Two hours ago, Melania Trump entered Congress to a standing ovation and what felt like genuine affection from those inside. Perhaps the Republicans were applauding her sheer presence and willingness to support her husband. Others, it would not be too far-fetched to speculate, clapping in sympathy.
It is very difficult to ignore Donald Trump at the moment. As a result of which I find myself, out of visceral frustration, investing time this morning watching these live scenes, and making a decision to post a commentary of sorts onto a public platform.
My stomach is upside down even before the parade of Trump’s Cabinet enters, shuffling down the aisles making their overly emotional hand gestures and head nods to those strategically positioned at the end of each row to meet and greet them.
And then in walks the President, coolly sauntering through the fawning men and women, the politicians and army chiefs, the old-timers and the new hopefuls, none of whom make any effort to contain their exuberance at the prospect of touching Trump’s shoulder, shaking his hand or planting a kiss on his cheek.
For someone with Messiah Complex tendencies, this little pantomime walk can only be further stimulating an ego that has, and will continue to be, frontline news for the next four years.
With his spray tan almost the same shade as the wooden lectern at which he finally arrives, chants of “U-S-A!” eventually simmer down and Donald Trump, once again, has the world watching him.
On the Republican side of the room, it was akin to participating in the early stages of a wedding ceremony inside a church. Hair was slicked back or freshly blow-dried, America tie-pins had been buffed and then, on the other side, a sprinkle of silent protest, as many Democrats had dressed in pink (highlighting the unequal impacts on women the incumbent administration’s policies were having) and, once proceedings were underway, held up discreet signs saying “False” or “Save Medicaid”.
One would be forgiven for forgetting that it was only five days ago that Trump and Vance pincered Zelensky in the Oval Office, itself an acutely polarising moment for global onlookers. This particular “news” was brushed off by The White House (as most ugly spats and comments that Trump makes, are) over the weekend, and whilst the UK was hosting a peace summit with Zelensky and European leaders.
Never before has Harold Wilson’s line that “today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper” been more pertinent and chilling.
Vance, only yesterday, mocked the UK and France’s support of troops to Ukraine (he back-pedaled afterwards) but, then, that was yesterday. Trump’s tariff announcements went on to grab our attention, given they caused a huge stock market drop. According to Trump, he has been the most successful President in the country’s history and has only ‘grown’ America’s economy (in spite of it currently facing $37 trillion dollars worth of debt).
It is a circus. The whole enterprise that is Donald Trump is one ego-driven franchise dripping in power, greed, and male entitlement.
What will he say to Congress later about the mineral deal with Ukraine? What other verbal hand grenades will he drop before I’ve even finished typing these words?
Right now, as I do type this, he’s in full ring-master mode. Using more smoke and mirror bullshit in his speech to distract and deflect any criticisms that could be leveled at him. He’s cracking jokes about “no one knowing where Lesotho is” as he lists out what he calls “wasted” USAID initiatives. He calls Biden the “worst president in America’s history” and blames wokeness for just about everything.
He doesn’t stop spewing utter nonsense.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, America is back. We’ve accomplished more in 43 days than others have in 4 years or 8 years. There’s never been anything like it.”
Ain’t that the truth.
The man is unlike anyone the world has ever had in that role and yet, at the end of every statement he makes to Congress at the moment, half the room is up on its feet, smugly whooping and cheering and braying at the muted Democrats – their faces fallen, as much in embarrassment as in anger.
Behind him, Vance, and the Speaker of the House, two shiny mechanised puppets, synchronise their choreographed erections, like a pair of cuckoos on the stroke of a clock.
A friend told me this morning that it is as if Trump has been “taking a sledgehammer to a birthday cake”.
What scares me more, as he drones on and on, is just how many people keep applauding, not only his speeches, but his every horrific swing at yet another part of the birthday cake.
He’s put the world’s richest man in charge of slashing to pieces the world’s largest supporter of humanitarian assistance to the world’s poorest people. That decision, alone, is having unprecedented and harrowing global repercussions. Tonight, however, he draws only sycophantic praise at the mention of USAID cuts, and Elon Musk, sat as he is next to the Director of the FBI, stands to yet more applause.
Musk, one of those “unelected officials” that Trump has moments earlier claimed he is eradicating.
The President of the United States of America boasts on, listing his achievements like a proud toddler. And, with every reference he makes – on climate change, or the World Health Organisation, on ‘DOGE’, or the price of eggs – it dawns on me that I can’t watch any more of this speech, or this man, today.
He’s talking now about the Panama Canal and about Greenland. More jokes. More laughter. Oh, and he’s “received a letter” earlier today from Zelensky, saying he’s ready for peace. Well, I’m glad we got to Ukraine in the end, and that’s all settled now.
I can’t stand the fact that Trump is here on the screen, and that I’ve felt compelled to talk about him.
But, mostly, it scares me to wonder if this new paradigm of fake news will ever go away, and we will ever be able to hold reasonable, non-polarised political debates again?
definitelymaybe 
I suggest the ground you have covered in this post will resonate with many on this side of the Atlantic. Who knows what they think on their side of the pond – if they think at all beyond US borders. Still, our PM claims
a diplomatic coup by persuading/forcing? our King to send a personally signed invitation to massage the Trump ego even more and then agreeing to US demands on increasing NATO spending at the expense of the UK aid budget. If we need to up the ante on defence, and we probably do, then it should not be at the expense of the poor and vulnerable in the world. Still, he and his Chancellor have already upset pensioners, farmers and employers (who are the economic drivers for his much desired “growth”) so he is running out of options as to who to upset next.
Thanks Pops!
Couldn’t agree more on the point about cutting aid budgets.
I found this is https://www.cgdev.org/blog/white-house-demonstrates-usaids-efficiency a super useful and clear illustration of why the USAID stop-work decision simply cannot be justified or defended. The reasons being given for closing USAID are pure smoke and mirrors.
“It is worth clarifying that none of the cases listed amount to ‘abuse’ –or at least the release presents no evidence that the rules weren’t followed, and the spending wasn’t authorized. But give the White House team the benefit of the doubt, and add up all of the spending they list: it comes to about $120 million over a period of about two decades. That’s $6 million a year in arguable expenditures. Or about 0.01 percent of USAID’s budget. This seems rather weak grounds for shutting down an agency.”
Starmer following suit is yet another disaster. This quote from a former army chief sums up the ludicrousness of it all:
“Cutting development aid undermines our ability to stabilise fragile states, reduce the conditions for extremism and build alliances that enhance our security. Simply put, well-targeted aid prevents conflict and reduces the burden on our armed forces in the long run.” (Gen Lord Dannatt).
As we see time and again, these actions are being made by egotistical male power brokers whose decisions simply ‘circle the drain’, and further jeopardize the wellbeing of people’s lives the world over.
There is evidence that our own aid programme should be scrutinised for some questionable funding decisions but that is not a reason to cut the whole budget and ignore the bigger picture. If there are savings to be made (the Spectator has recently highlighted a number) the money saved should be ploughed back into worthwhile projects to alleviate poverty etc.