***. “..the last forty-four presidents all pursued policies that they believed would make for a better America tomorrow. The Trump presidency is about Trump. Period. Full stop. He says so himself all the time..”
[ Pulitzer Prize winner David Cay Johnston: “It’s Even Worse Than You Think” ]
This post presents excerpts from. “Trump Keeps Pushing Plans People Dislike”. [ Luke Broadwater; New York Times; 5/24/26 ]:
7] “Mr. Trump has seemed unconcerned about whether these ideas are popular with voters, and has lamented openly that Democrats are likely to gain ground in the midterm elections. He has been most animated when discussing how he exacts vengeance on Republicans who criticize him.”
8] “Ms. Binder said she took Mr. Trump at his word when he argued last year that he had little further use for Congress, a suggestion that he could enact most of his agenda by circumventing lawmakers…..”He’s focused on the arch. I think he’s focused on his own personal legacy. He’s focused on vengeance,” she said.”
*** “According to Malkin, political leaders such as Hitler, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un exhibit malignant narcissism. As Robert Jay Lifton notes in “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” such narcissism in a leader can lead to “malignant normality”…people can come to accept aberrant and even pathological behavior as a new norm, especially when it is exhibited by an authority figure. He applies this to Trump.” [ Steven Hassan: “The Cult of Trump”]
1] “…his grip over Republican lawmakers began slipping after he proposed a pair of deeply unpopular spending items, prompting an unusual revolt from the Senate. When faced with such a backlash ahead of midterm elections, many politicians would pivot, redirecting their focus ti issues they are on stronger footing with. But Mr. Trump has decided to double down, presenting himself as all-powerful even in the face of indications that he is not.”
2] “Over the years, Mr. Trump has often appeared to have an air of invincibility…He has successfully exacted retribution on many a perceived enemy. Now, with less than three years left in office, he seems comfortable burning whatever political capital he has in order to leave his legacy, even if it drags his party down in the process.”
3] “Rather than abandon his plan for a $1.8 billion fund to reward allies who claim they were persecuted by Democrats, mr. Trump has defended the proposal, suggesting he could have used the taxpayer money to enrich himself…..”Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden administration..”
***. “Tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it.” [ Adolf Hitler ]
4] “The meeting went so poorly for Mr. Blanche that party leaders scrapped planned votes on another of Mr. Trump’s top priorities: a $72 billion immigration crackdown measure lawmakers had planned to muscle through before memorial Day.”
5] “Mr. Trump was also undeterred when another unpopular policy position – using taxpayer money to help fund security for his $400 million luxury ballroom on White House grounds – was met with backlash on Capitol Hill.”
6]. “Another dynamic at play in the Trump White House is a lack of dissenting voices to some of the president’s most extreme ideas. In mr. Trump’s first term, some of the president’s radical ideas were checked by aides like John F. Kelly..Jim Mattis..Gary Cohn… But these men are long gone, and their positions have been filled mostly by people who are true believers.”
***. “Lincoln never forgot that in a democracy the leader’s strength ultimately depends on the strength of his bond with the people. In the mornings he set aside several hours to hear the needs of the ordinary people lined up outside his office, his time of “public opinion baths.” Kindness, empathy, humor, passion, and ambition all marked him from the start.” [ Pulitzer Prize winner Doris Kearns Goodwin: “Leadership” ]
With Justice For All 