Crazy Times

 We are witnessing an unprecedented event in the history of the United States. After losing the election to Joseph Biden on November 3rd, Donald Trump has not only refused to concede. He has had a cadre of lawyers file numerous lawsuits attempting to overturn votes (primarily from cities and urban areas with large Black populations) and has retreated into Fortress White House (the White House is now behind a double wall that encircles it, suggesting that he is under siege. It appears that the only activities he currently engages in are tweeting, watching right-wing TV for hours on end, and golfing at his Virginia golf course. His appointee to the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, whose responsibilities include signing off on the election result so that a transition to a new administration can occur, is waffling on doing so. 

This situation has never happened before. Trump is directing his loyalists in the administration to do many things that can only be meant to screw up the possibility that a Biden administration can do a credible job. From the Defense Department to the EPA to Health and Human Services and multiple other federal agencies, we are witnessing a sociopath deliberately trying to wreck all of the Executive Branch. This is in spite. This is malignant. This was predictable based on what was long known about Donald John Trump. Did you vote for him? When you look in the mirror, remember that you are part of the problem.

As has been noted by many, his ridiculous struggle to hang onto office increasingly looks farfetched. His desperation, displayed in clown-show style by Rudy Guiliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, grows as it becomes clear to all but his fervent cult that he lost. All the while the coronavirus pandemic explodes with over 12 million cases in the U.S. and 255,800 deaths as of today. The G20 is meeting and Trump skipped it, deciding to golf instead of attending a session on coping with the pandemic. Probably better anyway -- with the exception of a few fellow autocrats and dictators, the world’s leaders are glad to be free of Trump.

So, we are effectively leaderless until noon on 20 January in Washington, D.C. The Constitution simply states the term of the president expires then. It remains to be seen if Donald John Trump has to be dragged out or walks out under his own power. He already is planning a comeback and vengeance on his foes (and, remember, everyone eventually becomes his foe). He will find his mountain of debt a problem and creditors less tolerant of an ex-president. The New York Attorney General and the Manhattan District Attorney will likely meet him in court. So too will E. Jean Carroll, who has a suit pending in a rape defamation case that is not looking healthy for the Donald. The best advice is to buckle up and prepare for a rough ride for the next two months. If you are on social media, comment on Trump and his cult when they play the victim and bully others. And remember -- America has survived many perils before. We will survive the reign of this sociopath too.