“A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy.”
That sums it up for me.
24
Democratic game plan:
Impeach on abuse of power with Ukraine.
Senate forced to take up the measure.
Measure defeated.
Impeach on cover-up of abuse.
Senate forced to take up the measure.
Measure defeated.
Impeach on something else.
Repeat until November 2020.
6
"We should not assume that either a 2020 election defeat or impeachment/conviction will remove Trump from the White House. Both before Trump was elected in 2016 and during his term, he has made frequent references to 'my 2nd Amendment friends' and increasingly the 'patriots' who constitute the military." (David Leege, professor of political science emeritus at Notre Dame, NYTimes, 2Oct2019)
7
Don Quixote has nothing on Trump
3
Its all I can do not to jump up and down and clap!
1
According to Mr. Blow, the hot breeze emanating from the President is nearly equal to that of his detractors. While Congressman Schiff can let off like a steam vent, spewing hot air without consequence, only the President is apparently accountable in the Charles Blow universe. Mr. Blow has been known to throw out a litany of falsehoods, and rant incessantly with name calling just short of profanity, again without consequence or a mental evaluation; yet when it comes from the other side of the fence suddenly it is condemned.
When civility breaks down, the destruction that results must be shared equally. It began in November 2016, from Charles Blow. When you own it, it can’t simply be batted away, unless of course your last name is Biden.
3
Yes, Trump is finally cornered by his own narcissism and greed. And yes he is fighting back mightily. But I don't think we should, for even one second, think that he doesn't have a strategy. He has often said that when he is under a perceived attack he attacks harder, louder, with greater ferocity. That seems to have worked for him in his life as a private citizen. Sadly for him, he did not anticipate the obstacles that he has encountered as President, or most importantly, that he is a fiduciary for our country and our people. And now that it's too late to learn, too late to climb out of the deep hole he has dug for himself and his administration, he is relying on his old, bullying tactics - saying and doing anything, no matter how outrageous, offensive and far-fetched, to deflect the nation's attention on the impeachment proceedings. However, it's now clear, given the latest polls that show a majority in favor of the impeachment inquiry, that the American people will reject Donald Trump, in favor of a far better deal to get our country back.
5
He is afraid and he doesn`t have scruples. That is really a dangerous combination. He will do anything to save himself. He knows he is cornered. We are entering into a very dangerous phase in Trump`s presidency.
12
What a sad and frightening commentary on the state of affairs in this country when Democrats need to choose between an increasing number of betrayals of this country by the person who has taken over this White House, in order to move expeditiously and attempt to save our republic before irreversible damage is done. Every day brings more and more evidence in plain sight/sound - directly from his mouth.
He is giving all the evidence we need - that he feels invincible and nothing can stop him. The behavior of an autocrat who has crossed over the line into acute mental illness. And who has so many unfettered powers of the office of the President . I fear for the safety of us all
10
The Op Ed and the comments are suffused with fear. I feel more anger than fear. Anger at the Roberts supreme court and their Citizens United decision, which opened the door to selling our democracy overseas. Anger at the gleeful enabling by senate republicans with their legislative graveyard. Finally, anger and contempt for the vague talk of civil war by men who are barely strong enough to lift a spoon.
11
Trump is going to make all sorts of wild accusations. It's the job of the press not to act as a megaphone for his lies as they did during the last election.
8
Spot on article. When narcissists face stressful life events, they frantically grope for alternative sources of what's called narcissist supply. When desperate, as Mr. Blow points out, they exhibitionistically make use of their own misery. So Trump lies, create a fantasy, or in this case a conspiracy theory. Too bad he doesn't take the other option, which is therapy. Then again, the greatest fear of narcissists is introspection.
6
Let’s get real - President Trump did not violate the law, nor did he commit “high crimes” or “misdemeanors.”
President Trump asked a foreign country battling corruption to investigate an American citizen blatantly selling access to the then vice-president for $600K per year.
That request is appropriate.
4
Already 3-4 centerpiece articles on Don!
We love him and he hates us! And this will be for 4 more years! How sad! Wish it was longer!
2
He frantically gropes for alternative sources of narcissistic supply. Narcissists are very creative. If all fails, they exhibitionistically make use of their own misery. Or they lie, create a fantasy, invent stories, harp on other people’s emotions, forge a medical condition, pull a stunt, fall in idea
4
Why so much repetition? Over and over the same refrain. I am sure there is an answer.
1
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
This is outrageous to Trump, a man who has patterned his entire presidency as a rebuke to and competition with his predecessor, Barack Obama. Not only will Trump not get a Nobel Peace Prize, he’ll get an American badge of dishonor. A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy.
This fact alone is no doubt pushing Trump to the verge of explosion.
11
" A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy". I like that.
17
As long as Trump continues to pretend to be a Christian, and a fundamental Christian, and against abortion, his base will support him....that is their ONLY issue.
9
Ask anyone who has spent serious time at a blackjack table and they will tell you that someone who likes to "double down" is either very experienced or very desperate.
7
In Federalist 65, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the basis on which impeachments should be carried out is “the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, … the abuse or violation of some public trust.”
Trump’s well-documented reckless disregard for the truth and demonstrated ignorance of American institutions, traditions, norms, and interests demonstrates profound “abuse or violation” of the public trust. This in itself should be an article of impeachment.
And, as has often been argued, the breaking of a statutory law need not be required for impeachment and removal from office. As this excellent law review article states:
“It is hard to imagine that the Framers wished to tolerate -- or that Congress and the country must suffer -- a President who willfully refuses to perform, or is incapable of performing, the tasks of the job. To take some extreme examples, a President would certainly be subject to impeachment for refusing to organize the defense of the country against foreign invasion, or refusing to cooperate with military officers charged with command and control of the nuclear arsenal, or firing all cabinet officers and refusing to name replacements. Likewise, it is inconceivable that Congress could not act to remove a President who on a daily basis drank into insensibility by lunchtime.”
– Bowman & Sepinuck, “High Crimes & Misdemeanors”: Defining the Constitutional Limits on Presidential Impeachment* 72 Southern California Law Review 1517 (1999)
6
Trump’s corruption is not skin deep. He is rotten to the core.
14
Trump launched his political career with the repulsive birther lie that Obama was not born in the US and was really Muslim, and with all the insinuations that flow from that "foreignness" . These would include that Obama was somehow un-American and lacking in loyalty to the U.S., and that he would impose Muslim law on this county. It would be poetic, and political justice for Trump to be impeached, as Mr. Blow put it, "over his dealings with a foreign government" . Now that I think of it, his birther lie was really just another one of his psychological projections. He, Trump, is disloyal to the United States and loyal to a foreign government, so he put that on Obama, a true patriot if we ever knew one.
7
In this new world of alternate news and alternate facts, we need to keep reminding ourselves that this current state of crazy is just that. It is difficult to keep focus when a distinct minority of fellow citizens drink in the rants of this unhinged president and his unhinged party.
7
@William What exactly are you protecting? That your social security and healthcare will go away? That you will continue to pay more at Walmart due to the trade sanctions? That someday migrants and asylum seekers will be shot? That your water will have heavy metals in it and your air will choke you? That the US will continue to have less standing in the world?
1
Trump now imagines Xiping has the goods on Biden. Xiping must know something together with the Austrailians. I am sure Duterte and Boris will be asked to join the fun sooner than later. It does look like that FInland's president left with his sanity.
1
Trump is desperate? Ha, ha, ha. What a silly joke. It's the Dems that are desperate, having climbed out on this rickety limb before they even saw the memo. Time after time they trot out the, "This time we've really got him" meme and time after time it amounts to nothing. Meanwhile he's sucking all the oxygen out of the news cycle while Warren's rise slowly but surely disposes of Biden, his only real potential rival.
The reality is that Trump will never be removed by the Senate and he will be the Republican candidate in 2020. And in a general election it's not just about the popularity or "style" of the candidate. A candidate represents policy positions and those are far more important that the person.
As the Dems keep moving further and further left with Green New Deal, free tuition, student debt forgiveness, Medicare for all, cancel all private insurance, open borders, higher taxes, wealth confiscation and all the rest of their unbelievably intrusive, expensive plans it won't matter who they run. A lot of people will choose to vote for "unpopular" over "crazy socialist" to protect their pocket books.
2
Charles:
You should really focus on Warren and Buttigieg.
What are they going to do for America?
Do they have a better vision for America than Trump?
2
North Korea can push this all over the cliff with a single ballistic missile, any time it decides to. How will Trump respond to a hot crisis involving his buddy Kim?
1
To all your Trump fans who wait for your column to come out to bash it.......the Republican Party gave the whistleblower the info so that Trump would be impeached. And the longer they let this play out the more money the Republican Party is making to defend upcoming senate seats. Get with the program.
1
Does Washington DC have a Red Flag law? 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue needs it.
1
Though I fully agree and sympathize with Mr. Blow's opinion, I was alarmed to read that he has "grown accustomed to Trump delivering his insults" - no one should stop realizing for one second that he reduced the highest leadership position in the country to the level of filthy dictators and mafia bosses!
4
“Donald Trump is scared. And he is incensed that he is scared. And his only impulse is to fight like a thing near death: ‘with everything he has’, and by all means necessary.”
Well said Mr. Blow, except for one error : “...with everything he has...” should have been ‘with everything We have’. History will look back on him long after he’s gone and grant him the ignominious distinction of being The Greatest Con Man in History.
Using Our tax dollars and government to defend his indefensible conduct. I can’t wait to know his get out of jail arrangement he’s given to resign office or not seek re-election. He may not know basic civic’s but I bet he knows every US governmental and US official’s secrets as invaluable bargaining chips. He loses small but wins big and is having a ball on us.
From the beginning, He said he is a very very smart person not a decent one. “Yeah, I did it so what are y’all going to do sue me at what costs a couple of million. Who do I make my check out to!” We Got Played Biggie Time!
2
Trump built his defenses for this and all the other vile things he has done when he trotted out the terms 'fake news' and 'deep state' early in his candidacy. 'Fake news' was borrowed from the likes of Putin, 'deep state' from conspiracy land. He and his minions use these terms constantly to protect themselves by deflecting attention onto the media or some secret conspiracy being waged against him, no matter how egregious his actions may be. They have carefully trained a large portion of the public and Republican politicians to think in those terms. That is especially evident in those who partake primarily of Fox News and other right wing media who also use that language to frame everything. The language itself is quite pernicious. Once you leverage people's ability to trust, you can easily get them to believe anything you want them to believe.
4
Is it not conceivable that today's open invitation to China to investigate the Bidens is part of a strategy--though not his-- to invoke the 25th Amendment on the basis of presidential incapacity BEFORE articles of impeachment can be drawn up, much less put to a House vote.
Pence can then be sworn in immediately and, as President, pardon Trump.
Trump just might be fast-tracking his meltdown in order to provide the Cabinet with ample grounds for removal from office.
But his handlers, be they foreign or domestic, both in and outside the White House, had better hurry, because the dizzying onrush of revelations--specifically, involving Pence--may yet intervene before they can follow through with their plan.
And what if there is no strategy? What if we are witnessing the epic unhinging of a cornered narcissistic megalomaniac as he self-destructs before our very eyes?
In that case, it's just a matter of time--and sooner than any of us can imagine--before he calls on his "second-amendment people" to take arms against any and all perceived "enemies of the people." Forget the usual dog-whistles. Like the mob boss he is, he'll issue a hit-list through sympathetic conduits; it will take a heavy toll on the press, dark-skinned immigrants, political opponents, anyone who has fed his lifelong sense of aggrieved victimhood.
Unthinkable? Just watch his increasingly delusional, violence-tinged rants of the past couple of days . . . and think again.
2
My biggest concern is- as Trump becomes more desperate and unhinged, he will start a nuclear war with Iran just to change the narrative. Who has time to address Trump's immoral and treasonous misdeeds when we are hiding under our desks in fear of nuclear retaliation.
4
I'm not very optimistic he will be impeached. His tactical response is just to ignore the subpoenas or stall it. Trump is behaving like a dictator; every morning and throughout the day, he runs speeches and propaganda on Twitter. Reminiscent of H. Chavez. And it's a strange alliance: Trump is not a real Republican, but the party is grovelling before him anyway. Not to mention no work of any kind is happening at the WH, it's just Trump, all the time. I see him as increasingly dangerous. We can only hope there are some in the Senate who are coming to their senses.
5
Mr. Blow is correct that 45 ran for president for "self-flattery and to boost his brand". He and his family, minions, and the GOP will regret 45's decision to run for president and their support of his corrupt presidency for a long time. 45's name and brand will be known in history as an euphemism for being a bully, smoke and mirrors business, fake patriot, and con artist. If 45 had hid in his private business, his brand might have endured. But his undoing comes from the exposure (that he is trying to evade, but cannot) from being a powerful public figure. When the dust settles, his brand will become anathema for reasonable people and most likely the empire will totally crumble. All this misfortune is earned and deserved.
6
After seeing the heart wrenching moment when Bothan Jean’s brother forgave and hugged his brother’s murderer I wondered if some how we should just tell Trump we forgive him. Yes Mr. President you have Ill served the citizens of this nation. You have betrayed patriotic Americans of every stripe. Leave us now, in peace, and we forgive you. I’m still struggling myself with my own ridiculous idea. But we’ve tried everything else.
2
There is no doubt that Trump should be impeached. He has for all intents and purposes asked for it. In the absence of enough Republicans upholding their oath of office, the senate will not vote to convict him. The result will be Trump declaring that he's been exonerated, that there was no collusion, ad nauseam. The ultimate fate of this disgraceful administration lies in the hands of we the people. Register and vote or we could have four more years of this unhinged pathological narcissist.
3
I believe Trump is fearful. Yet I believe he believes he is fearless. Corrupt, greedy, delusional, demented and evil, yes. But motivated with an uncannily strong insistence on his narcissistic superiority over everyone and everything in his constantly insecure, never fulfilled life and willing himself to threaten and intimidate all who dare challenge him. Ironically, it seems as if the only time he expresses something akin to fear is when he has met his match with someone who is truly more fearless than he claims to be, such as Putin. And when they both know it.
Putin, Kim Jon & MBS are the shrewdly ruthless masters while their slave is hopelessly reckless.
Bottom line: They're the real pros while he's the real amateur!
1
HOW he brings everything down is my worry. How many innocent people will be jailed, otherwise ruined, or killed in the process?
4
Trump has been and will continue to be a great embarrassment for this great nation
4
Sadly, he will bring the temple down as that is the only option left to him and his supporters. The Republican Party, being complicit, will also go down ... with a whimper.
2
Man, I looked at the calendar today, and was surprised to see that it really is October 3, 2019 . From what I am reading and hearing I would have sworn that it was October 3, 2018. Mr Blow is basically writing the same column that is saying the same thing. President Trump will not be impeached.
What is highly more likely is a fair trade deal will be reached with China , like was done with Mexico and China and Japan. The economy will continue to get better. And yes President Trump will be reelected, which will be good for America
1
RICO.
Follow the money.
Get the tax returns.
3
And still Republicans put their own hides above the national/public interest! When this evil house of cards does collapse, I hope each and every congressional enabler goes home to face their constituents- and never returns to Washington.
3
This is the only time in my 6 decades that I get a chill when I remember that the president has the nuclear codes.
1
Trump's rage & paranoia will shoot out of control as the impeachment process proceeds. By the time, it gets to the Senate, GOP senators may have a hard time justifying voting for acquital.
2
One question should be posed to each member of Congress: Do you think Trump is up to the challenge of the rise of China, the influence of Russia and Iran, and other potential foreign involvements? With Trump's obsession with himself, his qualification to maintain order is lost. He should be removed on these grounds. Right or wrong about Ukraine, we need a better leader.
6
Well it took a lot for Nancy Pelosi to finally say enough is enough and it is time to roll the dice on impeachment. Despite all the wild things Trump has said in the past his recent behavior is still astonishing. And he seems unable to grasp the basic concept that to ask a foreign country to dig up dirt on a political opponent to win an election is wrong. He appears to believe that the main goal of US foreign policy is that he continue in office.
7
I have been studying Trump since the 70's when I read an article and when he seemed to be a guest who was popular on Larry King Live, Donald Trump has one thing that truly would bring him to his knees and that would be to find direct evidence regarding Racketeering and Money Laundering, this I presume is why he keeps attacking Adam Schiff, If I am not mistaken Mr. Schiff was a Federal Prosecutor who dealt with White Collar Crime, therefore even though he has not practiced in front of the courts since being introduced to Congress Mr. Schiff would be able to assemble the team that could enforce the RICO Act which would take away possessions, money, and power, that is Trump's Achilles heel, that is why he denigrates Mr. Schiff because when proven that Trump has sold out the Constitution of the United States there will be trouble even from his base, the behavior displayed for the world to see, was not only shocking but has shown to which extent governments throughout the world will go to for Power, at one time it was inconceivable that a country who was not an autocrat would be asked to commit a felony by intererring in another countries election and sovereingty, now with this corrupt President and his Administration it is a major daily assertion that someone from the Trump team will try to corrupt another country, even an ally and use them as if they were his pawn, all of this is being done under the supervision of the self- centered Republican party who thrive on power
14
RICO. The best medicine for the Trump illness.
3
The art of the CON began long before Trump it began with Nixon's silent majority and supply side economics from Reagan who suffered from dementia throughout his term of office. It continues on the Court today with the fictional jurisprudence of the religious judges who claim that the founders intended the constitution to be set in the 18th Century. Trump has merely branded it more overtly and overreached yet for the Philistine society he's as perfect as his phone call.
8
@samuelclemons: Charles Darwin established that natural evolution is not created or selected by any sentience. It is strictly a matter of relative adaptation.
A no-brainer fix for any future candidate wanting to become president: he or she must pass a test on the Constitution - closed book. That will prevent any no-brainer from becoming president.
15
And release complete tax returns!
5
Democrats may say Mr. Trump is "desperate". but for them impeachment is "do or die". If Mr. Trump survives their best efforts to oust him and wins reelection what will they have left in their arsenal? If the American people reaffirm their confidence in Mr. Trump how will Democrats then be able to assert that he doesn't deserve his office--will they have to fall silent, might they even feel the need to cooperate with him? This is their real fear, and it is for them an existential fear--what will be their role in government once the voters finally (again) reject them, their semi-communistic economic and social programs, and all their dubious political and legal assertions?
4
You think people are embracing tariffs and restricted markets? Really?
14
If Dems give it their best and this electorate still chooses him in 2020, we’ll have to admit that we as a nation, and not just a dithering Republican Senate, are no longer worthy of our founding documents. Let the cards fall where they may.
14
@Ronald B. Duke Out of curiosity, do you consider Donald Trump to be a man of honesty? Of integrity? Of decency? Or (since this seems to be an either-or) would your words of praise for him essentially amount to a fondness for how he punches / kicks / assails those he doesn't like?
3
Witness Decompensation:
“The inability to maintain defense mechanisms in response to stress, resulting in personality disturbance or psychological imbalance.”
“Decompensation is when someone with a mental illness, who was maintaining their mental illness well, starts to worsen. Signs that decompensation is occurring are a worsening of symptoms, inability to cope with stress and change”
Now we all know what it looks like.
20
Solid article, as usual, Mr. Blow. In addition to the points you enumerate we can add the possibility that once Trump is no *longer a sitting president (due to Article 25, Impeachment,
or the loss of an election) He is legally liable to be frog-marched in front of the National Press on his way to answer for crimes committed AS a sitting President.
13
Desperate, frantic, mean and nastier.
The country is marching toward impeachment, and Trump himself is digging his grave. It is real, and it is really possible impeachment will happen. The pace does not need to be fast but it must be steady and the process absolutely clear, and as devoid of partisan politics and overheated rhetoric as possible. Let Trump supply the latter.
Partisan? It is about the Constitution and the future of our country. More and more are warming to the idea of impeachment if not embracing it. Expose the facts and let Trump continue to dig the hole he will be buried in.
16
"On Wednesday I watched Donald Trump in the Oval Office, ... take questions from reporters in what can only be described as the unhinged rantings of a desperate man melting down, spiraling out of control and lashing out."
So, a typical Wednesday?
13
Donald's desperation is seen as a GOP virtue.
6
This president is neither desperate or scared. The house may vote to impeach him but that is as far as it will get. There is no way the republicans will man-up and vote him out.
4
@Patrick
I see this idea a lot, but the truth is, no one really knows what would happen in the Senate. Lets assume that the evidence is so egregious, so damning that if republicans made a sham out of it in an attempt to cover a corrupt president, They themselves would be complicit in allowing a sitting president to violate of federal law. And that laws very existence, was in fact settled by Mueller. Would they endanger their own political existence, for Trump, a man willing to ruin those in his own party, nope, like rats leaving a sinking ship they would abandon Trump in a NY minute.
There is a doctrine in law called Mens re Actus Re. Guilty mind guilty act, in criminal law, you have to have a guilty mind, (knowing it's against the law) to commit an illegal act. In order to be convicted of a crime the defendant must have had the requisite intent at the moment he performed the act. This is called the concurrence rule. And given the timeline, and series of events, including his infamous "I'd listen to them first" shows that Trump knew its a crime to accept help from foreign governments, and given the fact that he already engaged in that activity.while a candidate, in fact Mueller pointed out "how willing" Trump was to accept foreign interference. Which he continues to do.
I only have this to say, had the face looking back at you was Obama's, the Republican Party would have already impeached, with Lindsey Graham carrying the torch, leading the way. The hypocrisy of the GOP.
It isn’t Congress that Trump must fear. It is being abandoned by the bilious billionaire cabal funding the GOP, controlling the Senate, brainwashing Trump’s “core”. As soon as Trump’s clay feet become apparent, he will be dropped in the trash can and disappear from McConnell’s Rolodex.
9
“We have to remember that Trump isn’t a politician who entered the arena with a deep desire to serve and with appreciation for the country’s history, customs and institutions.
Trump ran for president as an exercise of self-flattery and to boost his brand. “
Spot on!
15
Watching Trump makes me ashamed, watching the GOP cover for him makes me very scared for Americans. We all know who and what Trump is and as a New Yorker I have watched him for years however I am very scared that 40 percent of Americans take his side. What will become of the country.
14
Maybe the reporters will get together and ask some questions that will cause Trump to totally lose it. "When did you decide to commit treason Mr. President" or "Can you show us any proof Sir" or "Has Shawn Hannity decided what you should do, Sir" or "How much money did the Russian mafia funnel through your real estate sales" or "We understand sir that China has opened an investigation regarding Jerrod Kushner and bribing of public officials, care to comment?"
20
@markd
I actually loved the question leveled at the Prime Minister by one of his own press corps. He asked "What favors did Trump ask you for". Funny......
2
Sublime if only for this phrase:
''A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy.''
22
It is clear he needs mental help. Where are his kids, his wife? Do something!
10
That ship sailed years ago, if it was ever even in port.
5
As was pointed out earlier today maybe the media should ask those Republicans on camera will they support Trump even at the expense of their sworn oath to defend the constitution. Curious to know their response and the public is owed an answer.
24
It is of great misfortune that we as a nation have put an individual completely at odds to fill arguably the highest political office existing in the world. Dissertations will be looking at this one since he’s turned out to be a bad seed spawning bad sprouts.
Individuals who think they have some modicum of morality, ethics and integrity should know that working daily in his orbit would be akin to finding those beliefs at times functioning as kindle to be burned in a President’s fury. Such loyalty demands great sacrifice.
Anyone who wishes to ‘work with’ and through the President should know that sometime and someplace they will find themselves , no matter how they try to get away from it, standing in between the ‘top dog’ and a lamppost. And it’s there where one’s ‘standing’ sure tells it like it is. Some Republicans should take note if they have any semblance of intelligence connected to ethics.
6
Better to put him in solitary confinement than to allow him to continue to rant lies. We need to wash our ears after every news broadcast with him ranting.
How the mighty US has fallen with a know nothing elected President.
