I don’t have Trump Derangement Syndrome. Nope. Not me. I’ve diagnosed myself, and it’s not that. I don’t even have Moron Derangement Syndrome. (Honestly, I can handle moronic behavior – it’s practically a community pastime. I’m a moron at least twice a week.)
So what do I have when it comes to President Trump? I wish there were a tidy one-word label, “Trumpitis,” “Decency Deficiency Disorder,” something catchy, but there isn’t. What I have is much simpler. I just want him to be a decent man. And he’s…not. Not even close. Not even orbiting the neighborhood of decency.
I want him to treat others with the respect he demands – demands – from everyone else. Instead we get rude, crass, indecent, arrogant, dishonest, misogynistic blasts of nonsense, all delivered with that signature smirk that says, “You knew what you signed up for.” And every time someone waves it off with, “That’s just Trump being Trump,” I want to hand them a mirror and ask, “Really? You’d tolerate that personality in your friend group? In your work group? In your family group chat for even 12 hours?”
Today alone he snapped “quiet piggy” at a reporter. Later he deployed the classic “you’re a horrible reporter, a horrible person” – his greatest hit, the one he plays at every show. And then came the Khashoggi comment – the one that absolutely shocked me and I didn’t think I could be shocked by Trump anymore – shrugging off a journalist’s murder by implying, essentially, “Well, some people liked him and some didn’t, who really knows?” This despite his own CIA saying the Saudi crown prince ordered the execution. A stunning statement from an American president (IN THE OVAL OFFICE!) And don’t get me started on the Epstein remarks – truly deserving of their own full post.
And here’s the thing…Trump doesn’t have to be this way. Or maybe he does. Maybe without all the hostility and bravado he wouldn’t know who he is anymore. Maybe I’m the delusional one for thinking people wouldn’t put up with him in their own lives. But I don’t buy it. No one is inviting that level of bigotry, ignorance, and bombast to their weekly trivia night. Not even ironically.
And the “I like his policies” line? Fine. Democracy is built on policy disagreements. Argue to your heart’s content. But don’t twist yourself into a moral pretzel defending the man. And please don’t pretend you’d love having him as your boss. No one voted for that. (At least…I hope no one voted for that.)
Here’s where I bring it back to the motto – Create an environment that allows success to happen. And yes, that includes our national environment. Leadership that tears people down, humiliates reporters, excuses murder, and treats cruelty as a punchline? That doesn’t create success…it corrodes it. We deserve better. Our country deserves better. Heck, he deserves better than the version of himself he insists on performing.
Anyway, that’s today’s rant from your friendly neighborhood non-TDS, non-MDS blogger. Now I’m going to have a bit of scotch, watch “Prince Night” on Dancing with the Stars (looking forward to it!) and try to lower my blood pressure back into the “acceptable for a human being” range.
One win for the day – I didn’t throw my phone.
One question – Why do we let “that’s just how he is” excuse behavior we’d never tolerate from anyone else?
MattMunnell.com 