Biden & Trump Sage 7.

 

Trump is not going silently into the night. 

I flipped the papers this morning and this caption surfaced: “Trump opens office to carry on agenda of his administration.”

Yes, the ex-president is not letting it go. He wants to be heard. But that is all fine until the goal of such a set up is to “advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda” of his administration. 

I believe his particular agenda-advancing office is the first of any former presidents. And we can tell what he is up to, knowing how he resented bitterly for not being re-elected for the second term. Losing to sleepy Joe was a painful defeat he cannot take lying down. 

According to a statement, the “office will be responsible for managing president Trump’s correspondence, public statements, appearances and official acitivites to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump administration through advocacy, organising and public activism.”

And whether he endorses the new set up or not, I suspect Trump is not going to do anything about it. He has sown enough discord by spreading conspiracy theories before he became president and it is not going to surprise anyone if he had allowed this para-presidential office to exist (even directed it by sheer will) just to continue his sinister legacy to supplement Qanon, if not supersede it. 

Anyway, we all had expected it somehow. Trump will be trump. And this kind of reminds you of the tale of the scorpion and the frog. This is the Google extract of the tale.

“A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, both would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog then agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion points out that this is its nature.”

Yes, that is Trump’s nature. We must not forget that he once wielded great power. He had the trust of the people. They wanted change, real change. And it was never about making America great again, as it is about making sense again. It is about returning the people’s clamour for dignity and humanity back to the center of politics. Unfortunately, he squandered that golden opportunity. 

Trump could not confront the one person that matters most in his term of presidency - that is, himself. He had innumerable chances to turn things around, make amends, admit to his failings as a human leader, embrace real changes to advance the interest of those who trusted his leadership. But he could not capitalise on any of them because he cannot accept the fact that he can be wrong or mistaken. 

The reality is, never once has he publicly apologised for what he had done in the short 4 years, or at least acknowledge that he could have done better next time round. Like I said, Trump will be trump.

 

Incidentally, this news of Trump’s office set up came at the heeds of another, that is, today is UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day. German ambassador Norbert Riedel wrote the article entitled: “The Holocaust - never again must mankind stumble this way.”

He wrote: “The Holocaust refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of about six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. And this also must be said: The perpetrators were human beings. They were Germans. The worst crime in the history of humanity - it was committed by my countrymen.”

In the article, ambassador Riedel wrote about the famous “stumbling stones” or Stolpersteine, in the streets of Berlin. 

“The inscription on each stone begins “Here lived”, followed by the victim’s name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide. exile or, in the vast majority of cases, deportation and murder.”” 

There are more than 70,000 Stolpersteine commemorating these lives who just happened to stand in the way of the tyrannical steam-rulers, or were just marked out because of their race, heritage and blood. 

The stumbling stones was designed by German artist, Gunter Demnig about two decades ago. It is the “world’s largest decentralised monument to the Holocaust.”

I brought up the stumbling stones in this post because you will note that, to read the inscription on these stones in the walkway, one has to bow before the victims. This is deliberate, and it was one of the project initiators’ design. 

As you’d have guessed it, it is about humility. It is about what Jesus once said, “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” And as it is also said, humility is not about thinking less of yourself, it is about thinking of yourself less. 

Come to think of it, this is the simple elegance of the teachings at Sermon on the mount. And this is a much-neglected counterculture (Jesus had taught about) as against the current state of world affairs led by leaders like Trump. He no doubt stands out because he is someone who milks every opportunity to exalt himself. 

Even after going through so much, Trump is not someone who will ever think of himself less. We would in fact be lucky if he even spare the time to think of others a little more (or not sting those who carry his orders on their backs).

And in the same way that the office of presidency can exalt the leader who humbles himself before all, the same office can also abase a leader who exalts himself above all.

 

Biden & Trump Saga 5.

 

He’s a flawed man. A broken man. He is President. He’s US commander-in-chief. His vice is a lady, the first woman VP, first African America, and first Asian American. 

We know them. They were elected by the sheer will of the people, and as he said: “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

In many ways, that is true. If every vote counts, then 7 million more votes weighed in on the scale of democracy and the people’s wishes and hopes were thus heard. 

