By Tom Burke
There are two types of Trump supporters. Both are suckers.
Type one: Those duped by Trump, Fox News and Vladimir Putin and still being played by the president. Type two: Parasites, like the remora, a fish which attaches to a shark’s body and feeds off its feces or food dropped by the host, only letting go of the shark’s rotting, decaying corpse when it dies and is no longer useful.
One of these groups, the dupes, his “true believers,” so want to reclaim their place in American prosperity they cling to a cynical huckster who made promises he hasn’t kept, lies about everything, and is backstopped by an even more cynical press only interested in ratings and advertiser cash.
The parasites, on the other hand, only support him to achieve their own objectives. Then, when he is no longer useful, they’ll swim away to find another host to live off. Who are the “remoras:” Congressional Republicans.
These Republican remoras know Trump is a liar; lacks the intellect or interest to govern; and isn’t remotely qualified to be president. They care not about his abilities, their constituents, or the future; but only about their rich, conservative donors (like the Koch Brothers) and clinging to their status and power.
So they support Trump. For now. Until they have to run; on his record; this November when they’ll scrabble out of every weaselly hole in the boat, like rats from a sinking ship. “Donald Who?” will be their campaign slogan.
It’s the true believers who concern me.
Nothing yet, I fear, has changed their minds. So I’m worried that when Trump falls they will become so disaffected they may never recover, much to the detriment of the Republic. We need that 30 percent supporting Trump, they are part of the bedrock of our society.
For me the mystery continues about their dedication to this master grifter. How can they still have faith in him?
His bio shows he’s a conman and his supporters, marks. Consider his history and ponder how anyone still believes someone who:
Conned people into enrolling in “Trump University,” promising an “education” that would get them rich. It didn’t. It was a con. He paid a $25 million fine. Who enrolled? Poor suckers desperate to get ahead.
Swindled his partners out of $60 million in a casino shell (company) game, selling his failing casinos to a public company, financed by other peoples’ money, that he started and managed. He paid himself millions in salary and benefits with their money and when there was nothing left, he folded the casinos leaving his partners out their entire investment, over $60 million, while he walked away with a huge profit. Who invested in him? Suckers who believed he’d help them get ahead.
Stiffed contractors, cheating scores of businesses with signed contracts and his promises simply saying, “No, I ain’t paying” when their work was done. He did the same to employees. Who were these folks? Suckers who believed Trump’s word had any value.
Peddled dubious “How to Get Rich” books, selling books written by his ghosts purporting to reveal the secret to getting richer. They worked, they got Trump richer. Who bought them? Suckers who dreamed of a better life.
Bought his own books with campaign donations, using donations to Candidate Trump to buy Businessman Trump’s books, and pocketing the money folks thought they were donating his presidential bid, not to make him richer. Who donated? Suckers thinking they were the helping Make America Great Again effort.
Had four bankruptcies, declaring bankruptcy four times, essentially stiffing everyone he owed money. Full disclosure: Trump owes me money. I have 50-cent chip from his Taj Mahal casino I never cashed. He owes me half-a-buck.
Crafted a 2018 budget that screws his constituents, cutting funding for those who need it most. Who gets screwed? Everyone.
A year into his term, is America great again? Is it even on the road to greatness?
I guess it could be, discounting huge tax breaks for the rich, a billion-eight deficit, his disregard for Russia’s war on our election process (that his own intelligence chiefs say he’s ignoring); the threat of war with Little Rocket Man, the wife-beater Rob Porter fiasco; the hundred-plus White House staffers without proper security clearances, the Dreamer debacle; his hollow infrastructure promises, the gutting of the EPA and State Department; a $30 million tin-pot dictator parade; his obstruction of justice. And the list goes on and on and on.
Reince Priebus, Trump’s former chief of staff, said of the chaos in the White House, “Take everything you’ve heard and multiply it by 50.”
Aren’t people listening? Don’t they read? Don’t they understand? Or are they listening to Fox News, reading Brietbart, and not recognizing the handwriting on the wall.
It doesn’t say, “Make America Great Again.” It says, “Sucker!”
Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.
