Everywhere one looks, bullying, denial, illegal acts
By Sid Schwab / Herald Columnist
Away for most of the week, I managed only a column with disconnected slices of MAGA. Pardon my pejorism:
Donald Trump is great at bullying the weak. For example, making Social Security applicants apply in person now, instead by phone or by mail, as before (no paywall, Washington Post: tinyurl.com/walk2SS). Other than Trump’s needy ego, who benefits? Other than cruelty for its own sake, what explains it?
But when it’s Vladimir Putin, it’s clear who’s the top. After that “great” phone call, for which Putin made him wait an hour, laughing it off when reminded of the time (tinyurl.com/VPlaughs), Trump announced various promises Putin had made. Putin denied making and proceeded to break them all. Trump hates to be humiliated; he strikes back at lawyers and journalists and politicians who fail to tow to his cows. But when Putin did that, Trump obsequiesced. MAGAs don’t care. They loves them some Putin.
Trump turned the Rose Garden into a Tesla showroom. His commerce secretary urged Americans to buy Tesla stock. Both are illegal under the Hatch Act. With Pam Bondi in charge of the Department of Justice-For-Some, they know their lawbreaking, past, present, and future, will go unpunished. Lauded, more like.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-everywhere-one-looks-bullying-denial-illegal-acts/