Honestly, the last 4 years went by like a whirlwind leaving many things still spinning wildly on the ground. The pandemic that has taken 400,000 lives still rages on, unabated. The economy has spun out of its planned orbit. And the wedge between white supremacists and the rest has been driven deep with open animosity that will take years, even decades, to resolve.

In the past 4 years, many old wounds were forcibly opened and they will take much more than 4 years to heal. Some of his strategists had in fact asked him to go fast, and be bold when he takes on the reins of leadership. 

Admittedly, much is on his presidential plate and he needs to think not 4-year time-frame but two, when addressing the urgent and complex issues at hand. Such is the “scorched earth” mindset to counter the aftermath of what seems to be the remnants of a hurricane. 

But let’s return to the man. We know his name. But, do we know what he has gone through in 50 years in politics and the social justice movement? Do we know why at 79, after 50 years, he is still going? 

In one of his speeches, he called this time “the season of darkness”. Yet, optimism was never beyond reach for this man. He quoted Ella Baker, the icon of civil rights, who once said, “Give people light and they will find a way.” Indeed, democracy and honest and resolute leadership are the light in this season of darkness. For truth shines, lies darken.

Alas, in darkness, the tendency is to grope in fear. You never know where the plunge is, or how to skirt pass it. You have no light; you have no guide. But all it takes is a fickle, a glow and a hope, even at the distance, you are suddenly no longer lost, but found, rescued. That is the power of Ella’s metaphor, “Give them light, and they will find their way out”.

That has always been his lodestar, his motivation from the start, even in the early 1970s when he was first elected to Congress. Then, he was a young spitball, struggling with the inner demons of self, ego and big dreams. He has put his foot in his mouth many times, even during the presidential race, which was incidentally his third. Yes, he aimed for the highest office thrice. I guess third time’s a charm. 

This man is flawed no doubt. He changed horses midstream in his dealing with the civil rights, women and the rights of the poor vs the rich. But this is also the same man who suffered - early in his political career - the death of his wife and two daughters in a car accident. And in 2015, his beloved son, Beau, passed on in his forties. 

Although brought up to believe in a benevolent God, when the car accident happened and took away his loved ones, he said: “Well, I didn’t want to hear anything about a merciful God. No words, no prayers, no sermons gave me ease. I felt God had played a horrible trick on me, and I was angry.” Can you blame him? 

Yet, that was about fifty years ago, and this man is still fighting for what he believes in. A number of tragedies may have taken those he loved dearly from him, including the son whom he treasured so much, yet, these words by his father kept his spirit up and faith soldiering on - “The bigger the highs, the deeper the troughs.”

I believe that that is how you confront life. You need the depth to reach the height. You need the valley to aim for the summit. And you need faith and hope to lift you up to level ground, surer foundation. 

Today the world, with a small attendance of 1000, congratulates the President of the United States and his Vice President on Inauguration Day. It may be a small physical gathering, but the depth of experience, the breadth of hope and the bightest of lights can be felt in the hearts of millions. 

Today we embrace renewed hope and faith in humanity in a man named Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. and his lady co-pilot, Kamala Devi Harris.

God bless America.

 

Biden & Trump Saga 4.

Trump will not be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration on 20 January 2021. He will be the first president in 150 years not attending. But Pence, his Vice President, will be attending though. 

It is speculated that Trump may attend a ceremonial farewell at Joint Base Andrews on the same day, that is “the base outside Washington where Air Force One is headquartered. The farewell could include a 21-gun salute.”

Because of Jan 6 storming at the Capitol, the mayor of Washington Muriel Bowser said: “We saw white extremists storm the Capitol building who were trained and organised. We all have to think about a new posture.”

This new posture is to transform the Capitol into a fortress, “complete with militarised red and green zones - red for maximum restrictions.”

It reports that “so far, about 21,000 armed National Guard troops - the number may grow to 25,000 - has been deployed to lock down the capital ahead of the inauguration, which has been drastically reduced in size and scale because of the coronavirus pandemic and now security concerns.”

Mind you, this is not the end of the insurrection. Trump has fanned the fire of their misguided mission, and security analyst Malcom Nance told congressional hearing last Wednesday that “massive quantities of weapons have been exchanging hands on public forums and in response to a prospective insurrection. This is only the beginning.”