11
These are frightening times. Having a president as abusive and unlawful as Trump necessitates that the rest of the government stand up and do their job. Impeachment is an imperative to restore law and order recognize that no-one, including Trump, is above the law. I don't know how far Trump will go, but a cornered animal will often lash out. I am concerned that Trump may encourage violence and his supporters may very well become enraged and take to the streets. If that happens it could be Trump's undoing and the final straw for elected Republicans, causing enough of them to turn on him. However, I have been watching and listening to right wing media, their anger, lack of decency and paranoid conspiracy theories are leading us down a dangerous path and I don't see them changing. I don't want violence. I don't want people getting hurt but I fear violence will happen. We all need to stand up and choice a side. I choose decency, honesty, democracy, and the rule of law. What are Republicans choosing? The Trump era may be the end of a viable Republican party, not because of Trump but because of their continuing cowardice.
14
The hysteria Mr. Blow calls out on the part of President Trump shows how angry and frightened he is by events spinning beyond his control. His chickens are coming home to roost and he doesn’t seem to like it one damn bit. Even the accompanying photos, whenever they were actually taken, show a man in extremis, veins bulging and red in the face even under troweled on pancake makeup. Face it: Trump is hysterical, obese, and 73. Would YOU sell this man a life insurance policy? At this point it looks like his chances of being impeached are better than his chances of making it to the election in 20. Forget the lawyers; call in the actuaries.
11
As far as I'm concerned, Impeachment is too good for a complete imposter. The people that were so enthusiastic about him must have been kidding, only to say Hilary Clinton must NEVER be given a fair shot in the 1st place. For any number of reasons, many are so distasteful I cannot list them here (check out past video of his supporters with T-shirts emblazoned with trashy messages). So he's on a big roll, with lots of cheering and jeering, fights breaking out when one of the enemies' supporters sneaks in to protest- what fun! MAGA actually meant nothing at all, but it could be interpreted to mean "eight years of Barak Obama- the nightmare president" is finally over. Well in fact, the Democratic policies never go far enough- they always fall short and you're still left making less money, or not getting approved for the medical care you needed, or the cost of groceries keeps going up, etc.
while immigrants who just show up are getting government help. It CAN get annoying, even maddening, when your glass is 1/3rd full. At least with the GOP they promise that with small government, you'll have plenty of extra money to get what you want without all the red tape. If you ask 10 people what they want the federal government to do, you'll get 20 answers. Democracy was never easy, but we still need "10 Experts" who study politics, economics, national security, etc. for a living to decide what we should do, and what direction we should take. Experts who are not in it for the money.
2
The Finnish President's closing remarks said it all. "Mr. President. You have a great Democracy. Keep it going on." It went completely over Trump's head. Trump lacked the ability to process the remark. He was so consumed by his own lies.
22
trump might be the only president to be impeached twice, notice this assumes he gets reelected.
3
Donald Trump is flailing about, trying to find a focus for stopping the impeachment inquiry, and is demanding to meet the whistle-blower face to face. He doesn't understand that a whistle-blower is a messenger who presents evidence of wrongdoing to officials to determine if there is proof that crimes have been committed, and if so, begin a proceeding.
The whistle-blower is in a position to have this evidence, but does not have the authority or clout to prosecute the perpetrators of the crime(s).
The whole point of the whistle-blower protocol is to protect the whistle blower from retaliation, which Trump would no doubt do everything in his power to exact.
Thank God for a whistle-blower who had the courage to trust that the system will work.
11
Desperate? I think not. trump has already announced twice there will be no elections. His words were “This will be the first time in US history that elections will be canceled because the president did such a good job. ”
And just as when trump said it was not only acceptable for a US senator to be a child molester if he was a Republican but it was better than Democratic senator, and not one Congressional Republican, not a single Congressional Republican, disagreed.
13
Mr Blow is telling us what needs to be written. This is not the case everywhere. More criticism of Trump is needed. The media needs to call out Trump for what he is, namely a liar. The attack on the Biden son indicates only one thing: Trump is afraid of Biden as a candidate. That Trump can scream out lies and that some of the media report these as "minor issues"is truly a scandal.
10
A letter to Senator Portman:
I appreciate that you have taken the time to address my concerns.
I see you have decided to adopt the talking points provided by the White House. There does NOT have to be a quid pro quo component. The President was clearly seeking dirt on a political opponent from a foreign government which is a high crime.
The fact that you seem to not understand this basic point does not lend any confidence that you will eventually do the right thing and vote to remove this petty vindictive little man from desecrating the office he promised under oath to defend.
I sincerely hope, like you, that the country can recover from the divisive politics that this President has undertaken and from his attacks on the press and his opponents calling them the enemy of the people or traitors. This rhetoric is dangerous putting many in danger of physical abuse or worse by some of his more rabid supporters. The fact that you and most of the GOP are silent about this awful behavior speaks volumes.
Obviously there are important issues that require bipartisan cooperation BUT to ignore the facts and not call out lying and intimidation is frankly frightening.
Again let me say I do respect that you responded to my concerns. I hope that you will be one that history will remember as the few who stood up to power to rescue the country in this time of peril where only yesterday the President described the press as corrupt.
Respectfully
8
The 'magic number' is still: 20.
If the articles of impeachment are voted through the House - there are only 47 Democrats to vote for removal. 67 votes are required.
Removal of this monster will require 20 GOP senators to put the interests of the nation ahead of their own interests, or the interests of their campaign contributors.
Frankly, it is looking more and more like the real deciders of the 2020 election will be Putin (Team Trump) and China&Iran (Team anybodyelse)
3
I find it interesting that the central point of this essay, that Trump is desperate, was borne out very strongly only shortly after the publication of this essay, by Trump publicly calling on China to investigate the Bidens.
146
@Paul S Or, very savvy in trying to show a pattern of carrying out his constitutional duties and duties under the US-Ukraine treaty.
3
@Paul S :
yes, because we all know how fair and honest China is....ask a Uighar! (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/23/china-footage-reveals-hundreds-of-blindfolded-and-shackled-prisoners-uighur)
Somewhat surprised he didn't ask Kim to be the judge!
4
@Paul S
Notice he doesn't care about corruption. No request to investigate all corruption or even all American/Chinese corruption, only the imaginary corruption of the Biden's. Trump doesn;t give a fig about corruption just whoring his position as president for political gain.
4
Imagine the internal government departments that are now ghost towns. We cannot know how bad it is until a Democratic president is elected. It's like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces were thrown up in the air landing everywhere. That's us.
I for one am enjoying the the destruction of Trump---every minute of it. At the same time, I worry about who among the
Democratic candidates will be able to reestablish all the functions Trump has eliminated. And will he go quietly? NOT!
The first term of the new president must consist of three things: appointing a chief of climate control who can get started immediately (Inslee?), reunite all separated families at the border, repopulate and fumigate government, and perhaps have a grand welcome back party at the White House for our allies.
Everything else will follow.
6
No matter what result impeachment brings, it is not at all clear our nation will survive intact.
If, as is the most likely scenario, the Republican Senate refuses to convict the POTUS for even the most blatant abuse of power, and he continues doing as he has done up until now, a growing number of dissatisfied voters in blue and purple states will press their state governments to renounce Trump. States will begin to refuse to comply with legislation or regulatory directions from his government; California is already on the verge of this. Should Trump continue unimpeded, with Moscow Mitch continuing to refuse to address the issue of foreign election tampering, and Trump gets a win again in 2020, blue state voters may well reject the results of what they will perceive to be an illegitimate election.
Should enough Republican Senators find the evidence so overwhelming they vote to convict, many red state voters will continue to believe in conspiracies, fake charges, and spies in the deep state. They will subsequently reject the results of 2020 if a Democrat (any Democrat) wins, and press their states to refuse to follow that administrations policies and regulations.
Either way, we end up with a sizable part of the country pushing for de facto secession. The two sides are so far apart in beliefs, ideals, policy preferences, and methods that I don't see how they stay together when neither wants to live under the other's rules.
The USA was nice while it lasted.
8
I profoundly hope that those "adults in the White House" (if there are any left) are also considering how to handle an attempt by Trump to incite widespread public disruption on the part of his fanatical base, most likely involving guns, maybe public assassinations, which then require him to declare a national emergency & cancel an election he is likely to lose. This to me is the more likely fearsome scenario and I pray those wiser with myself & with more authority have a plan to counter this.
14
Charles, this is just another challenge for our democracy to face. We have survived the civil war ,the ultimate constitutional crisis. As Adam Clayton Powell used to say 'keep the Faith Baby". The Republic will survive.
4
Trump is desperate because he knows all the things we don’t yet know. The worst is yet to come.
335
@Bert
Let's keep in mind when Obama made fun of him at the presser dinner. Watch what happens now.
1
Now Trump is trying to take Pence down with him because he probably hopes that Republicans wouldn't vote to impeach if it resulted in Nancy Pelosi becoming president (even if only for a few months).
Of course, Congress has a duty to oust Pence too if he was involved, but by all accounts he is so far out of the loop that it seems doubtful at best. Trump is just desperate for anything that'll help him hold onto office - even throwing his own VP under the bus.
12
The idea Mike Pence knew nothing about this when 1) he knew he was going to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky, and that was the reason given for the fact that 2) his own national security advisor was - highly unusually - on the telephone call live. pence is either totally irresponsible - which is contrary to gossip actually (as is the idea he is clueless - they are unusually consultative in practice) or he is complicit. Either way he is complicit.
5
The House impeachment is now a forgone conclusion. The unresolved issue is how the Senate will respond. As much as Trump's public image is at risk, so is that of Sen. Mitch McConnell. Will he want to be known as the enabler of a corrupt presidency in service to a hostile foreign power or will he want to protect the honor of his own legacy? History has its eyes on you, Mitch.
14
At this point, there is no chance of Trump being removed from office. Republicans have no choice but to support him, or they will lose the Presidency and control of the Senate next year. I would give 10% of my wealth to have a do over of the last election. But I'm not sure what will be accomplish with this process. Trump and the Republicans will say this exonerates him, and millions will believe it.
*Unless* there is more. Unless there is truly a smoking gun to be found, and I doubt there will be.
2
Bringing the temple down with its high priest and by its own high priest has been a recurring theme since the filing of the whistleblower's allegation and even before that.
The notion is now impossible to avoid. All the more reason for the impeachment inquiry to move at all possible but judicious speed. The high priest has been egging-on impeachment for a long time. He's getting his wish and might now wish he hadn't wished it in the first place.
The temple's going to fall. The longer it takes, the harder the fall.
7
He will do anything to avoid impeachment, removal from office and losing re-election.
Oh yes and there’s one more thing: He’ll do anything to avoid facing felony charge (s) and incarceration in a federal detention facility following conviction. Recall there’s already at least one charge pending (“individual one”). There may others under seal and others forthcoming. With a 5 year statute of limitations on all or most charges, re-election would insulate him from many if not all criminal charges. Should he be removed from office by the Senate (unlikely as of now) or should he lose re-election, he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
What WON’T he do to avoid these consequences.
14
Have faith, my fellow Americans - faith in the extremely durable (living and breathing!) structure of government created many many years ago, and in that brilliant piece of writing and ideas - the Constitution.
We have weathered worse than this...
9
It is inconceivable that Trump will be able to "walk away" even if the Senate does not impeach. Look at how he is unraveling, by the day and by the hour. He is becoming more enraged and disorganized and thought disordered as the pressure on him continues to build. How else can you explain that after asking the Ukraine for help in the 2020 election, which started this whole downward spiral, he asked China?? He is empty to the core and has no inner resources to help him cope with what is ahead of him.
30
Let’s plan for this scenario:
- Impeachment enquiry provides sufficient evidence to write articles of impeachment (likely);
- House votes in favor of impeachment (likely);
- Senate votes against impeachment (likely);
- The very next day Trump doubles or triples down to violate his oath of office (very likely).
What then? Help!
16
Like Johnson, Trump can be impeached again on different charges. The nation’s enthusiasm for removal on a second go-round will not be the same as it is now. It will be either wildly more enthusiastic for removal, or bored and fed up with government summer re-runs.
1
Trump really is desperate, with good reason.
Trump has no personal power, no cohort of loyal friends, a reputation for being untrustworthy, no concept of how to lead, and being totally reliant upon pretending to be what he is not in order to convince people to act as he wants. As a private citizen he depended upon a huge fortune which he did not earn to get over the obstacles which others must surmount with intelligence, hard work, and luck. He could play at being a celebrity and develop his manipulative skills as he liked. He uses Presidential authority to get by as he did his wealth in private life. Trump knows that if anything affects how he is perceived by his base, he's not going to have any support. His reputation is too flawed for him to recover lost trust, now.
19
Trump will undoubtedly bring the temple down. He has a history of making catastrophic business decisions while leaving others holding the bag. Under different circumstance I would be able to console myself with the fact that because he is such a danger to the country his own party would eventually join Democrats to chase him out of office. Unfortunately, because of the tea partyization of the Republican party, they'll turn a blind eye since their constituents want the temple destroyed. It started forty years ago with an actor telling us that government was the enemy. And forty years later we have another actor trying to finish the job.
15
My apologies but I am loving every minute of this colossal downfall and history in the making, but what is truly historic is the resilience of our Democracy. That’s what this period will be remembered for. Trump and his narcissism and his ignorance will simply be a footnote.
12
@Ted Siebert I sure hope you are right to be rejoicing. But I’m afraid it isn’t over yet.
4
The problem is this: WE see his hideous behavior, but his fans don’t. Every awful thing he says and does is edited out by Fox and Limbaugh and Breitbart. So it’s almost like Trump doesn’t matter — the ability of certain media outlets to serve up an alternate reality does very much matter.
13
Our president intentionally trolls and ridicules everyone and everything all the time to agitate, mock and unbalance them. It's his stock in trade, his single go to move. To see him coming unhinged, furious, ranting, is just pure delight. What does it feel like Mr. President to have a taste of your own medicine?
8
Charlie, as usual gives a balanced analysis of the facts.. not charged with racial animus ( usually against poor white people ) and getting him to say something bad about our president is like a rare bird sighting.. truly out of character... he should consolidate his musing in a book form for us all to grasp the depth and diversity of his prose.. bravo..
7
This is part of that ongoing "Donald is..." narrative.
Find all the invectives you can, multiply them by ten and start filling in the blanks. They ALL apply.
What Donald is NOT is a President, an honest grown up, a leader, a statesman, a negotiator, a decent human (or even human), a "builder", a role model for decency and SO MANY more!
8
Amen! That’s all I can say.
2
He is indeed a mirror image of Roy Cohn, but without the smarts! No one knows what the future holds, but I hope impeachment (and all it reveals) leads to his removal so this country can begin working on the damage he has wreaked on everyone.
5
Every insult he hurls at Biden and Schiff about being a liar or corrupt is, at its core, he is gravely aware, a description of himself. Maybe that’s why terms like “stone-cold liar” come tripping off his tongue so easily. It’s really still all about “me, me, me”.
20
Trump wanted to be president, if he didnt why did he engage Russia? Trump wants to be in charge of destroying America and he has successful done that with the assistance of people who work in the white house and the spineless racist GOP.
We are already seeing the names of the cover up group, Pence, Moscow Mitch, Pompeo ,Perry and everyone else. They all knew he was destroying democracy and no one did anything. They enjoy gerrymandering and putting children in cages, taking away health care, imposing tariffs to harm farmers the list goes on
The democrats are on the express train and we have come so far in a short period of time. Trump needs to stop talking and just resign .
Mr. Blow is absolutely correct Trump is in the melt down mode
7
EVERY American Citizen needs to be fearful of one thing. Trump is and will continue to be willing to take the entire American Federal Government down to maintain control of his own insatiable ego. He doesn't care about unemployment, health care or the Bill of Rights. He cares about himself. What's even scarier is that he sold his soul to Putin to win/steal the 2016 Presidential Election. Trump is crazy and doesn't know what he is doing... unfortunately Putin knows exactly what he's doing. Our country's future as a democracy is being seriously threatened by the madman occupying the Oval Office. To ALL Americans of every political party I say this... Pay attention. Contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and INSIST that Mr. Trump be held accountable for his lies and his greed. WE The People must do so to protect the lives of younger generations of Americans. If WE THE PEOPLE don't stand firm at this time... blood will be on All of Our Hands. Trump has to go... the sooner the better.
420
@Leslie374 great post, also it's not beyond Trump to give Putin and his vicious despot friends U.S. military secrets. I have little doubt that Putin already has some U.S. plans. It is insane anyone still supports Trump.
11
@Leslie374 The federal govt cannot be taken down by the President, its much larger then he and it will go to its death fully functional at the hands of the Kingdom of God.
1
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. That quote, from 1770, is as relevant today as it was 240 years ago.
There were two significant opportunities to remove Trump from office. Special Counsel, former Marine Corps Col. Robert Mueller could have indicted Trump several months ago.
Instead, Mueller yielded to a memo that has no legislative authority. When he appeared before congress, he had a second opportunity to speak his mind but failed to do so.
Former Defense Secretary / Marine Corps General James Mattis could have ended the Trump attack on our democracy by calling for the 25th amendment. Mattis worked with Trump every day, he must have known what was going on.
Instead, Mattis QUIT and is nowhere to be found.
I lament that our republican senators have completely lost their way, but when we can no longer rely upon the Marine Corps, America is in deep trouble.
In fact, Mueller and Mattis can still bail out our democracy by holding a joint press conference and speaking truth to madness.
Semper Fi Gentlemen. The nation needs you.
18
Trump has long and rightly been pummeled for his manifold intellectual, emotional, and moral shortcomings. But what he does have, he has in spades: a feral shrewdness and will to survive. Beneath everything else, he most resembles a predatory feral animal to which nothing matters but its own survival. Such animals avoid direct or even fights when they can, but if cornered, will bite and scratch and claw with startling ferocity. This is when feral animals are most dangerous, often winning when everything says they shouldn't. Trump frightens me now more than ever. I hope his opponents are up to the coming struggle, but I wonder if they fully understand will come at them.
11
Is the fear factor related to “being chased from the temple’? A sitting president can not be indicted, but an ex-president can. There’s a reason to be afraid.
5
Prediction: Donald Trump will survive this while all his accomplices (Barr, Pompeo, Giuliani, Pence) go down. That's the story of Donald Trump. Want evidence? Start with Flynn, Manafort, and Cohen.
96
@nzierler
Reality eventually dispels delusions. Trump has no substance, he's all pretend.
27
@nzierler as soon as Trump leaves office, he and his family will have to face criminal or civic courts. They will lose their executive privilege once he is no longer in office. Justice will be served. The whole world awaits that day.
42
Well, that would be a good start.
11
Hate to break it to you Mr Blow but Donald Trumps supporters are even more supportive of him now that he is under partisan attack. We take it personally. When the Democrats in Congress actively work to remove him from office, we perceive it to be a partisan motivated effort to remove our democratically elected President. When we see Adam Schiff read a mockingly altered version of the transcript of the call in question, we recognize his personal hatred for Trump and it solidifies our conclusion that this is a hate based partisan effort. We hear Hillary on TV continuing to express that Trump is an illegitimate President and that the election was stolen from her and it further solidified that conclusion. We read countless opinion pieces in the print and electronic media coverage condemning Trump and we realize that the swamp is fighting back.
There is an extreme polarization in our Country. It’s not just Trump - it’s his tens of millions of supporters too. I’m not sure this will rise to a civil war but don’t underestimate our willingness to protect our President.
9
I guess you now believe it is A OK for president's and politicians to enlist foreign intelligence agencies help in investigating domestic political opponents.
29
I have tried to understand why people voted for him; perhaps they were hoping his "drain the swamp" mantra would come to fruition. What I will never understand is how those same folks can continue to support him after all he has done to deepen that very swamp, after seeing and hearing evidence of how unfit he is to lead our country. Why do you ignore the very real consequences of his behavior and his lies? Do you not agree that the rule of law also applies to those in power? Do you not comprehend the damage he's doing? I could go on, but for now, just one more question: do you identify with him in that you, too, cannot admit you made a mistake?
24
@Peter well of course it is. Peter, all his supporters, the Williams of the world, made peace with him being a Russian asset and the republican party being a force multiplier of Russian anti-democracy propaganda years ago. They made peace with the racism and misogyny as the underlying basis of their policies. Further, they made peace with cruelty, bullying and violence as policy tools to ensure they remain in power with the ability to terrorize the majority of US citizens. These really aren't debatable statements of facts anymore. The only unknown is how many more of the majority of Americans who really crave basic security of food, clothing and shelter, the dignity of a job that affords them food, clothing and shelter and maybe some healthcare and if heaven smiles some time to spend with loved ones not slaving to afford food, clothing and shelter will turn out and vote in their self interest to stop the madness that putting any republican in any office entails for 99.9% of US citizens.
No reconciliation without truth.
No republicans in national office by 2024!
Pelosi 2019!
3
Standard anti-Trump. Mr Blow, frankly, I don’t think this effort is worthy of the New York Times op-Ed page.
2
Hahahahahahahahaha.....
3
Is it that I don't remember, or did Nixon "lose it"(at least, not on this level) when the handwriting on the wall was being written?
@Ponsobny Britt
Yes, but he maintained his composure in public. He was neurotic and less than honest but he was also an accomplished person, which Trump has never been.
4
@Casual Observer Thanks. After all these years, one can't remember everything!
1
Look at the "whistleblower" document. See the misplaced quotation marks; some are open quotations with no close, and vice versa.
Why are these quotation mark "imperfections" not referred to?
If “The Donald” slips out of these charges, it will validate that we are in the early stages of a authoritarian dictatorship!
6
The problem with all this legal and behavioral analysis of Trump is that, at the end of the day, none of it may matter. Impeachment is a political act, not a proper trial in a court of law. So long as his base supports him and threatens to vote out of office anyone who doesn't, I fear Trump will just grow bolder without limit.
I was taught about the wonderful features of the Constitution: 3 co-equal branches, checks and balances, then a Bill of Rights, and so much more. As a child immigrant from a devastated Europe, my father told me we had come to America where there is freedom and justice. All that has been of tremendous importance in my life, combined with what I have learned in the passing years.
The additional, pivotal components of the rule of law and ethical behavior, combine to make the United States a powerful example of how well a democratic nation can function.
There are countless daily failures, but the basic scaffolding persists. It is unimaginable, incomprehensible and outrageous that the biggest failure is the current administration. There are not enough derogatory adjectives to express what I feel.
In addition, where does the Majority Leader of the Senate get away with stonewalling any legislation he doesn't like? He acts as a self-appointed majority of one with the voting power of 51, needing no other action on the part of the entire Senate. Add to that the spinelessness and lack of ethical compass in the Republicans and the "base".
Very base.
13
OH yeah, this guy is ranting like a street preacher on opioids. Like a great song lyric " It'll end in tears"
3
History is being made. "The first to be impeached over his dealings with a foreign government, one of the things the framers of the Constitution feared most."
Former Ambassador Nicholas Burns who just wrote a NYT op ed, said today on CNN and twitter:
"This is a first in American history dating to 1789. An American President has asked our strongest adversary, a communist dictatorship, to investigate his major opponent. Let that sink in. It is corruption—morally and legally wrong."
Nicholas Kristof:
The word "shameless" is inadequate."
We watch this gross spectacle as Trump compulsively digs himself in deeper. Instead of moderating himself, he doubles down.
He has been diagnosed by experts:
Book: The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists/Mental Health Experts Assess a President. Dr. Bandy Lee, forensic psychiatrist, Yale.
and
Dr Lee’s letter to editor, NYTimes: Psychiatrists Warn About Trump’s Mental State. 11/30/17
Politico 1/11/18….Dozens of experts urge doctor to examine Trump's neurological health during physical. More than 70 psychologists, psychiatrists note his declining faculties for complex thought."
He's not just mentally ill. His basic character, revealed over many years, shows he has no capacity for morality. ethics or duty.
What reforms in our politics do we need to prevent this from happening in future? Good topic for a column, Charles Blow and NYT op ed page.
