Friday morning, feeling my way down under the outward, cork-popping joy of the previous evening’s news regarding Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of felonious conduct, I found something more basic: a sense of simple yet profoundly felt relief. Something akin to the completion of a long project that had presented multiple obstacles and taxed my patience and commitment and faith that I would ever see it come to fruition.
Finally!
All his life, Trump had sneered at decency, laughed off honesty as fit only for suckers, marshaled his millions of inheritance dollars to hire an army of lawyers and henchmen who helped him stay one step ahead of law enforcement, the IRS, the creditors he had stiffed, the women he had abused, the students at his fake university, the contributors to his fake charities, his failed ventures in steaks and airlines and casinos and apartments, and perhaps most grievously of all, his sudden fake concern for embryos via his sudden fake Christianity.
He was the world’s most accomplished teflon man, free to break every rule, flaunt every code, attend to no moral compass other than the naked self-interest that was and remains his north star.
And for all of which he had never once been truly held to account.
Even the two recent civil judgments against him—one for having forced himself on a woman in a department store dressing room and then defaming her repeatedly when she tried to seek justice, another for having played fast and loose over years with assessments of his real estate holdings—cost him only money, which could always be raised again.
In the end, what we confront here is the Bully Syndrome writ large, expanded from an elementary school playground to a world-shattering stage.
Google “Trump-branded products” and just watch the cavalcade scroll across your screen: bibles and chocolates and basketball shoes, gold coins and $2 bills, candles and honey jars and lollipops, wines and meat seasonings and hot sauces, pocketknives and “Take America Back Bullet Style Pens,” “Trump Mug Shot” coffee mugs and “Trump Girl Double-Sided Wine Tumblers.”
Or “Trump Super Premium Vodka.” (Priced at $5,999.99.)
Or just skip the product altogether and tend to his text stream for the latest grievance-filled plea: “From Trump: 24 HOURS! Please don’t let Biden kick us in the teeth. PLEASE help me CRUSH my goal…I need ONE MILLION patriots to chip in and say: I STAND WITH TRUMP.”
Ever and always the shill, preying on the gullible while protecting his empire, heaping blame to the far corners of any world that would ever hinder his right to take whatever he wants, at any time, from anyone.
Until 12 jurors in his hometown listened carefully to a sordid tale of porn star and Playboy bunny trysts, hush money payoffs and financial coverups in order to prevent damage to his electoral chances, and their foreman said “Guilty,” 34 times.
It was as if the earth rotated in reverse for the barest second and the ocean waves rolled back on themselves.
Finally, the world had laid a hand on He Who Would Not Be Constrained, and that world said, “No more.”
Declared his behavior as criminal, subject to the laws of the land, no more nor less so than his 12 fellow citizens in the jury box and the 360 million people they represented.
No special consideration for your money, your power, or your attacks on the very legal system that for decades has given you your day in court, often to your decided benefit.
Not this time, though.
Where do we go from here? To his “redemption” in a rousing November electoral victory? Possible.
Would that mean this exercise was all for nought?
Not on your life.
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The questions come down to this, pure and simple: Will we be a nation of laws, equally applied to all? Or will we allow someone to continually flout those laws, provided he has enough money, power and mendacity to forestall the law’s application to him at every turn?
In the end, what we confront here is the Bully Syndrome writ large, expanded from an elementary school playground to a world-shattering stage.
A playground bully with enough money in his pocket from Dad to buy malts and sodas for a band of toughs behind him, wielding power to break all the rules, bend others to their will, make new rules to his advantage, and so exhaust and intimidate all who oppose him that they ultimately surrender, either unwilling or unable to further endure his aggression.
Hoping their surrender will mollify him and save them further grief.
This has been the entire trajectory of Trump’s career, and it has worked to near perfection, at first in business, and then to his astonishment, in winning the presidency. That quickly turned to dramatically expanded self-aggrandizement as he realized the office was a grand prize he could use to enrich himself beyond measure.
He then proceeded to shock virtually every responsible adult who joined his administration with the intention of serving their country, only to discover their primary responsibility was to serve him and his empire.
Now, virtually the entire Republican Party and an unconscionable number of voters have lined up behind this convicted felon, decrying his prosecution, excusing or ignoring his criminal and morally bankrupt behavior, once again encouraging the bully to rampage as he pleases, without consequence or reproach.
And there standing against them: the justice system to which every president, senator, congressmember, lawyer, police officer and pledge-of-allegiance-reciting school student swears fidelity.
Their representatives in this trial: 12 New York jurors chosen from all walks of life, vetted carefully by the judge and attorneys from both sides who found them acceptable as unbiased arbiters, whose verdict must be honored if our system is to survive.
