The Witness Chronicles, 12/18/24

Trump betrays MAGA, could care less

Hey MAGA, Trump Just Abandoned You

He doesn’t need you anymore

It really just took one innocuous statement in an interview. Asked about dealing with high prices, Trump brushed it off, stating that once they get high, there’s nothing you can do about it. Nothing he can do about it.

And with that, he walked away from one of his central promises to those loyal followers who helped him regain power. With no ability to run again (he’ll probably be dead in any case), he no longer needs them, nor does he feel he owes anything to them.

They never learned that Donald Trump is loyal to no man, woman, or promise and never has been. Anyone paying attention to any part of his life should know that. But they let him bamboozle them with a barrage of lies.

Those of us who have watched this man, usually with disgust, know that at heart he is a grifter, a con man, and a bully. Really successful wealthy businesspeople don’t do grifts like overpriced bibles or guitars with his image emblazoned on them to raise a few hundred thousand bucks.

But Trump never could resist a chump change scam. Trump University? Trump Vodka? Trump’s failed casinos and hotels? But now he has proved he is a winner, elected President twice, the ostensible leader of the free world.

And now we, the American people, have to deal with him, a man no one can trust. Not his family members, not his loyal syncophants, or any Republican politician. They won’t listen but they know. But there is something we can do.

We can never stop reminding people who Donald Trump really is. And what his people are planning to do to our noble experiment. It’s why I sit here in my obscure apartment in Western New York tapping away every day for my small cadre of readers.

We are kindred spirits when it comes to this stuff. And not all of my readers are Democrats. There are more than a few Republicans who despair about where their party is taking them. And readers in something like 48 countries who seriously wonder what the hell is going on here. It’s why there is a share link at the end of every post I write. Please use it because at least I feel like I’m doing something, imperfect as it is.

And I want you to feel it too.

This is serious stuff and it is pretty overwhelming, even to this no name writer scribbling away daily. Trump’s primary message lately is an ongoing threat against the news media, including lawsuits like the one ABC News shamefully capitulated to. This is a standard tactic in the dictator playbook, killing free expression and true journalism.

And in every fight against fascism, it is the underground media that keeps people informed. I’m no journalist. I have friends who are and I have too much respect for their discipline to call this journalism. But we share the outrage at what we see going on.

If there are a thousand Substack newsletters like Heather Cox Richardson and Joyce Vance and yours truly, the truth will eventually reach those people Trump has betrayed. And betrayal is exactly what this is. As soon as it was accepted that he won, he dropped any pretense of caring about all those people in their pickup trucks and boats flying his flags.

Simply look at the billionaires he is surrounding himself with. And the arrogance of men like Musk and Ramaswamy.

We now hear he wants to privatize the Postal Service because it’s ‘not profitable’. Government, by nature, is not profitable and there is a very good reason for that. When a leader seeks profit he signals an openness to corruption and Trump is not signaling, he is blaring it out. He’s for sale to the highest bidder.

And he knows the only barrier to succeeding at that is the people, including our military and police, which is why his picks for defense and intelligence are so critical. He needs enforcers to shut us up. And this may be his fatal flaw because those people swore an oath to the Constitution and the law of the land. And they take that oath seriously.

I realize this is extremely melodramatic. And it is because what we are watching is seriously over the top. But those of us who are watching and writing know that we need to reach his supporters as he reveals his true colors.

The problem and challenge is the division he has been sowing for years, his own way to build an army of his own. But his willingness to betray that army so quickly creates an opening for doubt. The shameful support of Republicans in Congress can backfire on them, if we here in the fringes of information and observation, make sure they are revealed for what they are.

And we need to remind them of that. Because career politicians are very sensitive to what is needed to get re-elected. If they are seen as very electable and stable, power moves to them. And we can remind them that Trump will not be here forever.

If you’re looking for hope to cling to, consider this: Trump is old and unhealthy. And none of his inner circle have the charisma he has, nor do they share the narcissism that is the driver of all of this. If he goes down, or dies, I believe his castles made of sand will disintegrate.

And that is not an excuse for assassinations. Anyone considering that is no different than what he represents. It is telling that the two people who tried to go that route were supporters who felt they had been betrayed or who just wanted notoriety.

Please share this. It’s important.

Tired of politics? I’ve revived my personal growth newsletter, The Remarkable, as a place where I can write about some of the good stuff in life. Check it out!

The need to support writing that witnesses is more important than ever. Please consider supporting my writing with a small donation through Buy Me A Coffee, a site for supporting creators, or by upgrading to the paid subscription option. I realize not all readers can afford to help out and that my writing needs to earn your support, so all my content is available to all subscribers. Thank you, ME