Strange times: The further descent of the raging, delusional narcisist-in-chief

Updates

  1. Originally published, June 18, 11:20 pm.
  2. June 19, 7:46 am:
    • Nesrine Malik argues that the family separation of Unauthorized migrants is a step to an authoritarian regime.[1] I am unwilling to credit the Trump administration with the intelligence to intend this but fear she may in some way be correct.
    • Reuters has pictures of a tent city for separated children here.[2] You should definitely take a look. (Unauthorized migrants)
  3. June 19, 7:10 pm:
    • The family separation policy is fascism, pure and simple: “Unlike the Nazis, say, the Trump administration doesn’t want to do its torture and killing in-house.”[3] Donald Trump acknowledged that the separations follow from his administration’s decision to prosecute Unauthorized migrants and that journalists “are helping these smugglers and these traffickers like nobody would believe,”[4] before hugging the U.S. flag.[5]

Unauthorized migrants


The Trump administration has been planning a crackdown on migration for a year. They are doubling down,[6] even as their attempts to contain the public relations damage sputter.[7]

Unlike the Nazis, say, the Trump administration doesn’t want to do its torture and killing in-house. From the detention facilities here, the undesirables will be sent beyond our borders to meet their fates, unseen by us. We need dispose of no bodies. The fact that this looks different from the systematic state atrocities that are most familiar to us does not alter the reality of what is occurring here. Our government is a government that murders women and children.[8]

Brianna Rennix, “Understanding The Administration’s Monstrous Immigration Policies,” Current Affairs, June 17, 2018, https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/06/understanding-the-administrations-monstrous-immigration-policies

Nancy Cook, “Trump aides plan fresh immigration crackdowns before midterms,” Politico, June 18, 2018, https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/06/18/trump-aides-plan-fresh-immigration-crackdowns-before-midterms-652246

Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins, Jeff Zeleny, and Sarah Westwood, “White House scrambles to contain immigration fallout,” CNN, June 18, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/18/politics/immigration-white-house-pressure/index.html

Nesrine Malik, “Trump is creating his American caliphate, and democracy has no defence,” Guardian, June 18, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/18/trump-american-caliphate-democracy-arab-world

Reuters, “Tent city for immigrant children in Texas,” June 19, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/pictures-report-idUSRTX69U2N


Donald Trump

Perhaps it is time for a Adolf Hitler analogy. Not because of his fascism toward unauthorized migrants or his racist appeals, as tempting as that may be, but rather to the syphilis-induced insanity the Führer suffered, because with Donald Trump, a raging, delusional narcissist appears to be descending even further into insanity.[9] I want to say he’ll crack up—but we’ve been here before.[10] Even if my logic is correct, who can say that this will be it? That this will be the time he finally melts down in a way that forces his removal? Or, perhaps even more worrisome, what more will he do before that point is reached? What, indeed, will be Trump’s Eastern Front?

Chris Cillizza, “Donald Trump’s Twitter feed is getting more and more bizarre,” CNN, June 18, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/18/politics/trump-tweets/index.html


  1. [1]Nesrine Malik, “Trump is creating his American caliphate, and democracy has no defence,” Guardian, June 18, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/18/trump-american-caliphate-democracy-arab-world
  2. [2]Reuters, “Tent city for immigrant children in Texas,” June 19, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/pictures-report-idUSRTX69U2N
  3. [3]Brianna Rennix, “Understanding The Administration’s Monstrous Immigration Policies,” Current Affairs, June 17, 2018, https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/06/understanding-the-administrations-monstrous-immigration-policies
  4. [4]Donald Trump, quoted in Jake Johnson, “Trump Finally Admits He’s Responsible: ‘You Have to Take the Children Away,’” Common Dreams, June 19, 2018, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/19/trump-finally-admits-hes-responsible-you-have-take-children-away
  5. [5]Jake Johnson, “Trump Finally Admits He’s Responsible: ‘You Have to Take the Children Away,’” Common Dreams, June 19, 2018, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/19/trump-finally-admits-hes-responsible-you-have-take-children-away
  6. [6]Nancy Cook, “Trump aides plan fresh immigration crackdowns before midterms,” Politico, June 18, 2018, https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/06/18/trump-aides-plan-fresh-immigration-crackdowns-before-midterms-652246
  7. [7]Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins, Jeff Zeleny, and Sarah Westwood, “White House scrambles to contain immigration fallout,” CNN, June 18, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/18/politics/immigration-white-house-pressure/index.html
  8. [8]Brianna Rennix, “Understanding The Administration’s Monstrous Immigration Policies,” Current Affairs, June 17, 2018, https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/06/understanding-the-administrations-monstrous-immigration-policies
  9. [9]Chris Cillizza, “Donald Trump’s Twitter feed is getting more and more bizarre,” CNN, June 18, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/18/politics/trump-tweets/index.html
  10. [10]David Benfell, “I, Donald,” Not Housebroken, June 6, 2018, https://disunitedstates.org/2018/06/06/i-donald/