In the wake of their verdict, the bully only continues his attacks, lashing out with the relentlessness and vehemence that few would ever dare. And sadly, which too many are dismissing or relativizing yet again in the deluded hope that a bully can ever be appeased, will ever back off from his quest for immunity from all his transgressions.
Just minutes ago as I write this, a news flash on my screen: a New York congressman, a Democrat, has called on his state’s governor to pardon Trump “for the good of the country.”
Oh, good, godly grief…
Such a move would neuter the jurors, the judge, the prosecutors, the entire system that for this one moment, at long last, stood up and stood fast against the corrosive, step-by-step capitulation that is every bully’s expectation of every person and law and norm he is assaulting.
It would tell him yet again that the path is clear, the field is open to attack and exploit as he pleases.
That in the end, if he pushes, threatens, lies and accuses hard enough, a feckless system will not stand against him, will not hold its ground and hold him accountable for his crimes.
Twelve New York jurors just did, though.
I stand with them, and it feels, for this shining moment at least, like the right call for eternity.
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Well said dear friend. I too feel at least a brief moment of relief, of justice, against this arrogant bully.
Thanks, Marilyn. We can only hope more such moments lie ahead through November!
As always, Andrew, you articulate your point-of-view extremely well! The worm turned on May 30, 2024, and we must all continue to note the positives that occur, not the negatives- from here on. Alas, I fear there is no sign of the Republican Party leaders coming around. It will take (another) resounding defeat in November, including down-party, led by the women in this country, to make that happen.
Given that we are still five months out from the election, I have a feeling that some seismic events are going to occur that will impact one or both candidates!
Best,
Gerry
I think you’re right, Gerry—sometimes I feel like if you told people on Monday just some of the metaphorical seismic events that would occur through the next Sunday, it would sound entirely too implausible, with the most common word resounding through the land being, “Whaaaaaatttt???”
And point taken on continuing to return to a baseline of positives, of everyday kindness, of remembering the basic decency that still resounds overwhelmingly through the populace at large—even among Trump voters. (Though alas, not in Trump himself—it’s long been obvious he is too damaged and deranged to ever find his way back. Just hope enough voters understand that come November to avoid the calamity of another go-round with him.)
Brilliant writing.
Thanks for reading, Nadia. Very glad you got something from it!
Two thumbs up to the jury for standing up for what is right and just! Two thumbs down for those in his cult that can’t do the same! As always Drew, your writing is on point! Good job my man!
Many thanks, Tim! I most always wrestle with myself on these posts: “Oh no, Trump again?” But some things just need doing, and we must gird loins and proceed. Thanks for coming along!
One question. Has Putin endorsed Trump’s vodka or has he received any financial benefit from its sales?
My guess is that Putin would have nothing to do with Trump’s vodka, which was launched in 2006 but discontinued production in 2011 after never meeting its sales goals. Whatever he is selling from his website now is likely just leftover bottles from that failed enterprise, though it would hardly be surprising to discover he’s simply rebottling some downmarket brand selling for $1.99 on the bottom shelf of convenience stores and then slapping on price tags somewhere between $40 and $6,000 each. So Trumpian!
My euphoria and then relief quickly gave way to the reminder that Aileen Cannon and The Supreme Court, along with millions of cultists don’t give a damn about 12 NY jurors and Judge Merchan. The menace of our bully-writ-large is exacerbated by the fact that he has at his disposal, unlike all other bullies, The Supreme Court and a “law-and-order” political party” unwavering in their support and encouragement of his outrageous attack on our free and open government for and by the people. I whole-heartedly agree with Gerry in his above post that a resounding defeat of up and down ballot Republicans is a vital response to The Don’s transgressions (as well as those of The Supremes). It is vital and it, too, will only be temporary as The Don and Trump cultists will continue to transfer all evils and transgressions onto the “libs” that they so deeply detest and fear.
It’s a constant, head-shaking marvel to see the ostensible “law-and-order” party you describe taking a verbal battering ram to every legal institution in the country—the entire intelligence community, the FBI, the court system, even the D.C. & Capitol police officers who died or were injured on January 6, a couple of the injured being booed and hissed at the Pennsylvania statehouse yesterday. And then there’s Trump inviting two gangsters up on murder charges onto the stage with him after his conviction last week. Nice!
Virtually everyone, from both sides of the aisle, complained about the sleazy witnesses describing sordid activities at his trial, but these were Trump’s people; of course they were sleazy, it’s who he surrounds himself with! They join a long list of his fellow convicted criminal buddies: Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon, et al—a true criminal all-star team!