I hope the reports in The Post, CNN, The Times, AP, Politico, etc., about Trump screaming at Brad Parscale, Jared Kushner, Ronna Romney McDaniel and other flunkies because of his bad polling numbers are true. They’re all shitty people, so they deserve to be shrieked at by the erratic, unfit lunatic they irresponsibly helped to elevate to the highest office in the land.
The rest of us suffer, so they should too. In fact, I hope the abuse gets much worse and that Trump starts throwing things at them during in-person meetings. I hope they’re flinchy for the rest of their miserable lives after spending weeks dodging flying busts of Churchill, potted plants, framed photographs of Trump’s hideous parents, packs of gold Sharpies and thick binders of unread strategy documents. Regarding this week’s reported blow-up, Paul Waldman in The Post made an interesting observation:
There’s something unusual in the story of Trump reacting so strongly to this “grim” polling data from his advisers. For the entirety of the primary campaign, in trail heats Trump has run behind not only Biden but the other Democrats who ran for president as well. Him trailing Biden would not be news to his campaign, or even to Trump himself, despite his ample powers of denial. Which means that those polls must have been really bad for Trump.
The most hilarious part of the story is that in order to make amends, Parscale later came to the White House with “polling numbers that were more positive for Trump, and the president seemed in a far better mood.” The most powerful person on earth is essentially a toddler whose volatile moods need to be carefully managed by those around him. Perhaps Parscale also brought him a lollipop to soothe his tender feelings.
Thus placated, Trump was soon back to his old self. “I don’t believe the polls,” he told Reuters on Wednesday. “I believe the people of this country are smart. And I don’t think that they will put a man in who’s incompetent.” That’s certainly an interesting way to think about it.
Yes, it is. It’s going to be the ugliest, sleaziest, most revolting campaign in U.S. history, this attempt to reelect the ugliest, sleaziest, most revolting incumbent ever. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I’m not looking forward to the spectacle, but the potential payoff — Trump’s utter humiliation — is highly motivating. Open thread!