Commentary by KE Bell
He doesn’t even have to open his mouth to embarrass decent Americans.
The architecturally designed miracle of engineering that is his cotton candy hair. The caked-on bronzer. The long red tie to hide his gut. This is the costume of a deeply insecure man who is anything but comfortable in his own skin.
But then he opens his mouth and it gets so much worse.
When we awaken every day, there’s no telling who he will insult, who he will bully, who he will target, which racist/misogynist/fascist he will elevate, or how he will attempt to distract from his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
There’s no telling which allied country he’ll slap with outrageous tariffs or threaten to invade, which dictator he’ll praise, or what sovereign nation’s citizens he’ll murder without presenting evidence of crimes, specifically drug trafficking.
On any given day we’re treated to the knowledge of what constitutional article he’s violated, what new corrupt scheme he and his family have cooked up, what atrocity his ICE agents have committed, or what American city he plans to invade with the national guard, the military, or both.
When it comes time to pass a bill, we learn what horrific policy he’ll not only back but threaten congressional Republicans to back as well. We then learn how it will harm the poor and middle class while further helping those whose cups are already overfilled.
As bad as he is, it takes a craven cast of sycophants to enable him. As democracy crumbles, the spineless Republican Congress backs his every whim, protects his darkest secrets, gives up its power to the Executive branch, and lies to the American people about the reasons why. His loyalist cabinet carries out his orders with no regard for the constitution, the rule of law, or decency. And the hand-picked, extremist Supreme Court gives him the power of a king.
President Nixon’s crimes pale in comparison to the average week of this administration, and yet Congress 50 years ago found the spine to tell Tricky Dick he would be impeached and removed. Nixon’s attorney general refused to be his attack dog. They found integrity when it mattered most. Today’s political leaders wouldn’t know integrity if it started a super PAC on their behalf. The Democrats are embarrassing as well with their strongly worded letters and occasional capitulation on his legislative agenda and highly unqualified cabinet members.
Mostly, though, they’re embarrassing because they’re so toothless.
The pressure on the Republican politicians comes not only from the top but also from the right-wing media. Fox News lies to its viewers like it’s the network’s lifeblood. When Fox isn’t lying it’s manufacturing culture wars over who is playing the Super Bowl halftime show, what transgender athlete might have been treated like a human being, or the promiscuity of the green M&M. And Fox isn’t the only malign media influence. It gave birth to even more radical outlets such as One America News and NewsMax. Beyond that, we create our own echo chambers of madness in our social media feeds, pushing us further and further to the extreme and creating less trust in the other side.
The result of the propaganda is the final nail in this coffin of embarrassment: the people who support this blatant conman. How one person could fall for the patter of this silver-spoon snake-oil salesman baffles me. The fact that it’s millions of people seems impossible. It’s shameful that our country is so gullible, so brainwashed, so uneducated, so hateful, so racist, so ignorant, or so interested in their own tax breaks that they’ll cede power to a corrupt politician who wants only to line his pockets and satisfy his ego while actively harming his supporters.
One man has made us a laughingstock on the world stage, but it has taken an attack dog cabinet, a compliant congress, a rigged Supreme Court, a radical media machine, and an ill-advised populace to make it happen.
Bell is contributing pundit to The Hustings.