concession speech, and then quietly finished the remainder of his term. Things would have been quite different for him, his family, and for the GOP. He could have blamed COVID for his loss, claiming that his base didn’t trust the mail and were afraid to go to the polls because of the pandemic; he could have blamed the RNC for not raising sufficient campaign funds; he could have blamed whomever and whatever he wanted. He could have boasted about the number of states he won and the specific Senate and House races he kept in the GOP camp. He could have positioned himself as a “winner” with 75+ million votes, albeit insufficient to win the election. He could have focused on stopping the Democratic wins for Senate in Georgia. And, he could have told his base that he will be back as President in four years, jump-starting his next campaign with a roll-out schedule of fundraising events and rallies. His base would have remained loyal and Trump would have owned the GOP. 

But he didn’t. Of course he didn’t. 

He is a sociopath and a narcissist, and his psychiatric defects and history show us that nothing ever ends well with Trump. In an article I wrote after the election, I said that he would self-destruct in short order, because that’s what he does. He leaves behind a trail of lies, ruin and devastation, law suits, betrayals and animosity. He does not have the capacity to self-introspect, calmly and with expert guidance put together a plan that elevates him. No, he always goes for the gutter, turns on his allies, and winds up in bankruptcy court, civil court, divorce court (and soon criminal court), with everyone from friends to employees to contractors to his wives, all opposing him one way or another, destroying his reputation and wealth. Trump is consistently the ultimate loser and idiot, humiliated in the end. And that’s exactly what happened since the election. 

Now, he has incited insurrection and a coup against the United States, where people died, endangered the lives of the Congress, Vice President, and police, alienated the vast majority of Americans (his approval rate is an abysmal 26%), lost the allegiance of the leaders of the GOP as many have turned their backs on him, been rejected by businesses of all kinds who are running away from his “brand” and refusing to fund the GOP, and rejected by his bankers who are calling his loans and unwilling to re-finance. His family is ostracized (Ivanka and Jared were rejected from their country club of choice!) and afraid to go back to their homes in NYC or elsewhere. It looks like the whole family will all be sheltering in Mar-a-Lago – won’t that be cozy – and the city is going to start proceedings against them for staying longer than 21 days, as per city ordinance. And, they have lost their ability to use social media and to communicate to their base. America is tired of hearing from them. Moreover, the Trumps no longer have attorneys willing to represent them. No one wants to work with them anymore. 

Their political, financial, legal and social futures look dim, and they are isolated simply because Trump could not contain himself and finish his term with maturity and grace. And now he’s impeached again and soon going to trial in the U.S. Senate, along with other potential Federal and state arrests and trials. Poor Donny and his clan. Things aren’t looking good right now. Instead of becoming the new American King and Emperor, which he most likely thought would happen with the insurrection (he is so self-absorbed that in his mind it was a real possibility), he has been relegated to history as the worst U.S. President ever and will soon face a barrage of criminal accusations. 

More importantly, we are witnessing chaos within the GOP. It is splintering from all angles. Sycophantic supporters are running away in droves, and the reliable mega-donor financial backers dwindling. There are talks of 3rd parties, new right-wing media outlets (FOX news viewership is down 20%) and other divisive activities within the GOP to create schisms within from the very far right to the middle. And finally, the notion of “truth” as a core value emerging in the post-Trump era is becoming the new calling for the nation. These recent events have become a wake-up call.

All because of Trump’s inability to behave like an adult; all because his enablers kept silent until they were forced to deal with a domestic terrorist attack and attempted coup. The nation is finally and openly crying out that the emperor has no clothes and that his enablers need to be punished. My, my, my, how the mighty do fall.