It took one geriatric senate minority leader, 6 SCOTUS justices, and 77,302,580 deluded voters to raise 47.

One of my earliest posts is titled “It takes a village…of idiots to raise Forty-five.” An obvious Freudian slip caused me to spell out and capitalize 45, a mistake I have not made recently. After learning even more about 45/47’s rise to national prominence, I thought it would be helpful to revisit the topic. I have included the original post, in its entirety, within this post and enclosed it in quotes.

After Fred Trump, Jr. failed to instill a ‘killer instinct’ for business in his oldest son, Fred, III, he bestowed the birthright on his younger son, 47-to-be. The bitter disappointment Fred Jr. openly expressed toward his oldest son after becoming a commercial airline pilot put Fred III on the road to ruin. Heavy drinking eventually took his life. Forty-seven was more than eager to fill his older brother’s shoes. The killer instinct soon found application in all of 47’s transactions, not just those regarding business. (Read Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough, to learn more details about the creation of the monster in the White House.)

In my previous post referenced above, I did not include one of 47’s most influential mentors, Roy Cohn. Mr. Cohn, an attorney with dubious legal principles, took the young 47-to-be under his wing to take his transactional approach to business to a newer and more ruthless level. Without getting into the minutiae of the Cohn mentorship, below are the three principles that he instilled in his mentee plus one that is self evident to anyone following the contemporary, orange Machiavelli’s shenanigans.

1. Attack, attack, attack

2. Never admit anything, deny everything

3. Always declare victory, regardless of the outcome

4. Be prepared to do whatever it takes to anyone to win

“When Donald J. Trump began his descent into politics on the gilded escalator to announce his presidential candidacy, I responded by beginning a deep dive to learn more about him. “Who is this guy I’ve only heard about obliquely on the news?” I never watched The Apprentice nor read The Art of the Deal so other than his self-confessed successes as a business mogul, I knew squat about him.

Once he became a Republican primary candidate, the first shocking thing I recall him saying was “I love the poorly educated,” in response to that demographic helping him win the Nevada Republican primary. My immediate thought was, “what kind of sick fuck would say such a thing publicly in that context?” The next memorable Trumpism was when he said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any support. I knew then that my deep dive would require me to substitute my scuba tanks for a continuous supply of oxygen.

The Washington Post reported in 2016 that Trump considered people who watch reality TV “bottom feeders of society”. Obviously, his brand was not above using that demographic to help boost his fame as an astute businessman in the tough New York City real estate market. Mark Burnett, an NBC producer, was one of the first idiots to propel Trump to legitimacy in the eyes of many other village idiots who glued themselves to the TV every week to watch Trump deliver his famous one-liner, “You’re fired!” Needless to say, this village of idiots did not realize just how staged and scripted The Apprentice was, completely believing in the concept of reality TV and thus, making P. T. Barnum an oracle of wisdom. Burnett’s marketing savvy was supercharged by his video production prowess, ensuring that every cut and paste of the tape would achieve the most dramatic end product and highest favorable ratings. Mark Burnett’s favorite quote is, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

Jeffrey Schwartz, unwittingly, to some degree, was the next idiot to give Trump props. (Double entendre intended.) Schwartz was the ghostwriter for The Art of the Deal, Trump’s infamous, autobiographical, self-serving book about how he became a shrewd, ruthless, and successful business negotiator in the New York City real estate jungle. Jungles were settings for many of Burnett’s Survivor shows so this connection was not accidental. Schwartz has recently published statements regretting and apologizing for his complicity in making Donald Trump a fictitiously iconic fixture in the American business pantheon. Alas, the damage was done but the next group of idiots redeemed Schwartz.

Enter CNN and its hyped-up, breaking-news, 24-hour coverage of anything that gets them ratings. “The most trusted name in news.” James Earl Jones, what hast thou wrought? Garnering an estimated $2 billion in free media coverage from CNN during the 2016 presidential primaries, Trump still held the network in disdain, accusing them of twisting his words. CNN loved the spectacle of Trump with his incendiary comments during his raucous rallies. CNN’s idiot-in-chief at the time, Jeff Zucker, provided a world stage for Trump in his ascendancy to becoming the biggest public liar without being fact-checked. CNN crews simply rolled the tape, allowing the American viewing audience to draw their own conclusions about soon-to-become Forty-Five. Schwartz thanked Zucker for taking one for the team.

Blame is such an easy thing to dispense but almost impossible to get one to accept. However, when a village undertakes a task that goes awry, blame is amortized over the entire village population thus making the blame per villager acceptable. In a village of idiots, babies are taught at a very young age to point fingers at others.”

I would be remiss to not include the latest contributors to 47’s continued assault on democracy and current reign of terror. Let us start with Senate Minority Leader and curmudgeon at-large, Mitch McConnell. He was instrumental in keeping 45 from being convicted by the Senate after the House had impeached him for the January 6 violent insurrection. On the same day that 45 incited the insurrection, in his classic, inconsequential manner, McConnell laid the responsibility for the melee at 45’s feet shortly after the Senate acquitted him 53-47.

“This failed insurrection only underscores how crucial the task before us is for our republic. There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”

The highest court in the land weighed in on 47-to-be’s immunity from prosecution after he was indicted for inciting the insurrection. In a sweeping dismissal of the principle of “no one is above the law,” for sitting presidents, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch provided 47 with immunity for ‘official presidential acts while in office’ effectively killing every suit brought against him by both federal and state authorities. In the majority opinion it is laughable that Roberts wrote that presidents “are not above the law.”

And finally, let’s give a 4-year long standing ovation for the 77,302,580 voters who chose to acquit 47 at the polls of American election justice. It could not have been done without your delusional, ignorant, self-serving behaviors. You all own whatever happens over the next four years. In your unbridled desire for happiness at any cost, you bought and voted it into office.

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