What this country needs is more Trump

Over the last three weeks the nation has suffered 13 hours of Trump TV, note the Washington Post's Philip Bump and Ashley Parker. Two of those seemingly endless hours were devoted to attacking Democrats, President Obama, governors, China, the media and Speaker Pelosi. The president spent nearly another hour congratulating himself for the superb job he's done. His expressions of national sorrow for tens of thousands of covid victims used 4.5 minutes.

And if the arc of history really does bend toward justice, Trump's vindictiveness, self-triumphalism and sociopathic indifference to others' pain will soon morph into four years of unemployment, civil suits and criminal charges. For as it turns out, what that "sleepy guy in a basement" needed most in his presidential campaign was … more Trump.

Anecdotally, in 2016 I watched his first couple rallies on cable television and in near disbelief. I could take no more. This year, I've watched just about every daily White House briefing, cheering Trump on and begging for more: His 2020 airtime is having the inverse effect of 2016's — with every buffoonish second, he loses a thousand votes.

Though the above, scientifically speaking, is nonextrapolatiory, it's clear that I'm far from the only viewer who sees Trump as his own worst enemy. "Some administration officials, outside Republicans and other Trump allies," write Bump and Parker, "say the briefings … are doing more to harm than help the president’s reelection hopes. They worry that Trump is squandering the opportunity to demonstrate presidential leadership and be the 'wartime president' he has claimed to be by picking petty fights and appearing childish and distracted."

After Thursday's magnificent self-implosion via his Clorox moment and the light shone on it, Trump has gone dark. Some observers, such as Jennifer Rubin — "Yippeee! You finally figured out the more Americans see of you the more contempt they have" — believe that Trump has indeed figured things out. In fact, he himself might have us believe that he has:

What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020

That tweeted sentiment, however, is the essence of Trumpian fake news. There is simply no way this sociopathic narcissist can avoid the early-evening spotlight in the coming days, weeks, months — in those seemingly endless hours. He'll be back. And I'll be cheering him on.

Comments

[Peter G]

Yep. These endlessly failing news organizations, per Trump, are getting record ratings. There cannot, of course, be any briefings at all without Trump hovering menacingly over the briefers in order to overrule them or threaten them. Which is why I think the press should give just as much coverage of the empty podium as they did to the empty suit that used to stand in front of it.

[Anne J]

His addiction to the spotlight won't keep him away long

[Jason]

So now it’s the lamestream media that has record ratings? Got it.

[Peter G]

The first rule of Dunning-Kruger Club is that you don’t know you are in Dunning-Kruger club. Bless the Internet.

[Freesoa]

He's figured out nothing. He's just off stewing. Briefly. I'm just wanting the moment where he just loses it and starts hollering gibberish, screaming profanity, throwing things, making vulgar gestures and leaving the podium to walk down into the reporters space trying to menace them the way he did Hillary on the debate stage and turns into super freak. I pray for a full mental breakdown right on camera.

[Freesia]

He's doing his usual press conference today. The bubblehead who spokesmodels for him said something about the presser having a new look. God only knows what means.

[Anne J]

I won't be tuning in to find out.

[Freesia]

Me either.