Week 92 - The Return
Trump shifts amid his failures, to blaming the Republican Party
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
This week, as Trump’s failures mounted and his polling continued to fall, he tried a new tactic ahead of midterms: blame the Republicans. In an interview, he bragged that he had “already won” his race, and said of the American people’s discontent, “They’re angry at Republicans, but they’re not angry at me.” The shift seemed to be a tacit acknowledgment of what lies ahead on November 3, and Trump preemptively looking to shift the blame.
Once again this week, many of the broken norms, and much of Trump’s continued focus, is on his Washington D.C. vanity projects. Along with these projects, Trump spends his time searching for ways to impact the midterms, targeting his perceived enemies and pursuing his petty grievances. One time this week reporting indicated that a light bulb went off, and Trump wanted to offer an economic favor to the American people to gain support for Republicans on Election Day. Then we learn his ‘bold’ idea is cutting the capital gains tax rate, further illuminating how out of touch Trump has become, ensconced in his cocoon of yes-people.
Trump’s Iran war is a complete disaster. He and regime senior officials are desperately searching for an off ramp, but finding none. Trump looked incredibly weak as Iran threatened to cut off negotiations until he left office, leaving him open to comparisons to former president Jimmy Carter, whom he often cites as a complete failure. As well, a story about him being sneaked off of Air Force One in a catering cart, while leaving journalists and regime officials on a decoy plane out of Turkey, further chiseled away from his strongman image.
On Wednesday, a government report found the cost for Trump’s so-called “golden fleet” for the Navy was expected to cost $275 billion, at least 50% more than the earlier estimate. Trump elected to power the ships with nuclear reactors, not gas turbines, and made other changes.
WAPO reported that the real price tag for Trump’s White House ballroom would be at least $927 million, based on a review of contracts, significantly higher than previous estimates. $305 million would come from private donors, and the rest from taxpayers.
On Wednesday, Trump did an event in Las Vegas themed ‘No Tax on Tips,’ but quickly moved onto his favorite topics. Trump bragged about the ballroom, saying, “I’m building this big military complex” that includes “a lot of different things, and some of the things I can’t even talk about.”
Trump complained about the Supreme Court justices appointed by Republicans, saying they “don’t stick together,” adding of the justices appointed by Democrats, “I’d like to fire them.” Trump added, “We will pass the Great Healthcare Plan. It’s called the Great Healthcare Plan.”
Trump castigated people who drive electric vehicles, calling them “crazy” and saying “they have a disease,” adding, “It’s called like they get screwed up,” and “We have a thousand years of gasoline and it’s what people prefer.”
Trump also bragged about taking Venezuela’s oil, saying, “I love Venezuela. We’re doing great in Venezuela,” adding, “We’re taking a lot of oil from Venezuela…Billions and billions of barrels of oil is coming out of Venezuela.”
On Wednesday, WAPO reported Trump confronted Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth at the Camp David cabinet meeting, asking why he had been misled on the shortages of munitions that had limited his options, after Hegseth reportedly said the problem was fixed.
Shortly after the WAPO story, Trump posted on Truth Social that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped,” and the “‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down.” On Thursday he posted that he was “extremely happy” with the job Hegseth was doing.
NYT reported that although Trump had said the Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane would be displayed at his presidential library and he would not use it after he left office, Trump may take another AF1 for display, and use the Qatari jet for other purposes under consideration.
On Monday, WAPO reported that Trump had secretly switched planes on the return flight from the NATO summit in Turkey at the behest of Secret Service, after an Iranian assassination threat. The White House and Trump had claimed he had flown back in the old AF1 plane.
Trump entered, then departed the old AF1 in a catering container, and moved to a military jet. When the plane landed in Britain, he re-entered the same way, and ultimately departed from the AF1 plane. Journalists and White House staffers took the AF1 plane as a decoy to Britain.