13
Like a lot of people I worry that Trump will somehow shrug this off just as he has every other outrageous act. what I worry about is that Trump's base will not melt away (like yellow snow) and that the GOP will close ranks around him.
What I hope will happen is that enough republicans of good character still exist to stand up and say that this cannot stand. OR maybe the GOP will split in two with the fiscal big-tent conservatives splitting off from the gun nuts, the racists and the lunatic fringe bible-thumpers.
I've never been a conservative and likely never will be but I respected George H and I respected John McCain. Who among the current crop of republicans is worthy of that respect. Right now, none
7
@William
“Don’t underestimate our willingness.…”
Well done. Foster violence and insurrection. What a fine American.
We expect nothing less of Trump supporters than their threatening their fellow citizens with violence. They are, after all, imitating their cult leader — who told them to beat people up and he would pay their legal bills. As the psychologists now tell us, his cult members are incapable of seeing who he is for the simple reason that they’re not defending him; they’re defending themselves to justify that they voted for him. I would mention only one other thing: 52% of Trump voters admitted to Pew pollsters that they are racist, and they’re intent on proving their racial derangement every day. No, they say, it’s our country and you can’t have it. We are white, and the country is ours. “We take it personally.” “Our president.” How incredibly frightening.
6
My concern is:
1 ) trump doesn't want to face Biden, and wants Warren
2) based on above - what do the Republicans know about Warren that is not being reported? Media coverage has been sycophantic, and non-critical. Are we all in for a big surprise?
1
Trump is the big fish you spend hours reeling in. The closer it gets to the boat the harder it fights, naturally. It is fighting for its life and knows it. Trump is close to the boat so expect an all out effort to save his own life.
273
@D. Keefer No catch-and-release for Trumplestiltskin.
30
@D. Keefer Nailed it! Mt Vesuvius eruption in '79 - best visualization ever
8
@Tele-Cat
LOL!! Oh, the irony!!!
2
The democrats are desperate. They have failed in removing President Trump from office. The two year old Mueller investigation on Russia was unsuccessful so they moved on to the next. Now it is Ukraine. They are conducting an impeachment inquiry as to whether our president was involved in swaying the 2020 election. He did nothing wrong. He will be exonerated and be reelected. Once again the Democrats will be disappointed. They should be looking into whether the Bidens committed any wrongdoing. Will they? Of course not.
1
If he did nothing wrong, why were his own people alarmed to the point where they tried to hide the conversation? And refusing subpoenas? Please explain. This has nothing to do with “the Democrats”. You and other Republicans seem to not understand that removing Trump gives us not a Democratic president but rather another person we intensely dislike: Pence. It’s not about hating Trump or turning the WH blue. It has to do with the LAW.
2
"He will do and say whatever he can to avoid impeachment."
Except, of course, not go on live TV and commit an impeachable offense by asking China to meddle in the 2020 election.
7
Mr. Blow's article is a call for immediate action, but immediate removal of Trump from office by the 25th amendment requires that a majority of the cabinet vote for his removal with Mike Pence then serving as the acting President. This is not a viable, or at least acceptable solution, if Pence and a majority of the cabinet are complicit in the Ukraine affair, or similar illegal actions by the President.
It would seem that our democracy is hanging in the balance, and we must hope that there are enough persons with integrity within the executive branch of government who will not implement the orders of deranged and evil President.
Sadly the only means of removing Trump from office is through impeachment and conviction by Congress. This process needs to be accomplished with the utmost speed and legitimacy, and we can only hope the non-political, civil servants who manage are government on a daily basis can resist the actions of its corrupt, if not insane executive leadership during the time needed to lawfully remove the President from office. None of this will happen of course unless there are enough Republican members in the Senate who will put our Democracy ahead of self interest.
The key phrase is that Trump is losing it because there is something in his orbit that he cannot control.
He cannot control the House to prevent its impeaching him. He cannot intimidate witnesses when the published and public evidence is so strong witnesses are unnecessary.
Once the House impeaches, he cannot control the Senate Republicans who will determine his fate. When they cannot be retaliated against and have to confront facts, they just might find the courage that has been hibernating for a couple years.
Thugs hate losing control, and they really hate losing the capacity to pretend they have control. Trump had lost control and it is obvious that he has lost control. His reaction is reminding us that above all else, he is a thug.
3
Trump cannot handle chaos that isn't of his creation. The G7 summit showed that with Macron making him really busy with unexpected things. Keep up the pressure. Stick to the facts. Keep it all legit. There is plenty enough to warrant Trump's removal from office and he is doing everything in his power to add onto the potential charges.
We are now seeing the real Donald Trump; small, scared, emotional, dangerous.
How ANY member of Congress can support the activities and behavior Trump is now displaying is beyond me. They are now complicit, an accessory to the most disgraceful human to occupy the Oval Office.
8
Charles Blow has called Trump "unhinged" and "melting down" in every single column for three years. So he's lost the ability to "crank it to eleven."
The fact is, it's the Democrats who are scared of the truth coming out. That's why they are rushing with no vote to authorize an inquiry and no with no right to call any exculpatory witnesses.
If they allowed the Ukrainian can of worms to really be opened it would be Biden, Hillary and the Obama administration that would be revealed as corrupt. Trump is not afraid of this in the least.
5
@Chorizo Picante
Still laughing....
Obviously Trump is panicking, frightened, and out-of-control.
This is not about disrespecting the office of the presidency, but disrespecting the man who occupies the presidency.
He surely needs to be removed for the health and well-being of our planet.
8
As painful as this process is, our fellow citizens must be given some chance to evolve their opinions. The tone change at Fox News has been encouraging. While I do not expect a Barry Goldwater Moment in the US Senate, it is possible that sufficient citizens will get past their own fear and finally turn on those enabling Mr Trump. The Democrats absolutely must file Articles of Impeachment even if the Republicans in the Senate will refuse to convict. To fail to do so is enabling. We need enough voters to be sufficiently disgusted to slow down their hatred of “Liberals” and vote out of office hypocrites in the Senate as well as Mr Trump in the White House. I continue to believe sufficient numbers of our fellow citizens have the core decency to get there. They did so in 2008, 2012 and 2018. Why not in 2020?
199
@Ron B
I believe they have decency but they are quite capable of massive cognitive dissonance and both sides everything and shout socialism while salivating. It’s like a virus that we haven’t found the cure for.
Hopefully they will come around but the troll army and Fox News will find ways to use the hooks they have on these people and lead them where they desire.
5
Stormy Daniels
5
Trump is betting the farm that he can beat any candidate but Biden. I'm afraid he will taint Biden no matter what happens to him in the House. He will be impeached, but the Senate will not convict. So the election will go on. Biden may very well be destroyed by this injustice. It will then be up to the other candidates. Trump will lie about them too, but there may not be enough evidence to make it believable. We can only hope that one of the other Dems can make him sorry he was ever born.
5
In focusing solely on Trump, we treat his supporters like children. He’s the pied piper, leading his supporters in a trance towards their own demise. That’s not how it works. There’s a good chunk of those supporters, that Clinton undiplomatically called deplorables, who seem to have lost all respect for the rights and liberties that underwrite US political freedoms, a civic failure if you will. It is these people who, aided by decades of gerrymandering, give Trump his assumed right to treat the presidency like a hammer. It is their disrespect for the sort of political elite that wrote the constitution that allows Trump to be so flagrant in his violations. He has such confidence while being objectively morally and ethically compromised because he knows that this is what they want. With a force like that in a society that depends on the rule of law, it is inevitable that there will be conflict. How could Trump supporters ever achieve satisfaction without the many who do not support him being fundamentally undermined? Trump’s people have created a war-like atmosphere where there can be no compromise and we all likely suffer for it.
7
I agree with you, Charles.
But I wonder.... will impeachment somehow become another outrageous thing that Trump gets away with, another tradition or institution that he tramples on as he marches forward? Will impeachment turn out to be like the Mueller report — something that people anticipate as a Big Deal and then, when it happens, Trump walks away pretty much undamaged?
I don’t see the Senate convicting him, assuming McConnell allows a legitimate trial. If he isn’t convicted, what next? And what more will he and Putin be doing to ensure he wins in November?
It’s frightening to think about. And it all comes back to contempt for the Constitution. Not Trump’s, really, but the Senate Republicans’.
393
@Ker I have been wondering the same. I feel like, again we are expecting this situation to play out according to the “rules” but the past few years have shown that Trump has never let the rules or ethics or the law or precedence contain him, and our congresspeople and senators on both sides of the aisle have shown us that their jobs have become 90% re-election campaigning, 9% governing and 1% doing what’s right.
60
@Ker
The Senate won't impeach him. So he'll demean the House's actions the way he did the Mueller report. NPR interviewed a voter who had been a Democrat and is now a Trump supporter. He indicated that if his Democratic member of the House voted for impeachment, he'd vote for the Republican running against her in the next election. There's always been this risk with the impeachment process. Still, as with all bullies, you have to push back at some point. And we've reached that point.
63
The House impeaches, the Senate tries the case with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, House members presenting the case of US v Trump, and members of the Senate serving as jury. 67 votes are needed to convict and remove. So far it has never happened — Johnson dodged removal by one vote, Nixon resigned before it got that far, and Clinton was acquitted on both charges (55/45 with one abstention, and 50/50 — both shy of 67.) Acquitted or convicted, Trump is damaged goods ever after. He will see himself as a martyr and if we’re lucky will take himself off to Trump Tower or Mar-a-Lago to sulk. He will not go quietly.
31
Have faith America. Your institutions are the a model for some of the best democratic practices in the world. Yes Trump has sought to destroy them because he doesn't understand them. He is up against a process now that he can't really interfere with, except to comply with requests. Everyday will probably be different for him. But the process is rule governed and consistent. Good luck and best wishes.
652
@AM
Thank you for your kind thoughts, AM, but this episode has exposed some deep, deep flaws in our system.
For example, you write "He is up against a process now that he can't really interfere with, except to comply with requests." But that is only true if the president respects the laws. If he does not, there is no power to force his compliance.
That is the most glaring flaw. ALL of our enforcement powers are under the direction of the Executive. If an Attorney General chooses to serve the person of the president, rather than the office of the president, all enforcement mechanisms stop.
62
@guyslp
It isn't "Congress" that's doing what must be done. The Democratic majority in the House is doing what must be done. We always need to make that clear.
67
@AM thanks AM but he problem is the enablers of trump in office that are ignoring the tenants of the law and constitution.
29
The press conference spoke volumes: the Finish President very presidential in explaining the importance of the transatlantic alliance and cooperation, Mr Trump not listening, not paying attention. He looked distracted: He either did not understand or did not care but went on ranting. It was very painfull to watch. The sooner this ends, the better, for the US and the world.
886
Trump isn’t capable of demonstrating respect for others as he has no genuine self respect. He can’t listen to others who are expressing anything other than praise for him.
Our country needs real leadership.
95
@val
The Finnish president's final words were telling. I don't have the exact words but it was basically, 'you have a wonderful democracy, keep it going'. He sees the threat, driven home by the surreal day he spent with Trump.
57
@val
Absolutely. You are so right! Another example was how the Finnish President opened by complimenting our democracy. The raging nincompoop to his left didn't even grasp the not-so-subtle advice and comment.
64
The more desperate Trump is, the more dangerous he is. That really concerns me. As Blow points out, the longer Democrats wait, the more Trump and his cohort can (and will) muddy the waters. I think that we, as constituents, need to do is to be vigilant and to stay on top of our elected representatives no matter the party.
1038
@Louise Sullivan Not only that, but he could start a war under false pretenses. That would take the focus off impeachment, perhaps better and more effectively than anything else.
28
@Charles E , I think after 18 years of fruitless war the public won't rally around any president who gets us into another one. Starting another war, or ramping up an existing war, would more likely add to calls for impeachment.
33
@H J Berman - I fear you "misunderestimate" the American public's taste for Endless War, especially against smaller and weaker, brown-skinned, non-Xtian countries that have done us no harm.
24
I'm reminded of a statement by a CEO and co-founder of a former Fortune 500 company that barely exists now. To paraphrase him "I'd rather see this company fall apart than step down as CEO." He got his wish. I hope the U.S.A. is more redeemable.
7
Sometimes it seems like the Dems are so worried about their jobs and the 2020 election, that they may end up not doing their job insofar as the Constitution is concerned.
To Dem Leadership: This is going to take what its going to take, it is going to take the time it is going to take.
We need ALL the evidence. If it needs to go to court to get it, go to court.
The Dem electorate has been waiting for you guys to do your jobs and hold this lunatic criminal accountable. I'm sorry if that risks re-election, but at this point, something FAR FAR more important is at stake. For now, and for the future.
We must be a nation of laws, and the Rule of Law HAS to mean something. Clearly, it doesn't to Trump. It's up to you to fix this. You have a Constitutional Duty!
Stay the course, take the time it takes, and do your jobs!
25
@SMcStormy
It is not the Democrats who are acting like wimps. It is the Republicans, particularly those in the Senate.
10
I fear that President Trump's "desperation" may in fact be another case of Democrats seeing what they want to see. His performance at the press conference with the Finnish President was indeed horrifying, but he has done this sort of thing many, many times before. His standard go-to move when he perceives himself under threat has always been to go on disproportional attack. Trump has been actively goading the House Democrats to impeach him for some time now -- he welcomes the circus and the negative attention and is truly convinced that will only help him in 2020.
The daily reactions to events by Trump himself are of virtually no importance -- the reactions of Republican legislators, particularly Senators, are what is absolutely key. If they decide their continued support of him is no longer politically tenable, Trump will be thrown out of office and Democrats will have to figure out how to beat an incumbent President Pence. If they decide they have no choice but to "dance with the one who brung 'em," Trump will be acquitted and just might get the electoral boost he is counting on. Such is the high stakes game of poker the Democrats have entered into.
8
@Boris Jones
The Democrats are hardly playing poker or any other game.
Along with all of the Republicans in Congress and also President Trump himself, they swore to uphold the United States Constitution. That is what they alone, are doing.
The only one playing poker is the President. Pocket poker!
22
Folks, this is what a modern day civil war looks like. We are already in the middle of it. There are riots in the streets of dictatorships all over the world, and each dictator has a large “base” supporting him (no hers here). Power is maintained by the pure exercise of brutal power and oppression. For those still naive enough to believe in the myth of American Exceptionalism”, we are not immune or impervious to such rioting. It could come quite soon.....
26
You folks are dreaming if you think this episode will bring down DJT. He gets energized by this type of challenge. He’s relentless. He may be angry, he may appear to be disturbed. Yet he’s spent a life time overcoming immense obstacles. Your hate blinds you to this fact so you can’t analyze him objectively. If you reread Charles Blow’s column you’ll see his comments are full of “mind reading” and conjecture. This lack of clear thinking leads to false understanding of reality. You will ultimately be disappointed.
8
@David Smith
"[Trump] spent a life time overcoming immense obstacles."
Examples, please.
And is the list of these mythical obstacles even half as long as the list of responsibilities Trump shirked in his lifetime?
50
@David Smith It's not up to DJT anymore whether he 'overcomes' this obstacle. It's up to Congress and the Senate. And next year, the American voters.
39
@David Smith
Everybody falls, eventually.
He is ruthless, and without moral fiber, but he is not invincible... no matter what he and his followers think.
I grant that he is more slippery then most... but that is more about his mouth breathing base then it is about Trump. See.. folks like Trump are powerless without a firm backing of enablers.
16
Mr. Blow, as a progressive Democrat I say this: please pause in your unending focus on Donald Trump and his craziness and start focusing on the bread and butter issues Americans need to be informed about as we move forward to elect our next president. Among the few places we get to see discussions of these issues is during the Democratic presidential debates. Bravo and brava to these candidates for offering us desperately needed information regarding what they would do if elected. Why can't you pundits pause on Trump for a moment and shift over to discussing these issues in depth. Why are you all repeating the failed Democratic Party obsession with Russia-Trump collusion in the run-up to the 2016 election? We need more than just opposing Trump. Get with the issues Americans care about: jobs, affordable housing, healthcare, living wages, and on and on...
22
@bigbill
Please. There have been numerous in-depth town hall meetings with the Democratic candidates on issues such as gun control and the environment. The major problem is that as long as Trump is in office none of the needed reforms will be possible and regressive policies will continue to be enacted. He is problem number one.
65
@GSL
The debates and town hall meetings that have been broadcast have hardly been "in-depth" -- they more closely resemble episodes of American Idol. The questions are all about the soap opera and the horse race, not substance. As horrifying as he is, Trump is not "problem number one" -- that would be the erosion of our democracy and narrowing of the band-width of acceptable political debtate brought on by the polarizing wealth gap and the overriding interests of the wealthy elite that actually rule us, all of which are what made Trump possible.
4
@Boris Jones I agree with you wholeheartedly. I really meant “Trump” as a symptom, phenomenon and metaphor, not the person. And, I could design and run a true debate far better than the mud-wrestling shlock put on by the networks. I would start by giving each candidate a serious question, and a prescribed period of time sufficient to formulate a substantive answer, and then their microphone would be cut-off.
1
Look at that face! Pure anger and yes Charles - FEAR
The look of panic that the walls are closing in...
and without further corruption, many more lies, who knows what else to be uncovered, the look of a man who will do anything to stay in power.
A scary look, and scary thoughts as to what he will do as he further unravels and melts down.
How he ever got to be President is a very deep mystery.
How he has the Senators and the red states that surround, cover and still support him has always mystified and amazed me.
1
This will not end well. That phrase has been uttered by millions upon millions since it became clear that Trump would ascend to the presidency.
5
I watched the Werner Herzog movie "Aguirre the Wrath of God" last night. A group of conquistadores led by Aguirre played by Klaus Kinski travels by raft down the Amazon in search of El Dorado. As the trip goes on, the murderous insanity of Aguirre is slowly revealed. By the time the crew realizes this, they are all dead.
In the future movie about the Trump era, Trump will be perfectly played by Klaus Kinski.
2
He will indeed bring it down, and he will bring down as many people with him as he can.
2
Even if the Senate fails to convict, Donald Trump will forever bear the "*" after his name on the list of US Presidents that indicates he was impeached. He will never be able to change that. I believe that will haunt him for the remainder of his life. And that gives me some (not much, but some) comfort.
4
Per numerous psychologists, self-pity is one of the major tell-tale signs of a sociopath. Yet another box that can be checked off for Trump.
3
The fact that Trump would put himself above this country to the point of mutual inhalation if he is impeached and convicted, should be grounds for betrayal of his oath of office and impeachment.
3
His only way out is to resign, he always settles in the end. This time will be no different.
3
@11b40 Well, he can't hide behind bankruptcy law this time. Can he?
1
Trump will do anything to avoid being impeached.
But so will the Republican Senators.
And if it ever commes to that, so will the Supreme Court since it is now a Trump instrument.
So dream on.
That Trump may appear desperate, melting down, etc, this will not change these facts
1
People here are unaware that if an impeachment is opened, the House minority leaders get subpoena powers, which they do not have now.
A few days of the Bidens and their oligarch friends in front of Congress on TV will bring Trump a few million extra votes...
1
Trump ran because Russia made him and then got him elected. You don’t invest millions and years building the kind of infrastructure Russia did unless you owned the person you were getting elected.
4
Are his Cabinet members so into the maze that they don’t recognize that Trump is displaying paranoia above and beyond any normal concern about a Congressional investigation? I mean, really . . . asking China to investigate the Bidens?
5
It is becoming ever more clear that Trump has little understanding of how our system works. Coupled with the known fact that he hates to take advice from people who know more than he does, this means that his efforts to avoid impeachment will be inept and often counterproductive.
But his deepest admirers think that the system is corrupt (and here Trump is an expert) and trust Trump's gut more than the deep state, so they will see impeachment and conviction as just more evidence of witch hunts and the corruption of the deep state. Trump is having a good deal of success in destroying or damaging the deep state, so they are likely to stick with him.
Our intelligence agencies should have found out and proclaimed that there were no WMDs in Saddam's Iraq. Because of political influence on them, they didnt. Dick Cheney helped this happen, and should have gone to prison for doing so. But our oil-impregnated deep state made sure he didnt, and outrage over this sort of thing helped elect our current president.
1
As an LCSW, I sadly and wholeheartedly agreed with the last line of this article "Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down." And this is what is truly scary. I say have the 25th amendment handy. As Trump becomes more unhinged he will seek to destroy everything around him. In psychology we call it decompensation. This dangerous mental state should be recognized for what it is, and steps taken to contain the true chaos that may ensue.
8
Trump's insanity is that (I think) he believes everything he says is true. I think he believes that he is a victim, which is a classic distortion that bullies carry. It's also possible that he believes in all the conspiracy theories he latches onto.
My big fear is that McConnell will take up the articles of impeachment and the Senate will dismiss them. But, as someone wrote in another article's comments section, the House can submit further articles after that.
Now all that remains is to live through all of this madness.
1
“Forget the myths the media has created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.” -Deep Throat in All the President’s Men
4
"He will do anything to avoid this."
Yes, he will. Toss Stephen Miller, Low-Barr, Pompeo, Rick Perry and Pence into the mix and you have combustibility.
Be sure you've thought through the steps necessary to keep you and yours safe.
A NATIONAL EMERGENCY could be just around the corner.
5
Trump's defense, as always, is to launch deceptive and false attacks designed to pander to the prejudices of his base.
He will lie, rant and deflect. Why are conservative Republicans incapable of accepting truth. Trump claims Democrats are out to take all of their guns. No, they want to impose controls on assault weapons and prevent criminals and mentally ill from having guns. Trump claims Democrats want to eliminate Christianity. No, they want to allow Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs . . . to enjoy the same right to exercise their religious beliefs as Christians. Trump claims Democrats are after your freedom. No, Democrats simply want everyone to have the same freedom regardless of race, sexual orientation or religion.
The problem lies with conservative characterizations intended to misrepresent and deceive. Wake up America!
6
Trump is over and his name will replace Benedict Arnold's as the definition of an American traitor in our lexicon. His family will be shunned and his name will turn to dust. This will be.
7
"He will do and say whatever..." pretty much is a nice lead in for anything the media establishment and Democrats will attempt in order to win/disrupt/obstruct and so forth with regard to this administration. Rather than actually win elections, they know they have the media, academia, Hollywood and Federal employees to do their bidding after they lose. BTW, Jeet Heer just wrote an article talking about the "paranoid style" of GOP politics, and one of the comments refers to "Night of Camp David", and all of this is done with no self awareness whatsoever about how paranoid the Left is, which is to say the MSM and more, in the country right now. None of you are helping at all. Please win an election. Then you will have a right to govern. Until then, you will be the problem.
"Beep Beep"... He's like the roadrunner and you media folk are once again playing the wily coyote. I just wish you were paying for this entertainment pleasure on your own...
You do understand that you don't have the votes to actually kick him out of office via impeachment, don't you? Remember how our president was ultimately vindicated by the release of the Mueller report, when he had too much integrity to give the media what they wanted?
Half of the Congress will hold strong, and you will know that feeling once again. It's not a winning strategy, really. Your team would be much better off consolidating behind a winning Democratic candidate, and then doing the heavy lifting in convincing the rest of the nation's voters (remember the Electoral College vote, folks. It's still Rule of Law, even if you don't like it!) to vote for said unifying candidate.
Of course, that's an awful lot of hard word, and Congress is allergic to that. This is just entertainment spectacle, and it's so much more fun. What has your leader Nancy Pelosi got to lose in her advanced age? You're letting down the working people of America, the ones who might benefit from government helping to lead or drive some of the public policies in this country: economic inequality; drugs (the rich now get 'scripts and choose the best bud; the poor still get locked up); the crime rate from said inequality (what, you don't see it where you're at, even "petty" crime?), the lack of non biased education, etc.
3
People have to remember that Trump is the Master of Projection. He is physically and emotionally incapable of seeing outside of himself. So when he says that So-and-So is a traitor, he is saying that he, himself, is a traitor. When he says that So-and-So is corrupt, it is because Trump, himself, is corrupt. And when he says that the Democrats are trying to stage a coup, what he hopes is that his base, the military, the cops and the bikers, will rise up, stage a bloody coup, tear up that pesky Constitution that he has never read, and make him Dictator for Life.