Trump has effectively stirred the hornet’s nest and revived their insurrection hope, blasting wide open an insidious channel so that they may pour out their holed-up grievances onto public streets, buildings and arenas.

Another security expert Mr Ali Soufan puts it this way: “This is not only about the people who attacked (the Capitol) but also about the network that allowed them to operate so openly...that now they are actually, literally, threatening 50 capitals in the United States.”

Alas, this is as smooth a transition you can expect from a fuming sore loser, the President of United States no less. 

Personally, I never thought I would ever see this day, where a grown man who was elected to the highest office of the land turning his back on a time-honoured tradition 150 years in the making. 

If an analogy helps, imagine such transition of power as passing the sword of honour from the outgoing incumbent to the in-coming office-holder. The proper decorum is to hand the sword over with both hands outstretched, in a posture of humility, respect and support, because it is never about the person or his personality, but the office upon which the political foundation of a great nation is built. 

Instead, Trump hands over the transition sword with the sharp end of it pointed at Biden and his administration. 

It has to be said that democracy is about the people, that is, the tallied votes of the majority. And leaders are sworn servants to the people they serve, promising to uphold the highest principles of the land, and the first and foremost principle is to respect the virtue of the process involving the transfer of power. 

But for Trump, he has epitomised everything that goes against the virtue of this process. He refuses to rise above the occasion, to act like a mature adult would. Even to the very end, it is still about him, his ego, his feelings, his delusion, his alternate reality. Three facts clearly point to this.

The first fact is the impeachment. It is his second historic charge in just one term. And it is not so much the impeachment charge I am talking about as the president’s inimical intention since Nov 4. 

Yes, he is entitled to challenge the election results. That’s his right. But there must come a point of acceptance and submission, especially when even the Governors, Supreme Court and your own Vice President have all confirmed the electoral winner. 

Surely, at some point of this challenge, one has to respect the institutional processes and safeguards built by the founding fathers. For it is the same process by which one is elected, and by that same process one is expected to accept the result and move on. 

Cicero once said that courage is the virtue which champions the cause of right. For Trump, he champions only the cause of self. As such, he just can’t let go and move on. He cannot accept defeat. This is surely not what we as fathers would want to teach our child right? 

The second fact is about what he did after 6 Jan. 

Yes, he did condemn the storming of the Capitol. He said it was a “heinous attack on the United States Capitol.” And he was “outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem.” This is where he claimed he had deployed the National Guards to restore law and order. 

There are two ways of looking at this. You can read this as an act of remorse, that is, Trump is sorry for the violence he had stirred up (as he did call them to “fight like hell” by marching into the Capitol to “show strength”). 

Or you can read this as an act of desperation to save himself, to distance himself from the criminal acts he had had a firm hand in. 

Well, knowing Trump, there’s one thing he is consistent throughout - he has never accepted blame, or responsibility - not for the economy, not for his racist remarks, not for the lies he had spoken, and not for the nearly 400,000 pandemic deaths under his watch. Just to name but a few.

Journalist Bob Woodward once recounted what Trump said to him regarding allegations of inappropriate behaviour with women. Trump said: “You’ve got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women. If you admit to anything, and any culpability, then you’re dead...You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to be aggressive. You’ve got to push back hard. You’ve got to deny anything that’s said about you. Never admit.” 

Bottomline, he never admits, he’s never wrong. And he’s in fact obsessed with being right, thinking that being right means to never admit wrong. 

But, isn’t that the pubescent mind of child, bereft of self-awareness and self-introspection? In fact, let me just say that being right is not about never admitting wrong. It is on the contrary about embracing our humanity, our brokenness and fallibility, accepting our flaws, and then doing something about it, that is, doing something to change. 

So, to me, his post-Jan-6 speech for law and order was one made to save his own skin. And if he had his way, Trump would rather let dead dog lies because he has and will never accept responsibility for the incitement on Jan 6, which has led to his impeachment. 

And the last third fact is the most obvious of them all, that is, his petulant refusal to attend the inauguration. That effectively sealed the position of this president’s heart. It also confirms where he stands, even when all’s already said and done by deputy pence on 6 Jan. 

Trump shuns the inauguration because he cannot accept legitimate defeat. Like he said: “You’ve got to push back hard. You’ve got to deny anything that’s said about you. Never admit.” 

