Monday, October 21, 2019

The Man Who Would be King


If you think things are bad now under Trump, imagine what a second term would look like.

Image: TheWrap
Just in time for the Halloween season, imagine this chilling, horrifying scenario. #hocopolitics

The impeachment of President Donald Trump is executed by the House of Representatives around January 2020 but the spineless, servile Republican senators fail to find him guilty. This despite compelling and irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing including abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

Trump then tweets until his fingers are overgrown with calluses and pounds his chest at his cult-like rallies exclaiming and repeating ad nauseam, “No abuse, no obstruction” throughout his re-election campaign.

Meanwhile, in collusion (yes, collusion) with the Trump campaign, Russia spews out fictional horror stories about the Democratic nominee that is designed to suppress the enthusiasm and voting of Democratic leaning minorities in key swing states—a repeat of the 2016 playbook.

A buoyed Trump, feeling exonerated by his Senate acquittal and with Russia’s help again, squeaks out another Electoral College victory.  Off he embarks on a second term regardless of nationwide demonstrations and collective hand-wringing from November into January. The American carnage, which he described in his 2017 inaugural address, will actually materialize.

Should this scenario play out, America, we have a problem.

As bad as things have been under Trump’s first term, we will witness the coronation of an unbridled King Donald I. 

His cabinet, filled with corrupt unqualified cronies similar to his first administration, will be his Palace Guard. They could very well include his adult children. The utterly humorless and pallid Prince Pence will then be the Court Jester. Picture that!

A compliant and even more fearful Senate than even in his first term will marvel at King Donald’s political skills and basically cave in on his demands. 

Emboldened by his winning, there will be no doubt that somehow that stupid wall will be built. Other screwed up domestic initiatives, especially on the culture front, will also be passed. Watch out Obamacare; this will undoubtedly be the end.

The economy will undoubtedly go into oblivion if it, in fact, survived a predicted recession in 2020. King Donald has zero knowledge of how the economy runs and eschews advice from any capable person left in his administration. Trade “deals” and weaponizing the use of tariffs will consume the news, and potential insider training spearheaded by King Donald will also ensue, as he manipulates the markets with fake announcements of deals. 

Image: DC Report
There will be no movement on gun safety, climate change, infrastructure, health care other than the destruction of the Affordable Care Act. 

Immigration policies will be even more brutal and heartless. The deficit and debt will spiral beyond belief and at unsustainable levels. 

Republicans will continue to cower. His base applauds his racist tropes at his soon-to-be weekly rallies. And boy, will he seek vengeance on his real or perceived enemies.

On the foreign policy side, if you think Trump already screwed up the Middle East, wait there’s more. King Donald, in pursuit of landing agreements to build Trump towers and resorts and to pay back Putin for all he has done to make him president first and later king, will snuggle up more with dictators around the world. Say good-bye to our major alliance NATO. Israel will be thrown under the bus. 

The chances for all-out war somewhere will escalate because of a foreign policy that is crafted by only the king who ignores the experts unless you believe the hosts on Fox and Friends and similar entertainers are experts. Because of Trump's debacle in Syria, acts of terrorism will surely increase.

This is what would happen when our institutions are gutted, when our democracy is obliterated by greed, corruption and thumbing the nose at the rule of law. 

Trump’s base will still follow him even as they lose health care, lose jobs and opportunities and will be oblivious to the fact that the United States—once respected and admired around the world—is no better than a banana republic. 

Our Constitution provides us with a president. There is no place for a king, but we may very well have one unless our country wakes up.




For a deeper dive, read this updated piece in the December 13, 2020 edition of Salon.

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