2
Let's be honest: Trump is a 3rd rate con man and money launderer who hates being the President, despises a nation of laws and has contempt not only for equal branches of government but the country as a whole. Unlike bits of Ohio or South Carolina, the rest of us "are not nice to him". Trump will go down, his brand will be destroyed, and he will throw everyone under the bus, including his own children and wife before finally sinking from his own stone. Trump People: stop blaming Hillary at this point. You have no one to blame but yourselves.
6
Trump is desperate, but not stupid. He's spreading the blame to his closest confidants so the entire ship sinks with him. It started with Mike Pompeo, now expanded to VP Mike Pence. The play is to force Pence out so he can appoint a new VP...his own daughter Ivanka. If Trump is impeached, Ivanka will be left in charge. Can you imagine?
Our country's racists, homophobes, misogynists, nationalists, climate deniers, and other bottom feeders, are empowered thanks to Trump. They are so puffed up, that it's unlikely they'll fit back under their rocks, when an actual, caring, intelligent, competent leader ascends to the Oval Office.
It's an ideal time for countries with global military and economic goals to lay the ground work. While Trump is tweeting, golfing, and campaigning for his base, real leaders are taking advantage
4
Look around you. I see a lot of unhinged, angry people. Americans need to decide whether this type of behavior is unbecoming of just a mad president. I believe it reflects too many in our society and we would prefer to have the mirror only face Trump.
3
He's doing fine
He's got NBC News parroting his conspiracy theories and the Times Op-Ed section telling people to turn to Fox News
He controls the press, it's obvious , and it's working
Mr. Blow you’ve nailed the situation so eloquently. Now it’s time for Congress to finish this fiasco of a presidency.
He looks more like an angry four-legged animal than a man.God save the nation.
3
Tump is not fit to be president of USA.
Republicans need to put country first and start looking at their own interests or they will go down with him.
This is specially true to republican senators.
This is the right time to do impeach Donald Tump.
3
Gosh, Mr. Blow, you sure know how to describe a three-mile train wreck. This is a classic case of wanting to look away-- can't look away. I must steel myself...
3
A crazy person with the keys to the US nuclear arsenal should make even Lindsey Graham nervous.
Anyone watching the President news conference yesterday with the President of Finland knows that the POTUS is completely unhinged and should be removed from the office in a straight jacket if that's what it takes.
We are way past high crimes and misdemeanors. We are dealing with a stark raving lunatic.
3
Why isn't Joe Biden out there every day fighting back? Why is there no response at all?
Why is this process going so slowly when he has already done so may things in full public view that are "not allowed?"
What is the point of "checks and balances" if there are none?
Why isn't the press grilling the GOP, including McConnell, every day, with "why are you supporting this man?" They should be doing their best to expose the corruption in Congress.
Why is what seems to obvious to you, Mr. Blow, and to millions of us, so hard to use? Mrs. Pelosi wants to be "fair" to the man that says she hands out subpoenas like cookies. WHY?
And where are his NYState taxes?? City taxes???
Throw the bums in jail. Do what he is doing to the poor immigrants!
Keep writing!!
1
Of course Trump is desperate! After removal from office, he will probably go to jail and lose his entire fortune. Melania, free at last from her monstrous husband, will regale the tabloids with stories about his sexual incompetence, find a nice billionaire to marry, and then live happily ever after.
4
Imagine Trump's speech in Oslo upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.
1
It is extremely sad to see such a pathetic man playing the part of the US president. It is corrosive to know about his corruption and nothing can stop him from enriching himself and his family. We cannot join the world in applauding the decline of the US under Trump.
2
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S BRAND OF MENTAL ILLNESS
.
Being rich can contribute to mental illness just as easily as poverty. They can lead to a bratty and dysfunctional personality so pronounced that it led to Trump never having a real friend or anyone who really cared about him in his life. The loneliness and desperation to prove himself worthy resulting from that can lead to his becoming the narcissistic sociopath that he is.
.
Trump's had to convince himself that people hated him because he’s so brilliant special that the average person is incapable of understanding him. He HAD to indulge in that delusion to maintain his self-esteem. That’s why he’s always bragging and promoting himself, so for Donald Trump, the only thing important in life is trying to get the world to embrace his delusion - even if he has to bring down America to do it.
.
Just imagine going through life where every single person you ever came into contact with hated your guts (the guy's wife doesn’t even seem to like him). He's so arrogant, delusional, and self-absorbed, that he's just not the kind of guy that anyone can like or want to become close to. Can you imagine being his friend and having to agonize through endless stories about how wonderful and brilliant he is all night? So the prospect of having his delusions torn down makes him the most dangerous man in the world.
.
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S BRAND OF MENTAL ILLNESS
https://wattree.blogspot.com/2018/11/about-donald-trumps-brand-of-mental.html
The GOP has become a RICO target as part of the TRUMP CRIME SYNDICATE. They should be prosecuted as such and in prison.
2
"Today do I bake,
tomorrow I brew,
The day after that the queen's child comes in;
And oh! I am glad that nobody knew
That the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!"
You cannot think how pleased the queen was to hear that name, and soon afterwards, when the little man walked in and said: "Now, Mrs. Queen, what is my name?" she said at first "Are you called Jack?" - "No," answered he. "Are you called Harry?" she asked again. "No," answered he. And then she said": "Then perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin?"
"The devil told you that! the devil told you that!" cried the little man, and in his anger he stamped with his right foot so hard that it went into the ground above his knee; then he seized his left foot with both his hands in such a fury that he split in two, and there was an end of him.
2
Finnish President meets with finished President.
5
His last wild cart will be to offer his resign in exchange of a total habeas corpus.
2
DJT is desperate because when his term is up, he knows what is waiting for him.
Putin!
Going to jail and his legal peril in the US pales in comparison to what he faces from russia. Once out of office he is no longer any use to the kremlin.
THAT is what has DJT so panicked!
3
“He will do and say whatever he can to avoid impeachment.”
No, he is working on not being removed from office. Impeachment for him is not the issue.
3
It is sad to see so many people here confused about Trump and the emoluments clause.
AP: Trump Org donates nearly $200k to cover foreign profits
https://www.apnews.com/a4349ac80a7048bdb61f017fffd9623f
Trump donates yearly to the Treasury the profits from foreign governments using its properties.
Tony Schwartz said as much as have psychiatrists as those like Trump who suffer from Narcissistic Personality Syndrome. A downward spiral uncontrollable that leads to total incapacity.
2
"Donald Trump is scared. And he is incensed that he is scared. And his only impulse is to fight like a thing near death: with everything he has, and by all means necessary."
This president is so, so pathetic. Honestly, without that power suit, his '45' cufflinks and his awful combover crown, he's a fat former playboy who has no actual money; just paper held by Putin.
This presidency is donnie's chance to break through to the oligarch level of wealth and power, and he can't believe it's not just OK with America that he sell us out for his private gain. His white nationalist base believes, kinda, that he'll put them first when he attains DearLeader status, but he won't. He'll throw everyone, including Ivanka, under the bus if he feels his power teetering.
In his scrambled mind, it's his ego against the world. I have no idea how republicans would react if President Hillary Clinton did/said these things. I guess they'd be fine with it. If not, they'd better start holding trump to a higher standard, or this slippery slope for gov't ethics is going to slide clear down into the mud.
The cynic in me says that a Democratic president would be, again, held to a much higher standard than trump. Sigh.
4
Big fish thrash when they're hooked. Nothing more...
1
Maybe there's an online betting pool as to whether he'll pull an Epstein.
1
Couldn’t we just have the Finnish President be our President? He seems to understand the USA better than anyone in this administration.
4
This is the first time you've heard Trump unhinged and lashing out? Where have you been?
For 2 1/2 years that seems to be his consistent state of mind. The stories of his rantings and ravings have been well documented in books and background reports.
I listen to his rambling press scrums and snap news conferences over his time in office and have come to one conclusion; he is certifiably crazy.
And yet his averaged approvable rating from all the polls remains around 45%.
To me you are forced to draw one conclusion from that number and that is that 45% of the country is also nuts.
2
"A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy," writes Charles Blow. Poetry in an Op-Ed. I love it. The way Trump handled that press conference avoiding the reporter's question and then the total meltdown was disgraceful. If Trump had any decency, he would resign. But he does not.
2
Trump, yesterday, seemed delirious careening from one delusive, paranoid rant to another at those press conferences.. He seemed to have no idea that he was making no sense.
Those hundreds of credible mental health professionals who signed a Change.org “Duty to Warn” petition, did warn us of this day.
Trump, they said has a narcissistic personality disorder with sociopathic tendencies . There are two stages. The first is that he lies and he knows he’s lying. The second is when he feels trapped, he becomes paranoid and believes his lies.
This is when, they warne
D, he becomes “the most dangerous person in America”. He is realizing that he can’t avoid being impeached. The danger is that he could try to distract by provoking Iran into war.
1
Trump is a disrupter who, in his cringeworthy way, may have brought some much needed, new perspective to the WH. But so many of the steady state could never buy into him because of a deep conviction that he ran for office only for self-enrichment, seems to always make unilateral decisions, and is a poor communicator.
The silent, sycophantic Republicans on Capitol Hill - America's Republican Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen - are now tacit sympathizers with the idea of a Civil War - this time Republicans versus Democrats, rather than a rebellion of states with slaveholding economies against the U.S. constitutional government.
Similar to our first Civil War, the Constitution is again being challenged. Trump has challenged it by appropriating the Justice Department through (1) a Roy Cohn style Attorney General, Mr. Barr, and (2) a stacked Supreme Court. He has been aided by our Senators in neutering almost the entire functionability of Congress led by Mitch McConnell. Lindsey Graham, too, is especially culpable here. Trump has successfully perfected the tactics of instilling fear into his own party members to keep them in line. How amazing it is that much of this control over Republicans is made effective with little more than juvenile, schooldays name-calling.
Worst of all, Mr. Trump constantly gaslights the American citizenry on a daily, even hourly, basis, working as hard as possible on a longstanding, carefully planned assault on truth and news reporting. Twitter and Fox News have unfortunately been a great assist in these and other assaults that the President mounts daily against individuals ranging from 16-year old environmental advocates to entire institutions of our governing collective, such as the Federal Reserve.
Republican Senators, where is your character?
5
Our system of checks and balances is crumbling. Get ready for a white nationalist dictatorship. There will be no elections in 2020.
3
Trump isn’t scared. He is mentally ill and incapable of assuming the responsibilities of his office. In any other profession, this man would have been removed from his position.
3
"he is scared. And his only impulse is to fight like a thing near death: with everything he has, and by all means necessary."
I do not like analogies like this.... they imply that trump has strength. he doesn't. that's why everything he achieves he achieves by cheating and lying. what he is really doing is flailing away like the coward he really is.
2
Nancy Pelosi knows how to get under Trump's skin; she knows how to keep driving him crazy.
He's in a corkscrew spiral, and he's going down.
Trump built his own prison. He's not going to get out of it.
1
Democracy desperately seeks impeachment and hopefully imprisonment of duplicitous desperado Donald. Good will indeed trump evil.
1
Trump is used to using money, power, legal fixers, and expensive court cases to blast his way out of difficulties. He never had to worry about whether his behavior was legal or not, because it became legal after Roy Cohn or Michael Cohen "fixed" it.
In that context, he was obviously unaware -- jaw dropping ignorance -- that his published conversation with the Ukrainian leader was unconstitutional. It wasn't properly hidden and after the memo of transcript was published, Trump started to realize how deep the quicksand really was.
Stupidity, ignorance, arrogance and non-existent communication are the features that characterize this president.
Now to bail himself out he's behaving like an injured, cornered cat, lying, hissing, spitting, and lashing out at everyone around him.
This incident alone ought to be enough to convince anyone, even with low IQ or advanced dementia, that Trump just isn't clever enough even to advance the far right wing agenda.
But Republicans still support him. They have set an incredibly low bar for themselves in competence, credibility, and ethical behavior. It is a stink that will never wash off.
2
Hope Congress gets the Capitol prison ready for Trump officials obstructing justice and subpoenas.
Orange jumpsuits?
1
What frightens me more than Trump is the length at which the entire GOP is willing to defend him.
They knew what they got when Trump was elected. A racist, corrupt and completely out of his depth man. He has proven to be everything we thought he was, and a whole lot worse.
Instead of defending the country and its constitution against this man, the GOP has decided to defend his corruption, abuse of power and ineptness against the country and constitution.
These people are beyond saving. The GOP is beyond saving. They need to be voted out of office for not doing their constitutional jobs. All of them.
4
Looking at that picture of the grotesque Donald Trump in your editorial brought to mind the exquisite David Bowie --
"Look at those cave men go." - from Life on Mars
But you know, if you died Trump's hair a little more orange, and put some makeup on him, and put him in a tight jumpsuit -- no, never mind.
1
He only has one strategy - what Roy Cohn taught him. He can't think about how to solve a problem outside of that strategy. He can't think. He will just escalate his attacks and lies and deflections in response to "attacks" on him. We can only hope the people around him wake up and realize how many lives are at stake, not to mention the democracy, and will step in to contain him.
3
This is how you know DT45 realizes he is in deep, deep trouble. During yesterday's press conference he demanded that a reporter ask The Finnish President a question. When in the history of the world has this Constitution stomper ever yielded a microphone to anyone? He ceded the floor to another leader. WOW. The times they are a changin'.
But he isn’t desperate...
The very day after Mueller spoke to Congress, Trump went out and “colluded” with a foreign power all over again - on a grander scale - and much more openly.
To ensure it went the way he wanted, he withheld desperately needed aid!
It seems he’s got his AG (the DOJ!) involves in foreign “political dirt” shopping as well!
Pompeo and perhaps even Pence got involved - even as Pence put together the deal Trump deliberately sabotaged.
He no sooner got out of collusion jail, when he went right back into the dirty tricks business, charging full speed ahead!
He WANTED THIS! It seems he can’t help but do it!
He won’t take advice from experts - but instead has surrounded himself with zombie minions, people who subsumed their expertise and ethics to slavishly do Trump’s bidding...
Now he got in the Impeachment net again - and sees the problem as the traitor that “accused” him. Trump accused himself: the whistle blower only called the police.
Maybe it’s rage that someone, anyone, has dared to call King Trump to account. Too bad! We are a nation founded first and foremost on the principles that:
We Have No King! We tolerate no dictators! All men, including our leaders, are subject to the law.
It’s not even Trump I blame. He’s a pathological narcissist: a psychopath- insane. I blame the toadies that DID NOT STOP HIM! They knew better!
This Administration will be stopped by people with character and spine, who put the law and country first.
3
With the corruption of the State Dept, Justice Dept, Senate, Supreme Court and other federal institutions, the United States is morphing into Trumpistan. Impeach and convict now or forever hold your peace.
2
Impeachment..."This is outrageous to Trump, a man who has patterned his entire presidency as a rebuke to and competition with his predecessor, Barack Obama. Not only will Trump not get a Nobel Peace Prize, he’ll get an American badge of dishonor. A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy."
The best summation of this disaster in the White House I've read yet!
3
Why do people who believe whites are supreme pick as their champion a man, if taken as an exemplar of his race, would seem to prove the opposite?
3
This is such a stretch the Dems should be embarrassed! I'll tell you what will happen. Bernie will be resting, Biden's going down (with voters) so it will wind up being Trump v. Warren. Warren's positions will cause wide swaths of Democrats to switch to Trump while this political impeachment farce (really, Nancy, you're "prayerful"?) will energize Trump voters leading to an easy win. Just want you to be mentally prepared.
The humiliating stain of impeachment proceedings, whether he is convicted by the Senate or not, is why this president is losing it in real time before the whole country. The stigma of being held accountable by Congress for his various and sundry abuses of power will forever define his presidency as an aberration that happened while America slept.
His fixation on and obsession with Barack Obama shows a warped individual who never believed that he was as good as his black predecessor but spent considerable time in office trying to convince himself and his supporters that the Obama presidency never should have happened at all.
Obama won two terms as president, an achievement that #45 is so desperate to accomplish that he is willing to contaminate the American democratic process just to be Obama's equal.
This president is hoping that discrediting his black predecessor will be enough to win a second term as president. This time though, voters will see through this lying, cheating and dishonest phony and put America first, like they didn't do in 2016.
2
My guess is that Trump has recordings of his conversations, just like Nixon. He is every bit as paranoid about enemies and spies as was Tricky Dick. The technology used to make the recordings might be different than what was used back in the 70’s, but the criminal being recorded is very similar, right down to the mental breakdown when they began to feel cornered.
2
Watching the Trump circus from afar is truly remarkable. America has plummeted into a decline - so sad to witness. Please do the right thing in 2020. Save your democracy from the tyrannical authoritarian movement.
6
"What was on display Wednesday was anger animated by panicked fear."
I've heard most anger is caused by fear... fear of losing something one has, fear of not getting something one wants, or fear of getting caught for something one did. Trump's always been insecure (childish name-calling is a 'tell'), but his fear is elevated now as never before... I expect him to go on a 'scorched earth' tantrum as his facade comes unglued.
"Trump ran for president as an exercise of self-flattery and to boost his brand."
I also sense he knows his business is failing - after he and his supporters alienated over half his potential clients and customers... with some going to court to remove his name from their properties. He's said the "Trump brand" is worth $3 billion, but it's now worth less than the cost of a MAGA hat.
5
Joe Biden is desperate. For Donald Trump it's just a work day, draining the swamp on the way to getting reelected.
Somehow, there seems to be an historical reference between Trump and the reign of the Roman emperor Caligula. History has been recorded on the latter...we need to wait on the former with anticipation.
3
Trump thrives on conflict, but he also suffers at the hand of conflict. He love conflict because it brings to focus of attention on him and big mouth.
He loves a good fight.. but he really is not that good a fighter. He is mostly bluster and loves to use falsehood and slander as his main weapon... because if you repeat the same thing often enough to non critical thinkers (which is exactly what his base is made up of).. they being to believe it is fact.
His approach may work to hold his base, but it won't work in the context of the constitutions authority granted to Congress, and it won't mean diddly squat when he is pulled into court in the future.
4
The one thing Trump dreads above all is the outing of his tax records. The more the reason to go after them. Exposed, his IRS tax history through decades would be the 'coup de grace' finishing him off.
4
Mr. Blow, you are absolutely right about Trump. As a narcissist, Trump is incapable of accepting responsibility for his own actions, so instead he will lash out and blame everyone around him. We must proceed in spite of that. Our democracy now depends on the ability of the Democratic party to conduct a fair, objective and reasonable impeachment inquiry in order to send the message that abuse of power will not be tolerated and will not become the norm.
3
Having no training or experience with mentally disturbed persons, I am hesitant to think our President has a mental deficiency. But observing his display of outrage lasting some sixteen minutes in the presence of a foreign leader leads me to conclude he has a mental problem. Merely saying this is not normal behavior for the President of the U.S. ignores the seriousness of the situation.
Was this just the reaction of a guilty person refusing to succumb to the facts? That I do not know. What I do know or at least have observed, is behavior akin to that of a caged animal, but his animal has the nuclear codes and we should all be frightened.
7
Al Capone murdered and plundered his way through Chicago's infamous criminal world. Yet, it was his tax evasion that brought him down.
Trump has been committing crimes against the Rule of Law and the Constitution before his inauguration. Yes, this was supposed to be about embellishing his brand before that horrible result from the Electoral College. Winning required recalibrating his goals.
One of those goals has been violation after violation of the Emoluments Clause. He has visited his own golf resorts requiring the hosting of all who had to go with him including any staff members, and his Secret Service detail. Housing and feeding those "guests" came out of the taxpayers' wallets.
When Pence stayed at Trump's struggling golf resort in Ireland, that, too, went to Trump's pockets. USAF cargo aircraft landing at the local commercial airport near that resort, instead of a military airfield, meant putting up the crew at that resort, along with paying higher costs for aviation fuel, thus supporting a failing airport vital to the survival of Trump's nearby resort.
When foreign leaders, lobbyists, and corporate executives, all eager to get Trump's ear, stay at his hotel near the WH, or at Mar a Lago, Trump's pockets swell with ill-gotten booty.
All of this to say, we have had the goods on Trump to impeach since he arrived in the WH. What we lacked was political will to fire him — mostly due to GOP sycophancy and fear of his Tweet storms.
6
I am profoundly sorry that Mr. Blow has said this. I am profoundly sorry because what he describes is exactly what I have been saying to myself, to my colleagues and to my friends. I have not wanted it to be so, and thus have said these things with a shrug, a wave of my hand - surely I am cynical and fearful, surely this is only my imagination.... It isn't. There is no way out of this now for Trump. Except for resignation of course.
5
I love Mr. Blow. "He [Trump] has always believed that he could control the narrative even if he couldn’t control the facts." Here is a veritably elegant turn of phrase as well as truthful. "A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy." It's poetical. And yes, this situation is unique, given what Mr. Blow has reminded us clearly of Trump's history and intentions. There are legal means to address Trump's behavior, but they've never been used to the extent necessary until his case. The "system" just hasn't been prepared until (I hope) maybe recently. I've cringed and squirmed at people, especially pundits, early on in Trump's term sitting and puzzling about his behavior. I've been a psychologist and have known from the beginning that Trump shows ample behavioral features of being NOT NORMAL. Everything he does can be traced to his self-centeredness and even self-absorption--it's as simple as that, and finally people have been playing catch-up about it. The Ukrainian phone call is just another "perfect" example of this fact. It's perfect but of course not in the way Trump means it, which is yet another example of the self-centeredness that he so generously exhibits. May it not last long in the public arena, in hopes that the "system" will be applied not ruthlessly like Trump's way but at least relentlessly.
5
Call me crazy. But what if we had a rule that when someone swears an oath to uphold the constitution, they have to have actually read, and display an understanding of, said document? Wishful thinking I know.
8
An enraged, desperate, paranoid man is very dangerous. We are not to blame for his ire, but if we choose to ignore the possible result of it we risk people's lives, including our own. Trump has always banked on instilling fears. Mission accomplished. I willingly admit, at 61, that I have never been more afraid in this country. Remember too the other unhinged rulers on Earth may well get even with Trump at our expense. Now I want to hear every Dem candidate explain how they will stop the theft of the election they are working so hard to win. No one is playing here.
6
It's time to introduce a new narrative in the public discourse, namely that an interim Pence presidency doesn't look that bad.
1
I have worried about his cognition and behavioral health for a long time. He will be even more dangerous as he feels increasingly cornered with nothing left to lose. Unfortunately he has surrounded himself with sycophants who lack the courage (and indeed compassion) to force him to get help. We will all suffer as a result.
3
Trump isn't scared, he's simply infuriated and incredulous that something like this could happen.
He will be impeached by the House, you can take that to the bank. A senate conviction, however, is unlikely, so where will that leave us?
Sadly, it will boomerang us back to where we were before the whistle blower complaint was a thing, and possibly worse, as Trump will feel even more emboldened to act with complete impunity and lawlessness.
I would also caution the left wing pundits and cognoscenti on MSNBC to stop acting like we have already reached the "get him a body bag" scene from "The Karate Kid". They are getting way ahead of themselves, there's a long way to go, and even if we "win", we could still end up losing.
The one analyst I saw yesterday who seemed to grasp the danger of this moment was Howard Fineman, who seemed truly shaken by what he saw from Trump yesterday.
I can't ever recall a respected journalist like that show his emotions in such a naked, honest way, but let it serve as a warning to what we are dealing with here.
I've felt the same way ever since propaganda minister Spicer came out and lied about the Inauguration crowd size even though pictures existed to refute it.
If you are not sick to your stomach right now, you don't grasp what's happening.
6
Yes, Democrats should act rather quickly. Two or three articles of impeachment should do handily: Intemperate and unfit; as Jamelle Bouie so marvelously articulated in his piece. Adding to the easily verifiable Abuse of Power. Any and everyone listening to and reading the words of Donald Trump will recognize the ill-temperate and profane and verbose language spewing hourly from his mouth: I believe Mitch McConnell sent a strong signal with his declaration that the "He'd have no choice" but- to hold impeachment hearings.