Let me end by quoting Obama when he gave his farewell speech 4 years ago. He said: “Each of us leaders, each nation, can choose to reject those who appeal to our worst impulses and embrace those who appeal to our best."

The same can be said of Trump’s supporters. You have to put religion aside, and think about it clearly, critically. 

You have a choice to “reject those who appeal to (your) worst impulses and embrace those who appeal to (your) best.” Abraham Lincoln echoed the same sentiment when he said: -

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

That is indeed our nature, the better angels in us that need our intentional nurture. 

Sadly, Trump in general appeals to the worst impulses in us. He has divided the country, and I am not saying it was not already divided during Obama and Bush administrations. But, Trump did nothing to bridge the gap. He in fact widened it, blew it wide open. He in fact nearly brought the system to breaking point. He thus pants after the populist storm and cherished/relished being in the eye of it, fanning the storm out of proportion.

(He had the sacred opportunity to close the gap, heal the wounds, but he was too self-obsessed to do that. He had missed a golden opportunity to unite America, even if one would to accuse Obama and Bush of having a part to play in it. The point of leadership is always about what you would do with what you are given, and not about how others have screwed it up before you. For no leader worth his weight in gold pushes away responsibility when they fall on his lap. He ought to have dealt with it, confronted it. For the buck stops with him. He thus ought to have resolved it, closed the gap, healed the wounds. That is the gold standard of leadership). 

For that reason, his supporters have to wake up to the reality of Trump. Look at the mirror and see how you have changed in supporting him over the years. If he had lost to Hillary in 2016, I bet you would not even have bothered about this crooked businessman who treats women as if they were nothing more than an object of physical desire and exploitation. 

And your unthinking affection for him has unfortunately broken the bonds of affection for humanity as a whole and has deadened the “mystic chords of memory” that only desire to be touched again by the better angels of our nature.

 

Biden & Trump Saga 3.

Trump is being impeached. He has made history, American history. No sitting president has ever been impeached twice. This is archived history.

 

And this time, there is more consensus between the two parties than before (that is, as compared to the 1st impeachment in Jan 2019 over a Ukrainian phone call). 

The bipartisan vote count was 232-197, which saw 10 Republicans vote with the Democrats to charge Trump with “inciting an insurrection”. The insurrection was led by pro-Trump mob at the Capitol, with 5 dead. 

The Democrats needs 17 Republican senators to vote against Trump, and Mitch McConnell seems to be on the knife edge here. 

At the last impeachment, it was a firm NO for him. This time, he said: “While the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote, and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate.” 

McConnell’s decision may be the swinging-vote signalling for other Republiciam leaders to follow suit. I guess the incident leading to the second impeachment waa too close to home for McConnell not take a considered stand. We’ll see then. 

As it stands, five Republican congressmen have publicly declared that they will vote against Trump. Liz Cheney, the most senior of them, the Wyoming lawmaker, reserved the harshest rebuke: -

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

Well, Trump has always wanted to enter and exit with a bang, a grandstanding show of just one star fronting the stage, and ironically, he will have it just before he leaves next week. 

And the trial will be him “arraigned” as the former President under the leadership of US’s 46th President, Joe Biden. 

Lesson? One.

We have come to an end of a chapter. Trump the man has come and will be going. That’s already sealed by his second-in-command, Mike Pence, on 6 Jan, the day that will go down in infamy. 

Whatever Trump has done, he has done in his signature, unchanging style. The people had voted for him and it was a political outcome Hilary accepted gracefully, making her exit 4 years ago out of respect for the voters, democracy and the US Constitution. 

This was not so for Trump. He did not and could not accept defeat. He fought on to the highest Court (twice), engaged in private mafia-like talks with governors to pressure them to add more votes in his favour, and when all else failed, he kickstarted a violent charge up the Capitol, threatening even the lives of his own party men, and ignoring their calls for him to dissuade the MAGA mob. 

Trust me, he was the last voice they heard when they chanted, “Stop the Steal! F*#k Antifa! Save America!”

If this is a case where the end justifies the means (or the man as he is), then we ought to (by now) know (with some bankable certainty) what kind of person Trump is. Personally, I can safety say that he came with the same traits he is going to leave the White House with, rather sadly intact. 

What Trump treasures above all else is his own survival, his own prosperity, his own skin. 

