”Donald J. Trump, Bucking Calls to Unite, Claims ‘Mandate’ to Be Provocative,” read this morning’s unsurprising, wearying, headline.
Trump was born wealthy and made wealthier by outsourcing jobs to and making investments in several other countries. Think China and Mexico. Countries whose cultures he’s belittled.
He kicked off his try at the presidency in a grim way: “America is dead … It‘s being run by losers,” he announced.
Now, we’ve just found out that includes Trump himself. Though he doesn’t realize that’s what he’s declaring. He so rich. But abruptly it now turns out that he is going to be borrowing government money to keep his campaign going. And he can’t reveal his tax return. (“We’re working on it,” he said. And Hillary Clinton is mocking him about it.)
The Clintons have released annual tax returns since 1977, and posted eight years of returns on her campaign website.
Thus, she encouraged voters to ask, why doesn’t Trump want to release his tax returns. He’s promised he was “about to” several times. And has declared he probably “won’t be able to” until after the November election.
Some people, including Republican financial observers, have murmured rumors in the past that mentioned Trump’s financial activities. Also mentioned: individuals under government eyes watching people involved in “questionable” activities. A flabby presumption ... until Trump complained he wouldn’t be “able” to release his tax returns until “a very unfair government audit was complete.”
Well, anyone who has dealt with the government and tax returns knows such a hassle means bundles of delays. And since Trump’s well-known mendaciousness seems to caress just about everything he touches, suspicion tends to blossom.
This condition is cultivated by Trump’s ever present egotism. And those “others” who are the “losers.” Of course. “We have people who are selling this country down the drain.” Only he, Trump, was not tricky, dishonest and two-faced. His picture of America is one of gloom, insults, and hatefulness. By trashing America while comparing it with his “natural {modest}” self, he miraculously tapped into what America needed, something exceptional, necessary, almost wondrous, By comparing the the country “unfavorably to himself,” he found the answer, he said.
Weirdly, this often worked. Well, for some. His attacks might commence somewhat logically. But he also has a difficult time controlling such reasoning. To many, such engagements {always} seemed to migrate into {ad hominem} attacks. He believes he occupies an arbitrary field of reasonableness where he emotionally (and intellectually) prefers to roam.
Yet while the hugely popular Ronald Reagan wooed America with sunny optimism, Trump has offered something decidedly darker.
It seemed appalling that his pitch, someone noted, was “gloom, insults and arrogance.” Amazingly, however, that turned out to be exactly millions of American voters — at least his followers — enjoyed hearing. By using the odd tangle of trashing the United States, and comparing his country unfavorably to himself, Trump somehow clipped something provocative in the presently troubled American psyche. And now, even though difficult to understand, this has snagged the troubled Republican vision of America. This is why early on, commentators refused to take him seriously. His laughable vanity, his facelifts and weird hair seemed to be part of a wacko trip to promote his television show, his businesses and his book. PR stunts. They all seemed a dizzying link between obnoxiousness and self-promotion.
Then came a fractious Republican primary. Trump’s rough inclinations and insults seemed to result in a hostile takeover of one of America’s two dominating political parties. Just as stunning was how quickly the host tried to reject them. The party’s two living former prizes spurned Trump, a number of sitting governors and senators expressed opposition — or ambivalence — toward him. And he drew a smashing rebuke from the single most powerful and popular rival left on the Republican landscape, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.
But today, Thursday, May 12, Republican House Speaker Ryan and Trump met in a gathering that was a sign that peace would be made. And it was. A lot of people doubted that Trump would realize that, as Ryan said, “Most Americans do not like where this country is headed.” It was a critical moment for the Republican Party and progress was made. One could almost feel those Republicans at the meeting give a sigh of relief. Trump tweeted as his plane taxied on the runway preparing to take off for home: “Great day in D.C. with @speaker Ryan and Republican leadership.”