I believe the people are also ready. Nancy Pelosi is right; Trump will impeach himself...but only if House Democrats dispense with the endless hearings and subpoenas and just do its job quickly.
2
Trump sounds disturbed and unbalanced but to my ears he has sounded that way since 2015. The Democrats should move quickly but cautiously to draft a comprehensive set of articles of impeachment before Trump muddies the waters even further than he already has. The danger we face is that he may give his supporters and the spineless Republicans in Congress enough chaff to hide behind. I would hate to live in a country in which Trump felt he was exonerated by the impeachment process.
1
The fact that Republicans have known what he's done for his entire time in office and done nothing and continue to do nothing is unconscionable.
4
Any Republican voter or politician who still stands with Trump is dishonoring all the men and women who sacrificed their lives to preserve our democracy. Shame is too weak a word. And for anyone who thinks Obama or the Democrats are likewise a threat to our democracy: please read a book on what democracy is, and what the rule of law is, and then come back to me.
2
“Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down.”
Correction: He will TRY to bring it down. He had not been succeeding,
2
Trump has already laid the presidency low.... let him set it ablaze on the way out the door, it will serve to cauterize the office.
3
Little Richie Rich has never been held accountable for anything in his life. Trump has had his way his entire life and can't comprehend anyone trying to hold him accountable. Children when they can't have their way sometimes resort to name-calling or temper tantrums not the leader of the free world. How can this manchild strike so much fear in the hearts of the old white guys who run the Senate? I truly hope Nancy Pelosi can put Little Donny in timeout before he blows a gasket.
6
Trump's head will explode like Scanners
2
I particularly enjoyed watching the Finnish president swat our alleged president's hand when he tried to make physical contact...exactly the way our alleged First Lady does.
2
Since the day Donald Trump was elected President , Mr Blow, the MSM, and most Democrats have been trying to impeach the President over partisan , political ideas and actions. This violates what the constitutional founders intended and unto itself is unconstitutional. No high crimes, bribery, or treason have been committed by this President. And you, Mr. Blow, know it. You just don’t like him. And want to impeach him for his personality and politics.
1
This is just like a chapter from Roman history. Trump is just like one of the deranged evil emperors who plundered foreign lands and threw people off cliffs or fed them to the lions. He clearly thinks of himself as an emperor...he has plundered his way through Ukraine, taking whatever he could get. And he has suggested the use of flesh tearing spikes, moats of snakes and alligators, and death by hanging for his enemies. Let's just hope our empire doesn't fall, but history does have a way of repeating itself.
2
Let's hope Trump will "bring down" the GOP temple.
We need something much better to rise from its ashes.
3
This must have been one of the most embarrassing days of Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's career. He had to stand quietly next to a whiny, pathetic American President, watching while Trump did his melt down. This sad episode must have played well in Helsinki as well as the rest of the first world countries of Europe. Our condolences, Mr. Niinistö.
3
And Christians everywhere, take note! When 45 said that Representative Adam B. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was not fit to carry the secretary of state’s “‘blank’ strap." what was that about?
John 1:27 - "I baptize with water,” John replied, 'but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'"
Blow, he does not want to go to jail. As soon as he gets out of the WH he will go visit Cohen if he is still in prision. But for ever. The only way is staying the WH with Barr as AG.
It is not only fear of humiliation, is fear of jail.
1
I hope he doesn't start a war to distract us from the impeachment or to salve his feelings with second-hand manliness.
2
Make this impeachment quick and deadly for Trump..
Then find the 20 Republican Senators that Trump has bullied and humiliated and toss this Cheeto Tojo..
What we're watching is Daycare Donnie experiencing a psychotic break.
Donald never had to be accountable for anything his entire life; he always had daddy, daddy's lawyers and accountants, Roy Cohn and other attack dogs scare off the law, the government, vendors, employees, banks, investors, creditors and anybody else who wanted Donald to take responsibility for his lies, transgressions and swindles.
But it's a little harder to get away with a felonious lifestyle when you're a public servant, especially when your only instinct your entire life has been to serve yourself.
There's no reason to feel sympathy for this tiny little man; he brought it all on himself by duping America's Gullible Belt into drinking a big bottle of Snake Oil expertly chilled in a giant bucket of hate.
What's important as Donald Trump publicly self-destructs is to keep the nuclear codes away from him at all times, preferably by turning on Fox News where propagandists, gaslighters and Republican court jesters can cheer up his increasing despondency.
The people who actually run the government and the military will slowly abandon and defy Trump's authority as his psychological state deteriorates, and even some of FOX Nation will even find it hard to watch as Donald becomes increasingly deranged, unhinged and unfit for office.
Nancy said he would self-impeach...and he's right on schedule.
Enjoy the show, everybody....it's made for TV, just the way Donald likes it.
And the ratings will be HUGE !!
6
Lock her up? Hm, I say to you orange man: watch what you wish for! It is you who might end up in an orange suit. Or at least - as Michael Wolf opined - in tears! The end is near.
2
I was genuinely surprised that Trump spelled coup correctly.
4
Be prepared, in the last extremity, for Trump bombing Iran, or wherever, just so it’s someplace where he can vent his rage, and demonstrate his waning virility.
Donald Trump is unhinged. After this afternoon's press conference with the visiting president of Finland, it should be crystal clear to Trump's family and to the Republican leadership that he's unfit for office.
2
Mr. President, you have a facts problem.
2
Comical! The Trump is "desperate" story, i.e. weekly bombshells that are certainly going to lead to his never-ending eminent demise have been going on pretty much non-stop for approximately two years now. A slight chuckle and a big yawn. If the libs/Dems want him out you will have to put your adult pants on, find a candidate that is actually capable of winning an election and let the voters decide--political theater/folly ain't gonna cut it, you are the desperate group hands down because you, sadly, cannot present a candidate that you believe can win the next election--pathetic!
1
I particularly enjoyed watching the Finnish president recoil from Trump's Lilliputian paw when he tried to make physical contact... exactly like our alleged First Lady.
1
This wildcat has been seriously wounded, and is backed into a corner.
He's got control of nuclear weapons and in response to North Korean threats, noted: "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"
This guy has to be watched like a hawk now...
3
The man is clearly deranged. What's next - rumors of him chewing on the rug as reported for another megalomaniac who destroyed everything he touched?
2
Imwas looking for a perfect adjective to describe akeDonald. The best I coulf find is MAD Dog. But that is not as fitting as an adjective in my native language - it is like an apethat is drunk, bitten by a scorpion and t over by a evii gost. He is ot oof cntrol. Hmmm.FakeDonald was nevr controlled by any one including his father whowas equaly corrrrrrpt and racist. guess ycan blait n the genes.
"Not only will Trump not get a Nobel Peace Prize, he’ll get an American badge of dishonor. A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy."
This is good.
4
The GOP is awful. f these people in Congress took their oaths and their jobs seriously, they would all stand together and demand Trump treat their colleague, Adam Schiff with the respect he deserves. The respect his office deserves.
They would be outraged a president would say the horrible things he's saying and accuse their colleague of things he most obviously sees in himself.
One good reason they should do that is because, hey, Yahoos! Trump will come for you just as fast and just as hard if you dare to stand up and do your jobs. The Bully-In-Chief will not stop until they stop him.
The real question for Trump supporters is, where is the line?
If Trump declared himself "President for Life," tore up the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, would you still support him? What crime could he commit and you guys genuinely re-consider your support?
Where is that line where you guys say, "Wow, ok, that isn't right. Trump has to go." ?
Because otherwise, you're no longer a patriot of America, you are just a follower in a Cult of Personality.....
,
2
Oddly enough, I had a 10th great grandmother who was tried as a witch in Plymouth Bay Colony back in the day. Her father (my 11th great grandfather) was a Minister and their daughter had epilepsy, which was not understood at the time. The village charged the young girl (6 years old at the time) with being a witch.
She had no evidence she wasn't a witch, and once the charge was leveled...everyone thought she was a witch. Why would anyone in authority call her a witch if it weren't true. Heck, even the NYT called her a witch..demanding she be thrown into a lake with bricks tied around her legs..and if she survived..then they would know she was a witch and she'd be burned at the stake.
Thankfully reason prevailed and my great grandfather x 10 was able to enlist the village doctor to confirm these seizures were not the result of a bewitching, but were the result of nature.
Trump has a witchhunt continuing on him everyday and I can assure you..Charles Blow would have been there right with all the other village idiots demanding my grandmother be drowned or burned.
Worse? A year later..Charles would be the one saying "I never said she was a witch. I would never say such a thing about someone."
And that's how the American Media now operates.
Burn! Burn! Burn!
When it burns....it becomes a Shaggy Song.
"It wasn't me."
1
@Erica Smythe
What result of nature would suffice to confirm Trump shouldn't be drowned or burned?
You nailed it, Mr Blow. You spotted the change in emotion. Love the adjectives you used.
In his outrageous accusation of Adam Schiff of possible treason, Trump reveals his immaturity as well as his desperation. His MO reminds me of a schoolkid's: "I'm rubber, you're glue! Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!"
Trump should be heavily sedated and placed in a straightjacket for the safety of the United States and the rest of the world.
In the world of the lawless autocratic corrupt "rule of Trump" anyone who has the audacity to threaten his massive narcissism and actually adhere to the Constitution and its "rule of law" is by his paranoid, perverted definition committing "treason" or a "spy" or staging a "coup." It's crazy because Donald Trump is really crazy suffering from a well-defined psychiatric illness where he's a sociopath who has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. We fought a bloody revolution to free ourselves from Mad King George and his loyalists, and now we are once again fighting to save our Republic from Mad King Donald and his misnamed loyalists called Republicans.
1
Just like you have been ever since Trump was elected President as well as the rest of the Times op ed writers,
my guess is the same desperation from you will accelerate when Trump is re-elected in 2020.
In the world of the lawless autocratic corrupt "rule of Trump" anyone who has the audacity to threaten his massive narcissism and actually adhere to the Constitution and its "rule of law" is by his paranoid, perverted definition committing "treason" or a "spy" or staging a "coup." It's crazy because Donald Trump is really crazy suffering from a well-defined psychiatric illness where he's a sociopath who has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. We fought a bloody revolution to free ourselves from Mad King George and his loyalists, and now we are once again fighting to save our Republic from Mad King Donald and his misnamed loyalists called Republicans.
1
And indeed, this man will tear down the very temple that surrounds him and his "family".
Probably causing the bulk of them to be crushed under the weight of the walls....I mean those he hasn't already thrown under the bus....
Mike P and Mommy..are you ready? Karma awaits.
He was at his most unhinged today. And that is saying something.
Trump is rationalizing his lies and corruption by thinking everybody does it. so its Ok. Therefore, everything he accuses others of doing Trumps doing it too. I going to love it when about all his cronies rat him out. They always do.
Dear republicans, now is your chance to reclaim your party and rid it of wackos like trump. Then you can get back to a message of tax reform and fiscal responsibility. At this point your party looks like an episode of Jerry springer. So pathetic.
Mr. Blow, like many others, predicts some sort of political apocalypse when, no matter the reason, Trump is forced to leave office. Maybe. But Trump is a coward. Slap him hard, he'll crumble.
Orange face, red cheeks, white eye bags and a black heart. A vile, colorful monster.
1
Look at that photo. I am finding this very frightening. I am absolutely convinced that Trump was installed by Putin and we are now under the control of the Kremlin. How stupid is the GOP to fall in line behind this? I hope the GOP ceases to exist when this is over.
He held his breath til he turned orange.
2
My prayer: Oh dear God, gives a president who will unite these United States if America.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, CHARLES!!!!!! SPOT ON!!
1
Will he finally me made to pay for all his corruption? I sure hope so. Also I hope all his enablers, Barr, McCarty, Graham, Kellyanne and the rest go down with him. Maybe a moat with snakes.
So can we all start calling him "no Nobel Con Don" now? Please?
1
This is a classic projection, the Democrats are desperate and they have decided to go down a pointless rabbit hole. This is a wonderland of dishonesty. The public knows that Trump is a lair. Now the public has learned the truth that the NYTs will write practically anything that denigrates Trump. At least on Fox they have allowed some contrary opinion on Trump. Its 24/7 all impeach Trump nonsense in the NYTs. Nancy Pelosi is made a hero after she caved in and started this unfocused dishonest baloney about Trump's phone call to Ukraine. Ukraine is now part of the US sphere of interest. Both US parties have sullied themselves trying to use Ukraine to get unseemly info on Americans getting mixed up in Ukrainian corruption. Biden's son is a case and point. The Congress' desire to arm Ukraine and foment ethnic strife in Ukraine against Russian Ukrainian citizens just shows the USs view that Ukraine is just another proxy state that will do its bidding against Russia.
I saw the clips of Trump’s behavior. They are simply stunning. A furious dribbling barking dog restrained only by an invisible leach for the whole world to see. You have to be a world- class lickspittle like Lindsey Graham to endure all of it AND hoping to see it for four more years. Uf!!
1
If Trump - and his enablers - weren't so incompetent, they would be dangerous. Add intelligence and efficient ruthlessness to their criminality, corruption, immorality, self-centrality, disorganization, pathological lying and overwhelming stupidity and they would be unstoppable. Fortunately, they are too inept to bring off their attempt to completely ransack our country for their sole benefit.
1
Get your Sharpie out, Mr. Trump. There's a hurricane coming your way.
13
"A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy."
Couldn't have said it better myself. Even if the spineless GOP senate aquits him, let the asterisk of impeeachment forever tarnish (to him) his all-important name and legacy forever more.
12
What surprises me is that even though everyone knows that Trump betrayed the nation (because Trump showed us the damning transcript of the call), Trump carries on as if he was the one who was wronged. It is an amazing skill and millions of Americans are taken in with his performance. Disinformation is Trump's stock and trade and up until now that has made him wealthy and powerful. Shameful that the charade has gone on for so long.
299
@John McLaughlin
What we need to understand is that narcissists are always aggrieved. It's something of a paradox: Everything they have and do is the best and yet, poor them.
This is why the base members loves him: They say they are always getting the shaft from minorities that are favored through affirmative action, immigrants who are gaming the system and women who are bringing up sexual harassment claims from long ago. (This last one in particular is a favorite of grumpy old white men.)
Trump at a rally is an infinity mirror of narcissism, aggrandizement and grievances. -- thegamesmenplay.com
25
@John McLaughlin
It'll all be over soon. Maube not soon enough for most of us but he'll be gone soon.
He's getting more and more desperate every day. As his desperation grows so do his mental capabilities shrivel.
You can hear it in his rants. His tweets are more erratic.
He's unraveling before our very eyes.
For these reasons he'll be gone from sight sooner than he'd like.
I'm looking forward to seeing him dragged kicking and screaming from the White House.
21
His wealth was inherited and probably would have been greater had he invested his father's wealth in low-cost index funds. Cheating business associates and bankruptcies would have been avoided. He could still have had a fake charity to line his pockets and would have had the proceeds from the tax scam his father set up for Trump rental properties. Enough excess to buy his gold-plated toilet and other trinkets that scream nouveau riche.
17
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down."
Charles, based upon Trump's crazed performance yesterday I unfortunately think you are prescient.
13
This should surprise precisely no one.
4
Unfortunately, what the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said to Trump, "Mr. President, you have here a great democracy. Keep it going on," fell on deaf ears. That's the last thing Trump is interested in preserving. Sadly.
9
We need to be on guard. He's a cornered animal, not a sane or patriotic citizen, and he has zero scruples. The risk is very real that he would arrange an October surprise of domestic terrorism or even outright urge his supporters to collective violence if it looks like he'll lose the election.
13
This unfit narcissistic president is now behaving like a temper tantrum child , who lost his mind and is using all his irrational bullying arrogance to fight the rule of law and the Constitution.
I wish we are approaching the end of this chaotic and dangerous presidency .
The Country is in desperate need to have a qualified group of women and men to lift us out of this infernal time .
Let’s hope that the 2020 elections will bring us a President with a vision and a program to make us forget this despicable years , a House of Representatives and a Senate , who will be there for the betterment of the entire American society , not just the top 1%.
We need our Country to find the way to climb the ladder to regain international recognition for democracy, benevolent leadership and cooperation with the rest of the world .
14
We should be prepared for Trump to launch a “wag the dog” war.
I hope those surrounding him are prepared to use their Article 25 powers, should it come to that.
5
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down."
This is what is really dangerous about Trump. He has no loyalty to anyone or anything. He will destroy anything that threatens him. So now that the threat is growing bigger and closer, he's terrified, and that makes him very dangerous.
What makes him even more dangerous is the cult he's built up of those who feel betrayed by the Temple of the Status Quo, and who elected him to either fix it, or destroy it, because they came to believe that it didn't serve them, and hadn't for years. So, all the dire warnings about how Trump is tearing down the norms, actually encourage the Trumpies. He's doing what he promised them he would do. If he's also enriching himself and his family and friends at the same time, who cares? He secured a conservative SCOTUS that will eventually end abortions, and sanctify gun rights, and he's driving the Establishment crazy! What's not to love if you're a Trumpie?
The only hope for America is that these Trumpies are not the majority. But it will take the courage and commitment of the majority to face this force of destructive darkness. But while Trump rages and thrashes, Americans are beginning to see him for what he is, and the threat he poses, and that will serve to galvanize people to oppose him. Americans are always strongest when faced with the biggest challenges.
Rage on Donald! Your rage betrays your terror, and you are right to be afraid.
9
This is absurd. There is absolutely no reason for Trump to feel threatened. He knows that the Republicans have no principles, and that he will never be removed from office by the Senate. He is behaving exactly as he has always behaved.
3
@Martin
He's even stated publicly that his entire aim is to just muddy the waters so much that whatever damaging information comes out about him will just roll off his back and disappear. Doesn't say much for the collective intelligence of the average American, does it?
All I can say that I am more dismayed that our constitution lets this unhinged madman be president. We have to admit that it is flawed badly. You cannot have a person like that on top spewing malice, lies and nonsense every single day and nothing could be done QUICKLY. Even if he gets impeached in the House, the Senate will quickly absolve him in front of 330 million pair of eyes. Half will rejoice and the other half will stoically go back to their daily tasks.
2
Very scary. I watched him today with the Finnish President. He looked like a madman. How can we get him out of office fast and with as little pain as possible, I asked myself.
7
Indeed, desperate like a spoiled kid who can't have his ice cream before dinner. This guy is the living embodiment of what an infant who didn't have an iota of parenting throughout his entire childhood will turn in to. His parents let his wallet raise him, and when that wasn't enough they put more in the account until he stopped whining. Spoiled brats don't know how to handle adversity, they just know it isn't their folk because their parents never corrected their many missteps and rude behavior.
2
We witnessed the president of the United States melting down. He tanked in the Oval Office yesterday as he fought against his impeachment. He ranted vile calumnies on the free press and his enemies and the Democratic Party. His performance was unleashed red-faced reality TV anger.
Maniacal. Demented.
Yesterday was the first time we've seen Donald Trump's unleashed panicky fear (and not his smug braggardry) on display to the nation and the world. Can Trump finally evade impeachment with his unleashed anger, obstruction, and awful presidential powers over his maga loyalists, the G.O.P. and our democracy?
3
Donald Trump should be very afraid of what is likely coming to him.
He is likely to be impeached by the House and it will be clear from his own words and actions that he violated his oath and committed a High Crime against the United States and then tried to cover it up.
He has few friends, if any, in the Senate and by next year, these weak, careerist Republicans Senators will sacrifice him to save themselves. And Trump knows it.
Worst of all, once a private citizen without the protections of AG William Barr, he will be investigated and likely indicted. Trump knows he “got away” with so much that is illegal, most of which will be used against him in Federal and State courts. He is destined to lose his fortune and perhaps dither away the rest of his life in some gilded prison with Secret Service guards.
He also knows, I hope, that if President Pence pardons him, it will surely be challenged as a corrupt bargain and endanger Pence’s freedom as well.
Yes, Donald Trump should be very afraid.
Meanwhile the comparison of Trump and Obama will be that Trump was the most corrupt, boorish, incompetent and dishonorable President in US history, while Obama was quite competent with no major scandals in his 8 years of Office.
6
"A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy."
Bravo, Mr. Blow. This is one of the most incisive comments I've read in starkly contrasting our more recent legitimately elected President, Barack Obama, a man of grace and intelligence to the illegitimate Donald Trump, a shallow and graceless man without a moral compass. Good ultimately trumps evil.
7
He claims he could shoot someone on fifth avenue and still get elected. Well, he keeps shooting himself in the foot every time he opens his mouth.
We, the people, cannot let him get reelected!
3
Another gem from Mr. Blow. To borrow a phrase Trump seems to love, this President is Locked and Loaded, and ready to explode. Better put him in a paddy wagon and keep him away from the “football.” He wants everyone to go down with him.
2
I will have to say that watching trump demand the reporter ask the Finnish president a question was awful, funny, scary, and like being on the bus to crazyland. That kind of belligerent demanding repetition in a conversation is usually a sign of some real mental and emotional problems.
7
The thing we're all wondering is when is the tipping point. So far the Lindsay Grahams, Mitch McConnells and their ilk are so afraid of the gun toting fools who voted for Trump that they can't see what's happening right in front of their eyes. This guy is going down and he'll take whomever is still attached down with him.
5
The moment is here for WH aides and Trump defenders to save their souls and already wounded reputations...and jump ship. Why would anyone go down with the Trump ship? He's already thrown even his VP under the bus to try to save himself. He'll throw Barr under next, and Pompeo. Who are these fools who have not seen the swath of wounded, imprisoned, disgraced, career-collapsed (starting with Billy Bush) bodies of people who were reeled in my Trump and now lie in a heap in his wake? 14 year old girls think, "He'll change for me, though. That's how much more he loves me than anyone else." How grotesque. to watch the likes of Barr, Pompeo, et al, selling their souls, and this country's, for some Trump love. It's time. Save yourselves and get off the SS Trump now.
8
Watching him all red-faced, swearing in the Oval Office today was quite unnerving. What has happened to our country?
7
If I were in the Emergency Room doing a psychiatric evaluation I would describe Trump as delusional, paranoid, and narcissistic. Sociopathy also comes to mind; intentionally inflicting pain on people is not the normal impulse of a caring, socially connected human being.
I would say he needs to admitted to a psychiatric unit, and receive medication and therapy.
He is a harm to himself and others.
11
I saw his outburst today, or rather, as much as I could stomach. There were not only the words and rants and lies of a man having a psychotic break-down before our eyes, but there were his facial expressions which were frightening to behold. Just as revealing was that he was hosting the president of Finland. He could not control himself enough to be civil yet alone gracious and diplomatic. But what is more confounding is there is not a peep from the Republicans, particularly those in the Senate. What does that tell us about the psychology of those politicians and the individuals who elect them? This crazy man is being allowed to stay in office because of unethical cowards in the Capitol and ignorant, misguided MAGA supporters who can only think of a metaphorical or literal wall between them and all "others" and an unborn child.
6
Since he hates being embarrassed. Why can't the press embarrass him more? During that canniption fit yesterday in front of Finland's president, I wanted all those reporters to burst out in raucous laughter. Likely his reaction would have required a strait jacket.
8
As this thing escalates, watch Iran. Trump would not hesitate to order a full scale attack as impeachment closes in...
2
The only thing he WON’T say is the right thing. Ugh.
2
I'm not sure if I believe in God; but I do believe in karma.
Good essay, Charles!
2
Everyone knows this to be the case, trump is gong to bring the whole kit and caboodle down with him. If it is the case that there is nothing anyone can do to stop this before he is removed from office, the one question persists ... who will be there to stop the Air Force from enacting his nuke order of Iran when the marshals are walking up the driveway? Who will be there when he issues the order to close the Mexico border, or withdraw the US from NATO? Who's going to be our John Wayne?