Every thing, event and person (no matter how close or faithful to him) are but a means to that end. Yet, what draws them to him nevertheless, and to stick like glue to him - similar to Stockholm syndrome - is the swirling mirage that a man like him, with power, wealth and status, exudes, in particular, that he would really make America (and the religion of Christianity) Great again. 

Many forget that to Trump, he is basically a brand, a commercial brand; one that operates and transacts only in money, fame and real estate. Wishing naively to possess the Midas’ touch, he always hopes that whatever he touches turns to gold, that is, bankable, earthly gold to over-compensate for his need to boast about his smarts, popularity and net worth to all and sundry. 

Throughout his term, over the podium, he never misses a chance to let the world know that his knowledge surpasses all, even experts (“alas, the empty boast of a bully at the playground”). 

So, I say, let history take its course then. But ending here, I end with a note for the believers, especially the Christian believers. I think you have been taken for a ride by this so-called Messiah for the last four years. The Monday morning hangover will take a long time to get over.

Trump is not God’s anointed (by specific design), and if anything, in my view, he is a glitch in the history of democracy. His birth and his presidency came at the most opportune time (go figure) - that is, born into wealth, and elected at a time when trust is at its lowest, disillusionment the highest, and hope most foregone (but, mind you, what fortune creates, misfortune reaps - food for thought?)

We have indeed put our hopes on the wind, and it thus blows wherever it desires, mostly recklessly, in hurricanes and storms. 

So for believers, let me leave you with Proverbs 14:12-15: -

“There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.

Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief.

The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,

and the good rewarded for theirs.

The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.”



Let’s start the year by giving more thought to our steps.

 

Biden & Trump Saga 2.

“Calling a spade a spade” - an appeal to Trump’s supporters...(if it is ever possible). 

I thought I could appeal to you with reason, especially those who are believers. If we share the same faith and hope, I hope we too can distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, and reformation from destruction. 

Let me start by saying this: You need to see Trump for who he is. 

Yes, he was elected by the electoral college system. He is, well, the 45th President for the next 14 days. He is also a Christian and claims to lead under God’s hand. Yet, by one’s fruit, you shall know a person right? 

Now, no one is perfect. What’s more a leader managing very complex situations. But that‘s not the point. It never was to start with. And we all know that. 

If perfection was your measuring rod, and anything that falls short of that automatically invites rebuke, then we may as well get ourselves all arraigned with the usual charges of hypocrisy read to us, take the plea of guilt without the pretentious denial, and just accept the sentence meted out to us. No point hiring defence lawyers for that right? They only waste time and money that are better spent elsewhere. 

We must also accept that bearing fruit is seasonal. And the harvest takes a lifetime. Some seasons, we will fail miserably. Other seasons, we take a stand for what is right courageously. So, we indeed contain multitude. We contradict ourselves. But when it truly counts, when the rubber meets the road, we stand out to be counted. That is what fruit-bearing means, right? 

Mind you, that is not beyond our capacity to do. And if we reap what we sow, I admit that we do sow bad seeds at times. But, we also sow good ones too. 

Seasonal bad harvest doesn’t need to be for a lifetime, unchanged. No life is ever condemned. And no one is exempt from making u-turns.

That is also why Christ, in trembling fear and pain, took up the Cross and finished the call, never looking back. He made his choice, and made it all the way. He should be our marker of faith and hope, not man, no matter how rich and/or powerful. 

Another meaning of a fruit-bearing life is when we turn from our wrong ways or thoughts. This is the hardest to do. It’s in fact herculean in effort and consistency. It takes more than just courage or bravery. It takes self-confrontation. Because if you do not see in the mirror the errors of your ways, then you will never be convicted to change. 

And to use former mayor Rudy’s own words, but with a total change of its intent and meaning, it is no less a “trial by combat,” that is, a battle with oneself, putting no one else but ourselves through the furnace of self-examination and change. 

So, to summarise, it is not about perfection but a fruit-bearing life, over a lifetime. The fruit we bear is about the courage to call a spade a spade and to confront ourselves first before we persuade others to make that change. 

Bear this in mind, your greatest enemy is often not out there, but inside you. I know this doesn’t surprise you, but be aware with heightened sensitivity that such knowledge can be a conspiracy of selves to deny the truth or a conviction of self to abide with and by the truth. And yes, such discernment would require no less than a ruthless self-confrontation, or well, a trial by combat. 