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down."
Note the precedent in bringing down the temple, Judges 16:30:
"Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life."
Samson, the somewhat disgraced Philistine-womanizing Israelite judge was granted by God a last favor of returned strength and took down the temple of Dagon.
Note the verses before this:
"Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands
Samson our enemy!”
When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy,
The destroyer of our land,
And the one who multiplied our dead.”
So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars."
Mr. Trump is no Samson, but if forces to perform, those seeking revenge should be prepared to suffer some. If he goes down, he will take down the temple and much more.
1
I think if you are going to accuse the President of the US of lying it is imperative that you point out the lies and provide refutation. Otherwise it is no more than a rant.
1
Bringing down the temple ... terrifyingly true.
The only possible favorable outcome here is that as Trump becomes more and more unhinged he will lose support from the GOP senators that will be looking to save their own necks like rats running from a sinking ship. Only a matter of time.
6
Picture is a perfect distillation of his character
2
Yes, but his approach works. He will pull through this and your chagrin will grow.
1
The Finnish president is owed an apology for Trump's behavior.
7
@Virginia
The Finnish President and every other visiting world leader who has been subjected to Trump's personal rants while here on official state business.
Nobody – never mind a “stable genius” – with a functioning neocortex and a properly calibrated moral compass responds to reality in such a flailing, vicious, disjointed, frightened, and self-infatuated manner, complete with utter indifference to his surroundings and the sensibilities of his guests.
The only part of this “stable genius’s” brain that is operating properly appears to be his amygdala – that walnut-shaped primitive lump deep inside his gray matter that bypasses the neocortex when it perceives imminent danger to the host and dictates flight/fight/freeze responses to help ensure its survival.
He is more than just an innocuous global embarrassment to us! In this foreboding and panicked condition, unchecked by himself or anyone around him, he is a clear, present, and growing danger to everyone as the noose continues to tighten around his neck!
6
Trump has clearly lost it, and he’s willing blow it all up on his way out. The real tragedy is that the Republican Party has embraced his evil reign for their own selfish purposes. I’m sick of hearing about “moderate” Republicans. They don’t exist; they are as fictitious as unicorns and yetis. They have sold their souls to curry favor with a madman whose base of gun-toting racist anarchists only want to destroy government and turn this country into their version of an aryan paradise. Case in point: Lindsey Graham. He used to have principle, a modicum of decency and now he’s just a mouthpiece defending every illegal and immoral act of his new best friend.
Trump may decide that he can unilaterally declare war somewhere to created an emergency to forestall his impeachment. Who knows? He is volatile and out of control and there are no adults in the room. AG Barr has turned our DOJ into Trump’s police force so they have been severely compromised. The Supreme Court is now firmly in the hands of the Republican Party so they cannot be counted on to stop Trump’s rampage. Checks and balances have become a fairy tale. Even if Trump loses in 2020 he is unlikely to just walk away.
The only certainty is that this will not end well.
4
I firmly believe the best way to be rid of the Don is to “allow” him to confront his “accusers” (Democrats) by testifying before one of the Congressional committees investigating him. As a stable genius and world’s smartest man, he will relish the opportunity to make all things right and righteous — until he begins to dodge questions, rant and rave, and collapse into childish incoherence that results in him being led from the room as a babbling blob. Then the truth will indeed be known, and a simple vote using the 25th amendment will suffice.
5
Trump, in his short time in office, has turned the United States into the laughing stock of the world...and his Republican cohorts do nothing but encourage his sorry antics.
4
trump likes to say that something terrible happened in the 2016 election and he is right. trump is that thing.
Those who voted for him and support him are to blame for this “man’s” swamp. Supporters not being able to accept how unqualified trump is have brought us to this moment. Impeachment is warranted and conviction is our last best hope to save this country.
12
Wouldn't it be interesting if this fiasco of a presidency led to a new structure of oversight of the executive branch? Where psychological illness had a determinative place in the criteria of competency? Yes, psychology is a soft science, but dysfunction can be tangible enough to be a basis of judgment. The country has learned about the destructiveness of personality disorders, such as narcissism and sociopathy (Antisocial Personality Disorder). The main problem, of course, with elevating psychological diagnosis in the public sphere is that it typically comes across as an ad hominem attack. We would have to grow beyond that primitive perspective.
7
Another article of impeachment should detail his gross misuse and abuse of the English language. If he were your father, would you not feel compelled to take his car keys away? A sad chapter in American history.
17
"YOU TALKING TO ME?"
"YOU TALKING TO ME?"
Trump channeling DeNiro, in "Taxi Driver" yesterday.
True personality shining through.
25
Removing him from office will cause a Civil Party in the
streets from which this country will dance with joy.
34
This picture is worth far more than a thousand words.
10
“Trump, a man who has patterned his entire presidency as a rebuke to and competition with his predecessor, Barack Obama.”
This is Trump in a nutshell. His overwhelming paranoia is about his inability to be better than Obama in anything. He can try to erase all of Obama’s accomplishments, but all he ends up doing is making them stronger, along with Obama’s legacy. The world knows full well how historic Obama’s integrity, intellect, dignity, and grace were, and they are made ever stronger by every comparison made with the boorish Trump. While Trump wilts in his self-destruction, Obama’s stature and legacy grow monumentally, diminishing the last vestiges of Trumpian smallness to insignificance.
Thank you, President Trump, for putting Obama in his rightful place. And you in yours.
33
Trump needs to be gone. What lingers after his impeachment remains to be seen. Those who enabled him in the house and senate, either by lying and covering up for him, or hiding in the shadows saying nothing will still be here.
What will we say about them? What will they say about themselves when they run for re-election? How will they try and spin one of the greatest disasters by one of our two parties? Will the voters hold them accountable?
To turn the tide and actually "drain the swamp" of the worst Republican sycophants the voters will need to finish getting rid of the leftover stench of those who did nothing to stop Trump.
12
Yesterday we saw two Finnish presidents. One from Finland, and the other who is truly "Finnish(ed)"
25
Trump is inciting violence with his threats of civil war and calling
those who oppose him traitors and spies. He compares impeachment proceedings to a coup.
He rhetoric indicates he will not step down from office no matter the outcome of the next election.
The real question is what will the American people do? Will we remain passive or rebel against a presidency that is determined to consolidate Fascist rule.
13
The Finnish president told trump he has a wonderful democracy, don't lose it....good advice. Unfortunately trump is lost in his obsession with conspiracy theories, Biden, Hillary, Obama and his "stable genius" is telling him what to do. If it weren't happening right before my eyes, I would never believe what we are going through.
12
One thing about Trump...he's all mouth and no action. He threatened to retaliate against Iran after the US drone was shot down, but backed down. Trump thinks that just by threatening, just like a bully in a schoolyard, that he can get his way. Of course, he never does, but you can't convince him that he is a loser, and probably the worst POTUS in USA history.
People are creating a mind set that Trump, if impeached, will cause a "civil war," or some other dangerous act that could spell disaster for America. He threatens that if he is impeached that he will bring down all around him more less the country. A lot of bluster from a weak unstable individual.
Trump has got to go as he is an explosion that already has a lit fuse. If he be allowed to continue his negative actions, contra to the rule of law or Constitutional requirements then there is no telling how destructive he will be to our democracy.
9
Trump is incapable of telling the truth, understanding the truth and living the truth. His reality is completely comprised of his insatiable need for grandeur, dominance, and a fantastical superiority over all.
This impeachment investigation is causing all of that to come crashing down. Trump is in maximum panic mode because the reality he has constructed is being dismantled.
Trump is the star of his own movie. And the ending he wanted just got edited out on the cutting room floor. He can't take it.
Today, it looked like Trump was in one of those horror movies where the victim had been brainwashed by an evil scientist and everything he thought was real was fake, an implanted reality. Then, he somehow reconstructs repressed memories and realizes his predicament. The movie ends with the victim totally losing his mind.
Except with Trump, he built his false reality. He is his own evil scientist.
This is only going to get worse. The investigation is just beginning to find out the truth. We haven't heard from the many who really know what happened. We haven't been able to connect the dots and tie everything together. What happens to Trump's mind then?
I am suggesting that Trump could become so irrational and unmanageable as to be unable to function. That is, if we want to call the last 2 1/2 years, functioning.
12
I am frightened and chilled to the bone on a daily basis by the thought that this unstable madman has his finger on the nuclear button and would stop at absolutely nothing to save his unredeemable self. I can see his rage growing. Let us hope that the House quickly sets forth the articles of impeachment. Perhaps invoking the 25th amendment would be quicker and more effective. He must be taken out of office NOW!
12
The madness and vileness of Trump makes me long once again for Obama and his lovely family in the White House. In Obama we had a President that worked for the people on health care, the environment and strengthening relations with our allies. With Trump we got an enormous tax break for the rich, destruction of our environment and traitorous courting of our enemies.
I miss the grace of Michelle and the obvious affection between her and Barack and their children. They were a model of what an ideal family should be.
14
It is shocking beyond comprehension to see a president of the United States behaving like this--a wanton defilement of the office.
8
Donald is playing the Democrats for fools.
And you are obliging.
Two weeks ago, Biden seemed to be poised to take the fight to the Don and stand a chance.
The Don struck first, and now Biden is mired in a corruption scandal, with Ukraine's fired prosecutor stating he was pushed by Biden to stop and investigation and he then got fired because of it.
And now questions on TV news shows about Biden in China opening doors that resulted in his son profiting financially.
Joe Biden will not survive this. He is done.
Warren cannot defeat the Don, and Sanders is in the hospital with heart problems and has not even made it to the WH. The rest of the hopefuls cannot break 5% in the polls.
This circus will go on, since it started the Don raked in millions in donations, and can play the victim of the Democrats in DC. And as long as it goes on, Biden is synonymous with corruption scandal.
All because you Democrats fell for the cheap bait, and will not let go off the hook.
Tell me now who is desperate? because we know who played who.
3
@AutumnLeaf
"Donald is playing the Democrats for fools."
Yes, the stable genius is always 2 checkers moves ahead on the chess board.
"Biden is mired in a corruption scandal, with Ukraine's fired prosecutor stating he was pushed by Biden to stop and investigation and he then got fired because of it."
Nonsense. Trump's acolytes may be manipulated into believing this, but most others know (or will discover) what really happened:
https://www.axios.com/joe-hunter-biden-ukraine-corruption-trump-1b031c30-3173-4a45-a6a7-2e551759063c.html
If Biden chooses the correct running mate (Warren), he will demolish Trump.
"Tell me now who is desperate?"
The answer to this is - an increasingly unhinged president who is realizing that the end is near.
1
Dear President Sauli Niinistö:
On behalf of decent Americans, allow me to apologize to you, our honored guest, for having to sit through another trump temper tantrum. We are shocked and sickened by this all-too-familiar behavior. We are equally sickened by our republican senators whose cowardly posturing has our country frozen in malaise. Please come back when our national nightmare is over.
Sincerely, Every decent American
9
This is all wrong. Trump knows Senate Republicans will never turn on him, which is why he is courting impeachment. He revels in the fight, and his supporters will frame this as Democratic Trump derangement syndrome. And on this much they will be correct - it is the Democrats who are acting from a place of anxiety and fear. "Anyone but Trump, I don't care who" - we've all heard over and over again. What a weak position! How utterly uninspired. Or, as Trump might put it: SAD!
3
Trump is becoming unhinged but I wouldn't call it madness. He is spouting some much chaff to distract voters from his failure to accomplish any thing. The master of the deal has produced no deals. Replacement for Obamacare. Nothing. Money from Mexico. Nothing. Wall. Almost nothing. "The greatest infrastructure deal". Nothing.North Korea. Nothing. China deal. Nothing. Kushner Middle east peace deal. Nothing. The famous claim of "six new Steel Plants" Zero not six. The easy to win trade wars. Not easy. Manufacturing rebound. Still flat. All the coal jobs coming back. Nothing. Troops out of Afghanistan. Still there. I could go on. He screams and yells, goes on twitter rages so you don't examine his record of nothing.
15
He won't bring it down. But watch out for attack on Iran.
I was a mental health professional for decades. This is the kind of client we saw in an open space, with plenty of people around, careful never to be alone with. Quite a clinical spectacle of narcissistic meltdown and rage. BTW, is his tongue gaining weight these days?
15
"Donald is Desperate"...and somewhat deranged. That was quite a mess today.
I want to thank the press for working incredibly hard for the last 3 years, bringing us the truth, digging and delving to help all of us understand the magnitude of our disappearing democracy. You've been top notch!
6
Trump is where he is, three years on in this disaster of a presidency, for only one reason: his voters. Despite his countless lies and his countless felonies, his voters are still in lockstep with him. And while a minority within our entire country, they have majority representation in the Senate. This, in a nutshell, is why Trump is still in office, and why the Senate will take no steps to remove him.
We have done nothing but shine a bright light on Trump for three years now. As if he sprung from the head of Zeus. But I haven't seen one meaningful column directed at the power of his voters. They're treated as either entirely unrelated to this debacle (even though they caused it), or as hapless dupes who were "hoodwinked" by Trump.
They are neither. They are entirely responsible for the fact that our once fine nation is considered a laughing stock at best, and an international pariah at worst. They support a known felon in the White House for only one reason - he is as racist as they are. And this, folks, is all Trump voters want from a president.
But their role in this horrific chapter of our history should not be overlooked. They should no longer be given a pass. They should be held to account. But much like Trump, they won't be held responsible for their misdeeds, either, and they know it.
11
Trump is getting so awfully close to a mental disintegration that a call for 'intervention' might be called upon ( before the 2020 election) by his Crime Family and Associates. After they advise him to resign from office president pence will pardon him they hope. All this to prop up the slumping trump brand and attempt to polish the grossly tarnished gold patina of their organization. The Crime Family legacy must be protected at all costs.But the lying, cheating, ranting, bullying, philandering will continue, just as before when he "won" his white house.
3
Trump would rather see the country in civil war than be impeached. Armed conflict would stoke his ego and his victim mentality. He doesn't care a twit about the country, our institutions, norms or democracy. The quicker we get him out, the better for our country...and the better for the GOP... as they are heading toward an electoral precipice.
6
"Donald Trump is scared. And he is incensed that he is scared. And his only impulse is to fight like a thing near death: with everything he has, and by all means necessary."
Trump is in situation he can neither control nor walk away from. This is new territory for him. His usual weapons; bullying, bluster, and threats, are not only useless, they're digging him deeper. Trump's "friends", Pompeo, Barr, and Guliani, may soon be swirling around the drain as well and will have to swim to save themselves.
As the pressure increases expect Trump's psychosis to burn brighter and hotter. Senate Republicans will be feeling the heat. How much will it take?
6
I have zero professional training but I have had first hand experience with a narcissistic habitual liar. As this individual felt more threatened , especially when others would question or press for more detail he would spin even bigger lies and offer even more implausible excuses. Anything to get out of his predicament and assuage his deep insecurity and anxiety. Each lie would back him further and further into the tight corner of truth that he feared more than anything.
This is not only a terrifying place for DT to be but especially dangerous for the rest of us. He will stop at nothing to save his own fragile psyche. This is the person our society has put in charge. How can we trust that his babysitters won't prevent him from unleashing war upon the world. He has already laid the groundwork. Their silence scares me far more than DT's lies which will continue until his last breath.
6
Trump's history tells me that despite his immediate inclination to dig in and fight, he is just as likely to take his ball and go home. Witness his many bankruptcies and his business failures. His accountants and lawyers could not keep him from failure - and so - he essentially quit. He took his vendors down with him.
This will be the failure of all failures for Trump. At a certain point he will blame everyone else in his own administration for not protecting him from - of course - himself. He will pout and decamp to Trump Tower and Mar-A-Lago and golf and golf and golf. And eventually, when cornered, he will quit.
3
@Honey That's the best case scenario.
1
We can cite the probable verbatim transcript that rests on some server somewhere locked behind a password. We can cite the incessant raving and obfuscating Trump engages perpetually. But pause a moment and consider the reality of this: if Trump was your aging, raging, obscene old uncle delivering the same kind of performance in your living room as he did next to the president of Finland, would you cheer him on? Would you even tolerate it? Would you even continue to let him in your home? Then how can allegedly patriotic Americans cheer or even tolerate this unhinged and dangerous behavior coming from our country's supposed leader?
The checks and balances that were supposed to protect us from this kind of roughshod behavior have been mortally wounded from malicious neglect. The only checks that now seem to matter are written to Trump's and other Republicans' campaigns, and balance is just a gymnastic act. It's time for a major government overhaul.
5
@CP It's a clear call for structural changes.
1
All the more reason for Congress to move swiftly and decisively, for in his attempts to bring the temple down, he will keep deepening division. The gop have shown themselves to be craven cowards, valuing party far more than country, and the consequence of that is the people see them for what they are. They deserve to be on the trash heap of history also
3
Mr. Blow, as usual, has got it right. His strongest point, and the one that is driving this racist, mentally ill man to the point of blatant madness, is that he is bested by that which he finds detestable - an honorable, African-American leader whom he has held in contempt and reviled both publicly and privately, indeed, one that he tried to discredit long ago in a grotesque charade reminiscent of disgusting old tropes - that Obama's birthright made him unsuitable and inferior.
To see Trump whither is to watch the worst of what this country's people have given us, and provides a mirror to those who voted for him. His sicknesses might engender pity if he were powerless, but with his immense power we are left to only pity ourselves and this nation. Those who supported him must face their reckoning. To back a man such as this to the most powerful position on earth is not simply self-interest, partisanship, or ignorance, it is the promotion of racism, white supremacy, sexism, ableism, classlessness, abuse of power, and a disregard for the best of our nation's traditions. In the end it is wholly un-American as it defines itself now. Like all tyrants, Trump's egregiousness renders support for him immune to segmentation. Those who support him must swallow him whole. May this process peel back for all the layers of his lack of suitability and give our nation a chance to redo its error through an election with two worthy candidates.
3
Love the photo. The extra small hands really stand out.
1
Yes, it is that simple.
1
“Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.”
- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist #1
3
Since when do the Democrats have all this love for the Constitution? Isn't it the Democrats who want to abolish the Electoral College and repeal the hated Second Amendment because these parts of the Constitution don't fit their agenda?
2
Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down. Truer words have never been spoken.
1
At this rate the man is going to have a heart attack before impeachment, election, or bringing the house down. The pressure on him is only going to grow.
4
I think the Republican Party owes the people an apology, one that includes the deception created by all their past presidents to since WW2.
2
To soften the blow, perhaps Trump can be convinced that there’s a Nobel Prize for impeached presidents? Or, that he’ll belong to the most exclusive pantheon of US Presidents who have been impeached. Even President Obama couldn't manage that!
When the reporter asked Trump the follow-up question and he kept saying, "Ask the President of Finland a question,"
The reporter should have asked the President of Finland what he thinks about Trump's call to Ukraine.
Maybe we can get Trump to charge the Press Corp, screaming incoherently.....
2
Yeah, the problem is, the Trumpites eat up his childish behavior, think it's a sign of strength and honor and it just makes them love the man more. The fact that they'd smack their own kids for such behavior is irrelevant. I'd like to think that all of this would have an impact on the election but it won't. It will be the economy and if it is OK, Trump will get re-elected and you can be sure that Kim Jung Un, Presidents Xi and Putin and others who want a weak, feckless president they can control with a compliment will do whatever they can to get him re-elected and Trump will sign any agreement with them before the election if it will help him win. Look in the mirror America, you are just like every other banana republic in the world and don't think you are any different or better.
1
I think none of us were able to foresee the collapse of dignity and democracy that this so called leader could bring to our country. But, reading all about his rants, statements, lies, and boasts, I truly think his narcissism is soooooooo extreme it has made him outrageously delusional, he is pathologically self absorbed and does not understand reality!
3
He's a textbook example of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It's a nearly impossible affliction to cure, because narcissists always think they're right and distrust any therapist as having some other agenda. We have a very sick, scary man in the White House.
His NPD defines every thing he says and does during every waking moment and it will for the rest of his life.
Our hope must be that, as you suggest, the nation is not destroyed by his rage in the days and weeks ahead.
3
This civil war talk has spread across the internet.
The deplorables are salivating now.
The republicans want a total takeover, but I doubt they want a civil war.
Trump will do anything to stay in power, and a cornered rat is very dangerous.
The republicans better get rid of him sooner, than later.
3
"Facts don’t really matter to the man."
Facts don't matter to the man, his clan, nor anyone else in this administration, so-called.
1
Thanks Charles for a very astute and expository Op Ed about Trump’s state of mind about the prospect of being impeached.
As a long time New Yorker, I’m familiar with Trump’s tempestuous tirades like the way he hurled disrespectful remarks to Mayor Koch during the 1980s.
In a nutshell, Trump is a selfish, immoral, narcissistic, reckless and insecure man who tries to cover up his cowardice by being a bully. As a realtor in NYC, he bullied and lied his way through a myriad of financial and business disasters.
His unexpected victory in 2016, boosted his ego and he started to act like a wannabe dictator. Now with this looming impeachment inquiry, everything is catching up with him and he is finally starting to realize that being the President of the United States is totally different from being a realtor in NYC.
It’s payback time for Trump because what goes around, comes around.
2
All that was missing in that press conference was Kevin Bacon reading Colonel Trump is rights...
Bravo Mr. Blow!
Trump accused Adam Schiff of "treason" and suggested he be convicted and sent to prison, hinting that 'we used to deal with traitors and spies the old fashioned way'. He claimed the Chairman "wrote the whistleblower complaint"--an outright lie.
Well, we are now dealing with Trump The Tyrant. We dealt with a similar tyrant in 1776, and if we have to do it 'the old fashioned way', we can accomodate.
President Trump is a real life example of Herman Wouk's Captain Queeg -- without Queeg's positive qualities.
So the meltdown has been predictable and (by a television star performer) theatrical, except that it's not an act, so it won't pick up an Emmy. Not Oedipus, not Lear -- just Donald J. Trump in farcically-pathetic extremis.
How many have suffered while the show must go on.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
1
@Doug Giebel If we as a country survive it, it will make good theatre, not Tragedy, because there are no positive traits to raise it to tragic heights, but a comedy of the lowest sort.
With GOP Senate majority and McConnell in charge of bringing any legislation to the floor, he won't be impeached, and with faithful of Trumpistan mobilized to 100% at polls, as likely given a second term, even more destructive than the first. Incredible!
Thus - and lamentable though it be to one sympathetic to their various endeavors - the Dems also are showing themselves desperate, as yet slow in formulating any cohesive platform of broad voter appeal beyond repugnance for current catastrophe.
Michael Bloomberg, are you prepared to run as VP alongside Elizabeth Warren?
“Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down.” Exactly right and the wrecking ball is already swinging with talk of treason and civil war. There is no turning back now for Trump and his supporters. No matter how this death struggle ends, the nation will be forever changed.
14
@Robert O. you are correct about "the nation will be forever changed." It not be for the worse, but for the much better, when all who understand that all people have worth and dignity, and that all of life is part of a interrelated web of being, that this nation is founded on the principles of democracy and the search for truth and meaning. These traits of goodness shall overcome this horrendous set of circumstances that fosters division, and blossom a path opening up to "never again." Our beloved nation deserves our undying gratitude to help us to reach our highest ideals. May it be so.
Jamelle Bouies' column of yesterday re president Johnson's out of control vulgar rages did it for me. And now Blow's description of Trump's vulgar, toxic behavior before the press and in front of another National Leader makes it more so. The House must add another impeachment article to the others: vulgar unpresidential behavior and language.
6
Did Trump say he is a "stable" genius or he is a "stabile" genius? Not clear what I heard.
2
A successful impeachment should not only be removal from office, but a week spent in the stocks outside the White House fence.
I'll bring the tomatoes.
4
It is difficult for me to fathom how such an erudite man, with such a thoughtful vocabulary, so level headed, could have gone bankrupt six times.
11
@Howard Clark; now, that is funny !!!!
1
Donald Trump is not desperate. He is disgusted. Do you blame him? He has been attacked ever since he was elected president. The Democrats have talked of impeachment and removal from office since President Trump entered office. Maxine Waters sounded the horn and she was followed by Jerrold Nadler and others. They have never let up on this claim and will do nothing until they get their way. They are like hound dogs.
He was investigated during the Mueller investigation which lasted for over two years. He was found innocent of all charges. Now he is undergoing an impeachment inquiry for doing nothing illegal. Hunter Biden should be thoroughly investigated along with Joe Biden. Adam Schiff (Shifty Schiff as he is now called) should also be investigated for lying for saying he had no information on the whistle blower's report. He was given information as to the contents of this document. Will these happen. Not if the Democrats have their way.
The Democrats want to destroy President Trump because his only crime was becoming president. This was not supposed to happen. They also do not like his policies which do not fit their left-wing agenda. President Trump has been successful in spite of these roadblocks and will continue to govern and be reelected. The people are smart and know the president is trying to be taken down by Congress which is controlled by the Democrats. This will backfire on them and they will be exposed for their dishonesty and lose.
Hahaha I'm not sure what world you live in? But it definitely appears to be a fake world. Make believe. Much like DT's.
2
@KMW 'the people are smart and know the president is trying to be taken down by congress." That is the only factual element of this comment.
1
@KMW
Hi from Canada - where I am neither democrat nor republican. Being your neighbour...and being the son of a USMC Viet Nam vet...and having spent months and months in the US and having known scores of Americans, I'd like to suggest:
1) No country is perfect. The US is not #1 and never has been (there is no, #1 by the way). But I've never seen the US so messed up, so poorly off, so ill thought-of, so out of control, as it is now.
2) trump's lies, racism, misogyny and egotism is tearing your country apart. Do you not see it? Or will you simply blame the democrats? Reagan, Bush 1, Bush 2 - all republican presidents - and the country was strong and stable. The Dem's were there. They supported them when required. Is there a chance it is because trump is simply a non-leader, and destroying the nation that he has zero support?
3) trump was NOT found NOT GUILTY in the Mueller probe. He simply was not charged (yet) because of the Justice Dept's tradition of not charging a sitting President. Mueller’s team indicted or got guilty pleas from 34 people; including six former Trump advisers.
4) Yes, many dems have disliked him from the get go. But that doesn't mean that trump has not acted improperly. I don't like the drug dealer down the street. Never have. That doesn't mean that he's innocent of drug dealing.
5) The rest of the world and half the US agrees - trump tried to solicit outside interference from the Ukraine. That's illegal. No grey area there.
2
How to write a story about the President.(by Adam Schiff)
1. Accuse the POTUS.
2. Claim to be in possession of evidence.
3. When POTUS denies, accuse him of lying.
4. Measure public sentiment of the charges.
if LOW, return to step 1
if HIGH, keep up the good work
5. Write a book and do tv talk shows
This a parody of what Schiff professes. (these are his real words)
1
The photograph is horrifying. Red-faced. Out of control. I'm worried about him. He should resign now and take a nice long rest - in prison if the prosecutors of the SDNY can arrange that.
4
"There is nothing Trump hates and fears more than being publicly chastised and embarrassed."
I guess he can't be seen in public then. That explains all the private golf courses.
That said, I think Mr. Blow misreads Trump's motivations. He will certainly fight till his last dying breath. However, defying impeachment is also an act of self-preservation. He knows what's waiting for him in the civilian word. A veritable mountain of legal liability. That's what. If Trump can't maintain the presidency, he's in deep, deep trouble.
I doubt Republicans will risk a broad pardon for all Trump's legal problems. Much less his lackeys. Impeachment increases the already good chances Trump is going to be out on the curb no later than January 2021. That's the fear you smell. Trump out in the cold and winter is coming.
Regarding Obama, I thought Trump was actively seeking dishonor. His behavior is really hard to explain otherwise.
He has a sex scandal worse than Clinton; his pay off for the affair was actually criminal. The comparison to Nixon is over the top. Unlike Nixon though, Trump actually got caught for his dealings with foreign governments. And like Johnson, Trump is a vapid racist who should be removed but for a Senator who couldn't quite find courage.
That's before we get to the other investigations. If Trump isn't after the record for dishonor, he has a strange way of showing it.
4
Trump is displaying behavior similar to a caged animal backed into a corner in full attack mode with no way out. There are no limits to his behavior or actions, especially from one who has no moral compass in the first place. I suspect we will see more of the same for months to come.
1
This is just the beginning. Watch and learn what a person looks like when they are cornered and held to account for their illegal actions. Much like a criminal on the run, Trump will flail, scold, accuse others, project, scream, threaten violence, hide and eventually collapse and withdraw. It has been said that Nixon wandered the halls of the White House drinking and talking to the portraits before he left; I expect Trump will do the same. What a pitiful image and ending for someone so deserving of his comeuppance. Once he is out of office either through impeachment or losing the election, he will be held to account for his state and federal crimes. Then we will truly see a wreck of a man behind bars and no longer able to influence the country.
God bless laws and justice for all.
6
I've followed the last 32 months of American politics with trepidation - never knowing how much lower 45 can sink. Just when you think he has hit rock bottom, he manages to surpass the previous cruelties / stupidities, call them what you will.
Hopefully this is the beginning of his end - the world can't afford much more of this; neither can you.
Good luck America, keep the faith!
8
Once he is no longer in office, and that will happen, he knows he is subject to imprisonment. There are crimes he has committed that he must pay for.
All his supporters and all his lies will not save him. He will pass into history as a disgrace to the country.
5
He did the same during the Mueller investigation and weaseled out of that so he thinks it worked. What Donald Trump does not realize is that unlike Mueller where no one heard a mumbling word until near the end, the case against Donald Trump is being made real time, on national TV. Donald Trump is digging himself into a hole and Rudy Giuliani is throwing dirt on it. This will not end well for either of them
3
@IGUANA He only Thinks he weaseled out: the Mueller Report can still be used by The House in the articles of Impeachment as Evidence of prior, similar crimes, and perhaps hold him responsible for all of them.
It’s a long shot but as the impeachment process moves along the president may get more and more unhinged which could conceivably move more and more Republican Senators to at least think about voting for removing the raging narcissist from the White House.
2
Indeed. Trump is a dangerous, wounded animal, who will increase in ferocity before he is ever cornered. The threat to launch a civil war alone is grounds for impeachment -- far from the sworn oath to protect the American people, this would cause mass bloodshed.
2
And bring it down he will without a second thought to what the consequences may be. Everything that has been written, argued, and discussed virtually everywhere about this disgusting Presidency will come true; Trump will lie, cheat, obfuscate, stall, threaten, bribe, scream and virtually destroy whatever gets in his path as the end of his time becomes obvious.
I fear we are entering a desperate phase of the Trump Presidency. All it will need is one good, decent and powerful Republican to step forward and state publicly that he must resign. That it is over, period.
Who will that be? What Republican of influence will be the first to have to courage to step forward and do what we now all know needs to be done?
4
"Donald is Desperate" you wish. "This will not end well" you hope. Based upon the list of current Democratic candidates, it is likely you are afraid Mr. Trump will win again and with him, Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court.
1
Trump has long been his own worst enemy. But now it is time for the American people to become his worst enemy. It has come down to him or us.
3
Trump is melting down before our very eyes. Instead of impeachment, Congress should seriously consider invoking the 25th Amendment. And foreign leaders like the poor Finn would do well not to visit this White House if they want to spare themselves the embarrassment of witnessing unhinged Trumpian rants.
3
And this is why temperament, even more so than intelligence, is the most important character trait a President can possess.
Someone this narcissistic and hair-trigger angry cares not a wit about the collateral damage he will inflict if he can get back at his enemies, and the totality of an unflattering reality. He will fight like a vicious, rabid dog that's been cornered into an alley. What we're getting right now is only a prelude of the insanity this man will unleash.
Or to make the metaphor more concrete--George W. Bush was not the brightest star in the firmament, to put it lightly. And his stupidity had been used against him to railroad him into a war of choice in Iraq. But you could at least feel that he was a decent man, that he actually cared for the country, in his ham-fisted, misguided way.
You don't get that with Trump. All you get are the avalanche of lies, the sleaze, the vapidness, the conspiracy-mongering, the utter nihilism and cynicism. Decency and caring for something greater than himself are the last two things that ever pop up when thinking of Trump.
This will not end well. I fear that for the first time in her history, America will suffer a rather tumultuous transfer of power to the next administration (be it Pence before 2020 or the Democratic candidate in 2021). This is the gravest domestic political threat this country has faced since the Civil War.
2
Trump will not destroy the country. He will destroy himself and those around him. He may very well destroy the Republican Party. Please, hold back your tears.
He may very well destroy the economy and our standing in the world. But he will not leave our republic in ruins. We, as a nation, will survive and heal and prosper once again.
I do agree that things are going to get really weird. But as Hunter S. Thompson said, "It still hasn't gotten weird enough for me."
4
I would not like to be in Melania’s shoes right now. These rages are not easily left behind.
2
It's sweetly ironic that Trump's crony Giuliani is the one that provided the impetus for the behavior on his phone call to Ukraine that will get Trump impeached. Very Shakespearian.
“President Trump’s press conference was a surreal diatribe full of verbal violence against almost the entire world using words of rare vulgarity. Later during the joint press conference with Finland’s president, the Finnish leader looked as if he was praying for a way to disappear.”
Charles, this (in translation) is how a French journalist described yesterday’s White House press conference, when I turned on the radio this morning. The news report also included the newsreader’s explanation to the French audience of how a certain piece of “male athletic apparel” came to be used by the President of the United States to insult the Democrat leader Adam Schiff.
Everyday Trump remains in office he brings our country into greater disrepute. It isn’t just embarrassing, it is soul-crushing.
2
Keep the pressure on, lads & lasses! We seem to be nearing a point at which deniability will collapse.Trump and his minions are certain to get even uglier about the decaying state of affairs. But as long as the revelations keep coming, they are toast.
3
@RBT "Hang on! It's going to be a bumpy ride."
trump's performance was more like that of a Macaque with its tail caught in a revolving door. Nothing about it was very Presidential. World Leaders should not visit with him to avoid being a prop for the tirades yet to unfold.
1
Yes, Mr. Blow we wll be learning much more about Mr. Trump as the days pass. As he acts out the fears you mention, we may even get the answer to the question I have been asking myself for nearly two years.
This passage in yesterday's Rucker-Costa "Washington Post" story brought it back to mind:
".... how he has compelled them to pursue his personal and political goals, investigate his enemies and lend legitimacy to his theories about the 2016 election. The Justice Department has prioritized a probe that the president hopes will discredit a finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him win."
Only theories?
Is Trump a successful con man who with the help of an antiquated electoral system managed to cozen just enough voters to squeak into the highest office in the land?
Or is his success as a convincing con due in part to his penchant for believing his own lies to the point perhaps of teetering on the edge of or even slipping into the psychotic.
To "theorize" that Russia was not involved the 2016 election, Trump would have to imagine a world where his son's meeting with Russian reps, his jettisoning of Flynn, the entire panoply of incidents and campaign connections to Russia documented in the Mueller report, none of it ever happened.
And that's nuts.
Maybe he House will answer my question:
Will he be impeached because he's a crook?
Or because this "very stable genius" is off his ever-lovin' rocker?
Or both?
2
Trump won’t bring the institution of the Presidency down, But he will destroy himself, his brand, and his business empire. Hopefully he will badly damage his enablers - the Republican Party and its leaders.
His AG, Secretary of State, and VP should all be disgraced by their roles in this scandal and their lies.
They should all face justice in the courts and have
ruined political careers. This is how our institutions
respond to scandals with resilience and with
adherence to justice and truth. They get strengthened by these responses!
2
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down."
This is the most frightening thing in your article, Mr. Blow, & in anything else I've read about the current crisis. I believe you're absolutely right, but to put it more literally:
If Trump goes down, he will take ALL OF US with him. He'll do as much damage to the country as he can before he is physically dragged out of the White House to a prison cell, where he deserves to spend the rest of his self-obsessed, greedy, & gluttonous life.
He'll wreck the economy (if it isn't already wrecked). He'll give away state secrets to Russia, North Korea, etc. He'll start a war. He'll open national parks & monuments to mining. He'll encourage gun owners who support him to go on a rampage.
It's impossible to exaggerate the harm this man will do. He will do whatever he can before he is literally, physically prevented from doing any more.
I never thought I'd live to see this day. I believed in our country, its Constitution, its system of checks and balances, its having passed many great tests; I believed in it more than I realized. We were on the way to fulfilling the great ideals of our founding documents. Now we are being led by a mad man to our death as a nation.
That will be the title of the history book about our once great country: "Death of a Nation." Do you think they'll make a movie out of it? It won't be a Hollywood movie because there won't be a Hollywood. God have mercy on us.
What we are experiencing is a situation where crooked Democrats are trying to take down a crooked Republican. Both sides don't want their warts revealed. However, revealing all is so important to the future of the country.
@Southern Man Am I wrong to think that what you're suggesting is that only the deep state can save us?
Trump is impervious to embarrassment. Look at the things he repeatedly does which would cause great embarrassment to "normal" people: repeatedly being caught lying, repeatedly making factually inaccurate statements, repeatedly referring to himself as a "stable genius." I suspect that if and when Trump is impeached, instead of being embarrassed he will convince himself that he has become a revered martyr. His objection to being impeached is that it threatens his re-election.
2
Seems like he won't leave in a green helicopter, but in a padded ambulance.
2
Reading the comments here, a lot of them deal with "bad times ahead," and "rough seas."
What exactly does that mean? We are already an embarrassment to the world. Nobody trusts us anymore, and being American isn't fun anymore.
So, what bad times ahead are the posters referring to? Fighting with a Trumpet? A war within our country?
Delusional folks...same ones who claimed Y2K would be the downfall of civilization.
Pay no mind.
We got him.
1
Democrats need to do now what they have failed to do every election cycle and especially with this impeachment: 1.) Stop...please stop...with being cordial with this President and his allies. If there was ever a time to to play hardball it's now, 2.) Stop assuming the intelligence of the American public. Make the message simple, concrete, and repeat it daily, and 3.) Hold these people who refuse to honor subpeonas accountable. Now. If they refuse, arrest them. The public need to see the Ds show some backbone. Right now.
2
As Captain Trump continues to press for full steam ahead, the GOP Senate band keeps playing as normal and Lindsay Graham is on deck rearranging the deckchairs.
2
It's all over. As an added bonus he'll be taking down Pence, Pompeo, and Barr with him.
2
@Markymark Pelosi's main job should be to put in place safeguards against it ever happening again.
1
At some point, Trump will declare martial law. If the House ever gets around to voting on articles of impeachment, Trump will revert to authoritarian form and shut down Congress. He will do ANYTHING to protect himself. This is an existential crisis for him, and he sees no reason to "play by the rules." It's terrifying to watch him go stark raving crazy in real time, live on TV.
5
What we didn't know about Grover Norquist's plan: It wasn't government, "the administrative state," that he planned to drown in the bathtub.
It was the Constitution.
14
I think the biggest soundbite that came out of that meeting was at the end, when the Finnish President told Trump that he has a good democracy going here and to not blow it. Seems the Finnish president cares more about protecting American democracy than not only the US President (who actually seems to want to destroy it), but also the Republican Party and the Trump base.
20
I have every expectation that only an overwhelming re-election will stop Trump from having to be forcibly removed from office. He will declare election fraud if he loses, and he'll refuse to vacate the Oval Office if the Republicans ever locate wherever they stored their backbones 4 years ago and join the growing majority to make impeachment successful.
4
There is a psychological term for what Trump is experiencing: decompensation.
His defenses against an inner core of probably psychotic levels of anxiety, which he has fended off his entire life through external means of achievement, boasting, money, sex and power, are not sufficient any longer. He doesn’t have the ability to control a co-equal branch of government and will finally face the price for his egregious behavior. His normal methods of counter-attack, dissembling, non-cooperation and haughty self-importance will only tighten the noose.
We should all be worried as he comes face to face with the emotional truths of his existence. I for one wish we were never in this position to begin with. He will be more dangerous and unpredictable and we have far too many urgent issues that have fallen by the wayside in these lost years.
The fact that there are many wounded and forgotten people in the US who were drawn into such an empty show of narcissistic grandeur and entitlement should give us pause.
Focusing on the real difficulties of many people’s lives and remedies that government can address is one thing progressives such as Sanders and Warren are doing.
62
@Michael
So well said, Michael. We are watching a president on the verge of a nervous breakdown, whose psychological house of cards, built over a lifetime, is beginning to fall down around him. It's a very dangerous thing for someone with such power.
Your last paragraph is, I believe, the way towards healing. I support Warren for president (while admiring Sanders enormously), and the greatest thing she could do not only to win, but to begin the long work of weaving together our frayed national fabric, is to explicitly extend a welcoming hand to those who feel economically and socially alienated whom gravitated towards Trump.
18
@Michael
Trump may be decompensating now, but when the Senate lets him off the hook, which it almost certainly will, you will see a doubling, a tripling of his malignant narcissism, if such a thing is even imaginable. It is that that worries me.
@Michael Decomp can be followed by either an explosion, or a collapse. I pray for the latter.
1
You can/should never underestimate the ability of this real estate developer to play dirty. To him the business of running the nation is no different from making and breaking real estate deals.
5
The President of the United States - any President - is described as "the most powerful man on earth". It is truly frightening and infuriating at the same time, that this description is now applied to a man totally devoid of decency, morality, loyalty to America, and incompetent and clueless.
Most of the world sees Trump for what he is, but our Republicans continue with their support.
33
@Pat Boice It is not that they don't see him for what he is; they won't set aside their own interests for the good of the country and the world.
1
Bless you my son! Love the article
3
Let's hope that, with Trump's help, this paper castle will come down with him, as he continues to push the first domino towards the last tile, an effect that ought, in all justice, cause the whole corrupt edifice to fall, and rot, into oblivion. Our democracy demands Trump's dismissal, before he destroys what we used to value the most, trust in our institutions. When Trump is impeached, all his sycophants must go as well, so justice may again see daylight.
6
Before Trump is removed from office he would do his best to bring us all down and I mean this literally. He is utterly lacking in healthy realistic appreciation of self worth and has been so since early childhood. He has only been taught to appreciate himself as a god and without reinforcing adulation from his audience he is in danger of being psychologically destroyed. His only hope of mental self preservation is to destroy all criticism and those who refuse him the adoration that is vital to his mental existence. If there were no safeguards in place he might decide that a nuclear strike on NYC or better yet on California would serve to chastise those non believers.
5
I marveled at the irony of the one question allowed from a Finnish reporter: "Finland is a happy place. What can the U.S. learn from Finland?"
6
If rampant alcoholism and high suicide rates are "happy" then I'll pass.
That Trump is allowed to act histrionically in front of the world is an embarrassment to every American. To swear, to dither, to blindly lash out reveals that he needs to be removed from office before he can damage our country more. Every republican who supports him despite his lawlessness and mindlessness deserves to go down with him.
The poise and calmness of Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff serve as a reminder of what strengths America
has had and still can be. Democrats retain the faith and good will of our forefathers. We will overcome this treachery of Trump and company.
13
If Trump had the mental maturity of an eleven year old, he would have the sense to keep his mouth shut, justifiably confident that his craven lickspittles in the Senate would never vote to convict. But that will never happen, because to Trump everything is personal in the shallowest, basest, most juvenile sense. Perhaps our best hope is that he throws a very public, physical temper tantrum, replete with foul language, tears and cries of "that's not fair." Maybe that would finally convince some of his supporters that he is not, in fact, making America great again.
9
Since Trump and Republican senators have the same base, the odds of them doing the right thing for our country by removing him from office are slim and none. Only in America.
6
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down." Yes, but that's been the endgame all along. When demographics aren't your friend and you're unable to persuade enough new voters to your cause, bringing down the temple of US democracy by blowing up the foundation is the only solution available. Trump is merely the instrument of our destruction, not the architect of it. That honor belongs to his supporters and voters. Once the dust begins to settle after our destruction, they will retain power to mandate LGBTQ , and women, and all the religions and all the races they disapprove of cease to exist or return to the nearest closet. They have never lost sight of their singular -- power.
14
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down"
Since I am not a psychiatrist I am not bound by any ethical rules in stating my opinion that Trump is stark raving mad. Viewed from my perspective, your concluding statement is terrifying. He still has his finger on the button and there is no James Schlesinger to impede him from using it as there was in Nixon's final days.
9
We are finally seeing Trump pivot. Not pretty. From now until the man is out of office, look for increasingly crazy, unhinged behavior from the man.
We are near the point of no return for Congressional Republicans. Will they pull back in time, or will they go down with Trump?
7
Mr. Trump is most certainly not stable, and definitely not a genius. I would wager to say that all of his responses to the impeachment inquiry are aimed at an audience of one: himself. Assuaging his own emotional need is his first and only priority. Trump is a classic example of a candidate, not for office, but for an anger management class. His panic-stricken verbal outbursts are an embarrassment to the office of the president, our country, and certainly any individual or foreign dignitary who happens to be with him at the moment he explodes. What Donald Trump doesn’t have the capacity to understand, however, is that his tirades are only tearing away the facade he has carefully crafted for himself. What lies underneath is a petty, insecure, rapidly deteriorating, and emotionally compromised man.
5
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down." And now you've identified what keeps me up at night and keeps my eyes glued to the TV during the day.
I don't think any of us can imagine what a cornered and trapped Trump will do. However, I worry about the huge number of people who read his tweets and believe his lies.
6
Your last sentence sums it up for me: "Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he'll bring it down."
I hate to be a wet blanket but what if Trump decides not to sign the debt ceiling next month? Trump's signature is required and if it isn't signed the government will (once again) be shut down. A government that has no funding would be a government that would have trouble with an impeachment.
1
I cannot imagine what it must be like going into work every day to the White House as a staffer. Even those with stratospheric levels of sycophancy like Kellyanne Conway must be experiencing a new awareness that Trump just isn’t right in the head. It must be one bullish rage in the Oval Office after another, each and every minute. The sheer number of people who will probably suffer some form of PTSD after this administration and never be able to recover will be astronomical. It must also be traumatic for his young son in the evenings when his dad comes in and does nothing but rant and tweet all night. I can’t picture Trump spending any more than a few seconds on perfunctory, disinterested conversation with him, or, even worse, he may be taking that opportunity to instill in his son the same brutal lessons his father taught him, because that’s all he knows. Truly a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.
4
Trump's press conference with the President of Finland was weird beyond belief. The US President spoke and acted like a drowning man.
He is in over his head, and desperate. National security decisions should not be in his hands or in his control.
5
It's difficult to imagine him getting any uglier, but he's gone and done it!
4
I tell you what - I am so so so mad at the voters that for years have allowed the GOP - an obvious cult organization with the aim of theocratic regressive autocratic plutocracy - to gain power - power to destroy our liberal democracy in the making.
I am NOT mad a the people that voted for Trump - or that regularly vote GOP. I accept their proclivity for such things. I accept that 42% of us cannot psychologically resist pulling the GOP lever. And I accept Trump flamed those irresistible instincts.
I am mad at those in the 58% that could and should know better and who have the right psyche to pull a non-GOP lever.
They failed in their civic duty to defend our highest ideals and motives. They - via apathy, cynicism, narrow-band parochial objectives, or vacuous immature thinking allowed wolves at our door!
Conservatives and Progressives!
58% VOTE and VOTE EXISTENTIALLY! There is only one existentially right choice now and that is the D Party. I am NOT saying they are technically perfect! Nor am I say abandon all notions of conservative philosophy or ways and means. I am saying all that stuff can be thrashed out later.
2 good Parties can be formed down the road.
Now it is existential - stand united to save our soul as a Nation. 58% do your job - oust the deleterious GOP. Get to work all together to rebuild the Nation as a liberal democracy by and for the People!
7
Charles, you are correct, Trump is really panicking. I’ve noticed his raging and incoherence has really gone up a number of notches.
Here is my take on Trump’s state of mind: Trump is massively poll driven and insecure, and while he probably still feels he will not get impeached from officeRight now I like the, he is realizing that Ukraine-gate is killing his reelection chances. The polling is really moving against him as independent voters have had enough.
3
More fantasy from the unhinged Left’s biggest cheerleader. The Senate will not vote to impeach Trump based on a transcript that shows him asking for corruption to be investigated. No mention of the words upcoming election at all. The desperate-ness of the Dems is in full view here.
Based on how much money Trump pulled in since this story broke, this shows how his support amongst the people that the Left detests has increased.
Now with Bernie’s heart issue and Wall Street Dems pledging to not support Warren, the Democrat’a real troubles are showing.
They are playing right into Trump’s hands here but are too blind (or foolish) to see it.
Trump will claim exoneration and cruise to an easy EC victory.
Watching the Dems play politics is like watching a slow motion car crash.
2
The penultimate paragraph says it all - succinctly, but with an immense amount of context obvious to all but the most casual reader. Let us accept the proposition, almost surely correct, that DJT put himself in a position to assume the presidency solely to enhance his brand. One cannot help but wonder (and one of M. Blow’s editorial colleagues did just that, in a recent NYT op-ed column) how hard it will be to get him to leave if he believes his departure will detract from that brand.
American democracy, viewed from an historical lens, has undergone bigger challenges - nothing likely will match the Civil War, for example. . But DJT’s steady undermining of the rule of law and the credibility of the institutions which underpin our Republic are extraordinary. And treasonous, to use his words. But ‘treason’ presupposes intent and understanding. And sadly, i suspect a trial of treason would find DJT guilty on the merits but incompetent to understand the nature of the charges against him. And that, folks, is our “President”.
Mr. Blow is one of my favourite Times writers. His writing style is clear, effective, and powerful. I always look forward to reading his columns!
3
This is finally coming to an end.
The Rule of Law will prevail.
Congress must move on this sooner rather than later.
Nicholas Burns wrote today: “The State Department is in crisis.”
We should not take that lightly.
“There is only one time that is important: NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.”
(Leo Tolstoy)
3
As long as Trump has his cult of 40%, oblivious to facts, and brainwashed by Fox and the right-wing media touting conspiracies and Democratic chicanery, it is going to be a rough road.
I take the opposite view. The hearings must be public and comprehensive and really dig deeply into the swamp of this criminal and traitorous administration. Pence, Ivanka, Jared, Barr, Pompeo, the whole rotten crooked lot of them.
Just like in the Nixon impeachment, lots and lots of Nixon's co-conspirators spend years in prison. This will happen yet again.
By next summer, the effects of Trump's fly by the seat of your pants economic "policies" should have the country into another Republican caused recession, closing off any hope of a second term.
Trump is going down one way or another. The question remains does he take the rest of the world with him by starting the war to end all wars?
Trump will not leave the safety of the immunity of his office, knowing he is facing years of criminal charges and hopefully incarceration. He is extremely dangerous and a clear and present danger to all humanity.
I left the country when Trump was elected and have no desire to return to such a disintegrating civil society.
The Civil War Version II is underway. So far, it is not a shooting war. But the possibility certainly exists. This will not be pretty and America's days as the top world power are waning. Our allies no longer trust us.
1
One thing that gives me a flicker of hope is that the despicable Paul Ryan (Mr. Budget Deficit) is now on the board of Fox. Maybe he'll put his thumb on the scale over there at Fox News and get more Chris Wallace and less Hannity/Carlson verbiage going.
My big fear? He'll start a war and women and men will die, just so he can forestall impeachment or removal from the ticket. Nobody votes out the incumbent in time of war. It's not beneath him to throw his supporters' kids in harm's way.
1
WOW, what a photo of a 2 year old man in a business suit! It says everything: more than a thousand words. Really hard to imagine what our allies would think about this. And this is the man so fiercely defended by the Republicans?
Great shot Doug Mills!
2
Donald Trump wouldn't know this, being allergic to reading anything but a menu, but he finds himself in the role of the villain in Edgar Allen Poe's, The Tell Tale Heart. Trump can hear, not the beating heart, but the sound of shoes moving quickly down the hallway, getting louder and louder in his head, waiting for the first of the complicit rats to jump ship, racing to be first in line to testify in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
1
What I saw yesterday was narcissistic rage. Call it what it is because it will only get worse.
4
You are right. The panic is evident.
2
It's true that Trump hates Obama, but he's too self-absorbed to be thinking about him now. And things are closing in so fast from so many directions, he may never mention Obama again.
Charles, my thoughts and prayers that "The Desperate Don" is Trump's humiliating big-loser nickname for the remainder of his presidency and life. Thanks for your headline today keeping the nickname in play.
1
WOW, what a photo of a 2 year old man in a business suit! It says everything: more than a thousand words. Really hard to imagine what our allies would think about this. And this is the man so fiercely defended by the Republicans?
Great shot Doug Mills!
Republicans, 77,000 questionable votes across three states does not equal a mandate. trump lost by millions of real votes. Only an archaic electoral college allowed this person to assume the role of president. Read the tea leaves already, and dump him.
4
Eloquent description of the melt down in the White House - reading this in the Nobel Prize museum marks the tragedy for the USA in comparison to the great minds who are described here & whose efforts changed history for the better. Embarrassing days ahead for Don John. Let’s hope Senate Republicans stick with facts if/when the articles of impeachment come up for trial.
1
"A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy." Think about that sentence for a while.
As a Navy veteran ('65-'69) and as a retired federal prosecuting attorney (1995-2010) I would argue that Mr Blow has captured the moment for all time. Indeed, I would further argue that it will surely be part of 45's epitaph.
2
Mr. Blow, he has been bringing our country down for the last 2 and a half years. It would no longer surprise me if he refuses to leave the WH, whether he is impeached (likely in the House, highly doubtful in the Senate) or even loses the 2020 election. I am rather horrified that this Civil War that he is threatening us with, may actually come to pass, given the percentage of this country that still supports him.
It was Carl Sagan who wrote: “One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
Too many have been bamboozled for too long, and I don't see them changing their minds anytime soon.
4
That photo with Mr. Blow's column says it all. It's the image of 2-year-old, in the body of grown man, having a temper tantrum. The House Democrats are dealing with the failures of Donald's parents.
2
Watching the President from outside of the USA makes one wonder about how stable the President is. The press conference with the President of Finland was an indication that the wall are closing in . It will be interesting how many other facts come out when people around the President start jumping ship ie Pench , Pompeo etc.
It is inconceivable to me that it is not clear to everyone that this is an obvious abuse of power - even without the quid pro quo. Are we expected to believe that it is “normal” for trump’s main political opponent’s name to come up in conversations with foreign leaders while asking for an investigation of him with absolutely no proof? Shame on those who do not condemn this blatant - and admitted - abuse of power.
and once upon a time the dems were handmaidens to segregation and by easy extension, racial violence in the south.
careful with the blanket blame here, after all trump is in the oval because of the hijacked democratic party's (and its media handmaidens') failure to take him seriously.
as for "chipping away" (it's called subversion), just summon lenin's ghost and ask him what better serves his plan to destroy democracy, trump's grumble or schiff's demeaning of the congress by his ill-performed (as the rep from burbank he surely could have got some held with his acting) cynical invention in an official congressional committee session where witnesses testify under oath?
The reality of the situation has sunk in...he can’t declare bankruptcy and walk this time...sad!
1
At this point, Republicans, it's time. The first to break will be remembered, the last too. Which one do you want to be?
Oh, and most of you will be losing your seat. One way or another. It's over. Accept it. Do the right thing. It's too late for you, but not our country.
2
You hit the nail on the head with this, Charles.
“Trump ran for president as an exercise of self-flattery and to boost his brand.”
The fact that more people didn’t recognize this proves how far that we as a society have fallen into this trap of normalizing narcissism. By normalizing it, we have taken away the element of shame. Even the most despicable behavior is not considered shameful because a narcissist can do no wrong... so what happens? The narcissist just blames someone else, over and over again since he’s never wrong.
But Trump has truly painted himself into a corner with impeachment on the horizon and that’s dangerous territory because the narcissist needs to destroy anything that threatens to burst the little bubble they live in. They do this through character assassination, shaming, bullying, devaluing — anything to keep from admitting that they are the problem. He tells on himself daily by projecting onto the Whistleblower and Chairman Schiff... he knows that he has committed serious crimes but he can’t accept that he’s going to be held accountable for them. All he knows to do is project and blame.
The counselor in me wishes I’d been able to intervene and help him a long time ago. It’s painful to watch a person be so self-destructive, and it’s terrifying knowing that he has the power to destroy a whole country with his narcissistic rage. That, plus Republicans are putting all of us at risk by not taking a stand against his “meltdown” behavior.
1
It will only get worse. Are the Republicans watching this? He is attacking a member of congress, the speaker of the house, the whistle blower, a reporter. He is acting in a totally undignified manner inappropriate for a president. Does he understand what that even means? He does not belong in the white house. Removal must be a priority.
1
I am not so sure that it is fear or desperation that is driving Trump to madness. He has shown that he has no care for America or its institutions or traditions. I also doubt that he cares very much about leaving an historical legacy tarnished by impeachment. If anything he will portray it as a badge of honor and validation of his warped view of himself as a martyr. Trump is addled by his addiction to the power and cult-like adoration bestowed upon him by his Party and his followers. He delights in having them abase themselves publicly to prove their fealty. Like a bad TV actor, he is playing the part of the great destroyer. He is a magalomaniac, driven by a lust for notoriety of historical proportions, whether for good or ill, it does not matter to him. In the face of Trump's brazen and unrepentent abuse of power, the House was left with no choice but to begin impeachment proceedings, but regardless of the outcome, America will suffer its consequences for a long time to come.
When Pelosi shifted into impeachment inquiry gear, the braggadocio flashed a double-down on 24 September 2019: “If she does that, they say that’s a positive for me.”
His last gasp as gravity took final hold of the swirling mass of lies. Trump Star is in the throes of an escalating panic attack. The forces of his nature fight an inevitable collapse and bursts of energy will radiate out, but a diminished state is inescapable.
Mr Blow reminds that the fate of a civilization is intertwined with the coming cosmic eruptions.
"Before Trump will allow himself to be chased from the temple, he’ll bring it down."
Normally I rush by most of the photos of people in this administration due to the absolute visceral reaction I have upon seeing the faces of naked, primal aggression.
But, the photo of the president accompanying this article gave me pause, his body language and facial expressions made me think of my children when they were young and having a raw absolute meltdown when overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their emotional control. The raging petulance emitting from this individual scares me due to his position to power.
1
I don't know about anyone else, but the writing about Trump's sanity was clearly on the wall well before he even got into the White House -- and his rantings about the Civil War, calling the whistleblower (who's protected under federal law, by the way) and rants about Adam Schiff being a traitor is straight up looney tunes.
In short. Donald Trump's desperation is showing.
And the times must surely be a-changing when even Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa comes out in favor of the law.
At this point the best thing Democrats can do is simply give the president more rope, safe in the knowledge that he'll do the rest himself.
3
Wonderful article. Scary subject. I watched Trump ranting from his cozy chair while the President of Finland sat there trying to make believe he wasn't really there. I also watched part of the news conference...I like to torture myself.. and again saw our leader rave. If we hadn't lived through this for the past 2 years I wouldn't believe it, but I fear we will continue to see more and more of this kind of insane behavior as long as our leader feels threatened. After all, he is not used to being told that he is wrong.
I agree with you Mr. Blow, Trump will "rage, rage against the dying of the light" of his Presidency. Things are going to get very nasty very quickly. Trump will scorch the earth he treads on, and pull anyone and everyone he can down with him. He has already thrown Pence under the bus. Trump is going to enlist his ring kissing henchmen to do their worst, and destroy those whom he deems his enemies. Lindsey Graham has already fired an opening salvo in calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into whether Joe Biden forced Ukraine to fire a prosecutor investigating his son.
Mr. Trump was dangerous from the day he was sworn into office, and now he is frightening in his anger, and his lack of any semblance of personal control. Trump has obstructed justice, broken the law, violated the Emoluments clause, and yet has remained unscathed by it all. With Mitch McConnell firmly in control of the Senate, it is highly doubtful any trial in the Senate would be anything more than a foregone conclusion. What the blowback will be for the Democrats for all this is unknown. Having right on your side isn't enough when you have very little power.
Trump is like some wounded animal which makes him far more dangerous than he ever was. I worry about how far he would go to keep the power he is obviously drunk on and addicted to. Being President is the ultimate narcissist experience. Never forget, he has access to the nuclear codes.
Why do I keep reading columns suggesting that impeachment "will not end well?" The theory, I assume, is that Trump will do everything in his power to tear the country apart before he goes down.
So what's new? He's already doing that, and has been since before he was even elected. His whole political platform is built on creating and widening divisions. That's the only card he's ever held and so it's the only one he plays. And it still doesn't help him, because since he first took office his overall approval rating has never inched much above 43%, and tends to stay right around 40%.
Trump hasn't succeeded in tearing the country apart, and he never will. Sixty percent of voters really just don't like him. His power rests in the minority. So who cares how many tantrums he throws?
Impeachment can and hopefully will end well -- by running this corrupt, malignant, lying, incompetent oaf out of office.
3
Tax returns.
His ego and his money are his closest friends.
His tax returns would show him to be not so rich and completely dishonest. As many have mentioned, it'd be like drawing back the curtain and showing a small, fumbling man, trying desperately to prop up the facade.
2
The President is cornered, losing his grip mentally and likely to embark on a “wag the dog” war to distract and consolidate support.
Let us hope those around him in the Cabinet are prepared to use their Article 25 powers to prevent this from happening.
What happens to a severe Narcissist when the growing consensus is that he is losing and will likely ultimately lose? A narcissist must feel he is perfect and always the victor. When reality presses him too deeply, he has no choice but to leave reality. That is, he must become more and more delusional. Or if you prefer, "insane."
1
Trump's increasingly irrational displays are even more bizarre when contrasted with the composed, logical, fact-based and methodical statements and actions of the various investigating House committees. These people. . . we should be exceedingly thankful for them during these times so critical to America's future . . . will not be deterred by the name-calling, threats, deflections, baseless accusations and empty conspiracy theories spouted by Trump and his supporters. We are seeing a corrupt Presidency in full melt-down, against a backdrop of accountability in defense of the country as framed by the Constitution.
He looks the fool that he is. The mad-man gone berserk.
the press conference was horribly embarrassing for the country but I believe has finally shown his base how truly unhinged he is. The 2-year-old throwing a temper tantrum, who got caught because he thought he could do whatever he wanted - that he was above the law.
even my very conservative friends and family members - when confronted with the very simple question - do you think it is OK for a presidential candidate to ask a foreign leader to dig up dirt on an opponent and withhold military assistance until they agree to help? - had to respond "no".
It is also true that Trump loves lashing out at enemies. Revels in his insults and luxuriates in his disrespect for those who would say something to tarnish his name.
Understand he doesn't know he did anything wrong, doesn't comprehend the law or moral / ethical guidelines, or understand the oath he swore to defend the constitution. Therefore, he truly believes he empowered to do what he wants or thinks best for his reelection because he is what Americans want and America needs.
Of course he's angry. And he loves it. Heart attack? Stroke? No, he's just hitting his stride. We're now in his wheelhouse of lies and Trumped up accusations and self aggrandizement. The show will only get better as the country burns.
Trump always dismissed President Obama as ‘weak,’ but look how weak Donald is: he can’t even control himself! The Bully-in-Chief knows only how to threaten and to mock, but not how to lead. And President Obama always maintained his dignity, no matter what he endured; that’s a level of strength Trump will never achieve.
1
He's already destroyed the Temple -- our democratic norms. He's created a kleptocracy and enriched himself. He openly conspires with Russia.
It's already not ended well.
It just needs to end.
Trump is the shining, white hot example of why diversity matters. He saw a black man in the oval office, getting praise from world leaders, and he told himself, "If he can do it, how hard can it be?" He missed the importance of Obama's bio, Harvard educated in constitutional law. Voters should look less at race and gender and focus more on what qualifications they would bring to the office. In Trump's case, that was skill in driving businesses into bankruptcy. As Mitt Romney famously said of candidate Trump, "Business genius he is not." Sore loser, he is.
A single article of impeachment stating "abuse of power" will result in immediate acquittal in the senate--and the Republican voters acquitting the acquitters a year down the road. The Democrats need to gather more information as Trump flails about in public and tried to muddy the waters. Given that the man lacks any moral compass, there is sure to be lots more to be found.
Desperate Donald employs the same strategy as everyday paranoid, rabid, unhinged, offensive Donald. And that is to repeat key phrases for his base, and to seed talking points for right wing media. It was a "perfect conversation" and it is still a "hoax" and a "witch hunt." Gaslight propaganda through repetition until the Fox News media types and the revival rallies have their chants and commentary lined up. The truth? The law? The facts? these do not matter so long as Donald repeats phrases, tweets phrases and uses his bully pulpit with relentless abandon. To crack this code, a left meme needs to override the MAGA onslaught. Effective left wing messaging backed by the law could persuade Senate Republicans to convict. An Impeachment by the House will be great, but American atonement could be better seeded with a Senate conviction.
I’m terrified this man is so unhinged that he literally could do anything! He does have access to the nuclear codes after all, and I am sorry to say I wouldn’t put it past him to use them. This will not end well.
He'll be impeached in the House, but that is as far as it will go. Now that it looks like Pence was in on it, there is no way the Senate will vote to remove them when it means we would have a President Pelosi.
He'll be impeached in the House, but that is as far as it will go. Now that it looks like Pence was in on it, there is no way the Senate will vote to remove them when it means we would have a President Pelosi.
Donald *is* desperate. Desperate people do desperate things. And when that desperate person is The Leader of the Free World, with enormous powers, we all have to brace ourselves with what could happen when he's backed into a corner. (See "How Democracies Die" for the full and terrifying script.)
He will rue the day he decided to run for president.
Thank you, as always, for your lucid commentary, Mr. Blow. While it is gratifying to see at least one chicken come to roost, it's also worrying, as you describe, to know that a hemmed in Trump will do anything in his (vast) power to stay the course of justice. The corruption of his court is scary too. Who is there who has the power to steady the course when Trump reaches for the nuclear codes?
The man is melting down before our eyes. Get ready, Mike Pence. You need to be preparing to rise to the occasion now. You will become our next President, at least for a time. Dear Trump’s base, if you want to preserve any chance at winning the presidency in 2020, don’t you see this is your only chance? When are the Republican “leaders” going to have the chat with Donald like their predecessors did with Nixon? Probably once the impeachment is televised. But it’s coming. The senate will never have to try Trump. Solves a lot of political issues for them....
I'm sorry to say I agree. It's more than an embarrassment, it's a destruction of his name, his brand, his life's image. If Trump goes down his claim to fame goes down with him. Lacking any deal making skills Trump only knows head first, brute force. Trump will destroy the china shop and all that's in it. But we can't allow him to continue his authoritarian ways or we will definitely end up with a dictator. We must put a stop to this as ugly as it may be and we've seen enough to know there is no reason to wait.
What Blow says here is true as far as it goes: "But the march toward impeachment is beyond his control. He can’t bully his way out of it. He can’t lie his way out of it. It is happening. If he obstructs in any way it could only add to eventual articles of impeachment. The walls are closing in on him; his options to avoid are nearly nil." BUT Trump's performance is helping the Republican Senate to not convict him. So what Blow is missing is how Republicans have lost their loyalty to America's democratic constitution.
Your last sentence is the chilling prediction that most of us fear. He will undercut and destroy every agency he can, including our intel services that keep us safe. He is an open kamikaze pilot who, if not finally able to control the world in order to enrich himself further, will sink the entire ship of state. Given that the entire Ukraine debacle (including trying to force the country to give up its lands to Russia) is geared to help not only himself but also Vladimir Putin. Putin must have some powerful blackmail to have such an acquiescent puppet at the head of our government.
Why aren't the Republicans repudiating this man? Why don't they love America enough to protect it?
This impeachment inquiry is better than any movie or tv show. Reminds me of "girl in the spiders web" novels, mainly because there is always a new unpredictable twist. Considering this is only the begining, I imagine this will only get more confusing for those who do not read news every single day, and be lost on the majority.
Anyways, I would be reporting more of fundraising #s released yesterday. That is the ultimate "polling". Each donation is a guaranteed vote. Trump more than doubles Obama at this point in his relection. Trump has double the entire democratic field.
Dems, it is time for all of you to " fight like a thing near death: with everything he has, and by all means necessary", or else you will die at the ballot box.... Sharp instinct and the will to live is a god given gift. If you think that the incredible amount of media promoting impeachment will result in impeachment, you are wrong, this will not pass the senate. If you think the amount of critical reporting about trumps character is equivilant to actual votes, you are wrong again. It is up to you, the people of america, the people reading this comment. If democrats lose, it is your fault, not senate republicans who could have accomodated him etc.
America is built on david and goliath stories. The power is with the people in America. The underdog is enabled in america. So if you fail, consider yourselves responsible. And if you are incapable of such responsibility, you are less american than you think.
1
It's not helpful to characterize Trump as "desperate." It's impossible to read a warped mind.
He began campaigning by imagining "Mexican rapists" so his rantings today are hardly new or indicative of rationality.
The danger is clear. What words or actions will come next? War as detraction? An engineered financial crisis?
He's clearly capable of anything, as are his GOP enablers.
From this time forward, forever and a day, trump will be the perfect bad example. That's about all he is. The bad apple, the rot, the man that exposed all the weaknesses in our imagined safety nets of the constitution. Maybe that's the only good thing about it all.
I'm beginning to wonder if Trump will make it through this whole process before he cracks up completely and the 25th Amendment gets invoked. Any psychiatrist would probably say this man is mentally ill--how long will it take for Congress to realize it?
1
The Trump impeachment needs to happen, and needs to happen expeditiously. Once again Trump is wasting our precious time... the time left to protect ourselves and our planet. Rising oceans, methane rising from melting ice fields, rising populations, water resources dwindling, climate refugees, the rise of untameable disease, stock market tanking, climate wars. Get this creature out of office, and let’s move on!
Just imagine. After Trumps leaves, however it happens, we'll be paying for his Secret Service protection, forever! Talk about waste of money.
5
If Trump is so sure that his callas "perfect" there's an easy way for all of us to be satisfied by that: release the recording of the conversation. Tone and voice inflection have a lot to do with what words in a transcript mean. Everything I've read suggests there is nothing even remotely classified in that conversation, so just release it and let the American people hear it for themselves. We could clear all this up today.
But he won't, will he. And there's a reason for that. And that reason is because the actual conversation must be devastatingly awful. In fact, that's why the people listening in immediately tried to conceal it. A real transcript would be a good first start (because you know the actual transcript is worse than the summary they released), but there is no substitute for the recording itself. Why isn't anyone demanding this? I see virtually no talk about it.
2
Charles Blow, I like your sentence: A black president of decency will trounce the president of white supremacy. That's beautiful.
But I'm cautious to embrace your diagnosis for Trump right now or your prognosis. In his case, "losing it" is a little more complicated to assess. First, he's an actor and an effective one. He does so much for his own gain, so much that is manipulative, I'm going to hesitate assessing that he's as far off the deep end as you do. There are too many others in his camp, loyal or not, who are going to influence this outcome
making predictions and prognosis dicey at this point. The news media would be whipping readers into a fearful spiral if dwelling too much on Trump "losing his mind" because he's so scared of impeachment or whatever. That's not helpful.
It's a time for caution.
Diagnosis and prognosis really should lie in the hands of licensed professionals, and such experts have legitimately espoused their clinical opinions since the outset of Mr Trump's presidency. We do not really need to revisit these behavioral characterizations at present -- after all, he has always been and will always be a showman, out for his own gain. Let's focus on the legal vs illegal, and the ethical vs immoral. Hopefully, the congressional views, absent the psychological flaws, will rid us of this maniacal non-patriot.