So, going back to Trump, we have to call a spade a spade. He is no doubt redeemable, as everybody is. And he is of course not perfect, as everybody is not. But, putting aside what he had done in the past, the good and the bad, we must put before us what he had done on Wednesday, or is directly responsible for. 

He can’t wash his hands from what had happened at the Capitol on Wednesday, which he called it the “save democracy” march. If anything, it was a desperate march to save his presidency, which had sadly resulted in deaths, injuries, damage to property and a historic scar to the constitution and democracy. 

For more than 200 years (since 1814), there has never been such a mindless siege on Congress and democracy, and what America stands for, like the one the world had witnessed on Wednesday. 

By now, we must all accept, even McConnell and Pence did, that the election win for Biden is sealed. The inauguration will therefore be for a new President of America, her 46th. And even Trump himself finally conceded that yesterday. 

But here’s what is most devious about Trump, the man who would do anything to win, or not lose, and to do anything at the expense of the people he had used to do the dirty work for him. If you are his supporters, and still are, you can’t possibly with a straight face deny this - he is the direct cause of the insurrection at the Capitol. 

Now, you are at liberty to blame antifa or the radical left wing or the mercenary democrats all you want, but, if you are looking for the last straw that broke the camel’s back, it is Trump’s rally call to “never concede”. He is the one who said, “our country has had enough. We won’t take it anymore. We will stop the steal. We will not let them silence your voices. It will never happened.”

If that is not clear enough for you, he also hollered this: “We want to go back and we want to get it right...We have to fight much harder. You have to get your people to fight.” 

Then he ended with this Jericho shout: -

“We will not be intimidated in accepting the hoaxes and the lies...we have come to demand that congress do the right thing, to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. You gonna walk down and I will be there for you (no, he was not; he stood by in a tent to watch with gleeful pride).”

“And I am gonna be watching because history is going to be made...We going to get rid of the weak congress people, the ones that aren’t any good...let the weak ones get out. This is the time for strength. Make no mistake this election was stolen from you, from me, and from the country (which he conceded a day after). As this enormous crowd shows, we have truth and justice on our side. We have overwhelming pride in this great country. We have deep in our souls and we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” 

At this juncture, you can’t help but notice that, Instead of calling it a “saving democracy” march, it would be more apt to just call it a “fight like hell” storm into the Capitol. And fought like hell his supporters did, as they rushed in to make a global mockery of a nation that claims to lead the world in what enduring democracy stands for. 

In any event, Trump even called the insurrectors “special” and reminded them that he loved them. 

But, in about a day later, he unsurprisingly turned his back on them. That is the true Trump that unravelled when his interest, name and skin are all at stake. He blatantly threw those he had encouraged to do his bidding under the self-campaign bus. This is what the President has to say to save himself: -

“I'd like to begin by addressing the heinous attack on the United States Capitol. Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem.”

Bewildering right? More so, deeply scary. And here’s where he released the Cavalry on his own people, his most fervent supporters. 

“I immediately deployed the National Guard and the federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders. America is and must always be a nation of law and order.”

“The demonstrators (mind you, his sworned supporters) who infiltrated the capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy. To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country (but they do represent who Trump is). 

“And to those who broke the law, you will pay (but not her instigator?). We have just been through an intense election, and the emotions are high. But now tempers must be cooled and calm restored...”

And here comes the 360-degree change overnight...

“And a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power (this glaringly contradicted what he had called for a day before to “fight like hell”). This moment calls for healing and reconciliation. 2020 has been a challenging time for our people.”

And here comes the most confounding denial made by a president who has led a country ravaged by the pandemic...

“A menacing pandemic has upended the lives of our citizens, isolated millions in their homes, damaged our economy and claimed countless lives. Defeating this pandemic and rebuilding the greatest economy on earth will require all of us working together.”

And all this just makes his call for unity rings empty and hollow with this statement...

“It will require a renewed emphasis on the civic values of patriotism, faith, charity, community and family. We must revitalize the sacred bonds of love and loyalty that bind us together as one national family.”

“To the citizens of our country, serving as your president has been the honor of my lifetime. And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning.”

“Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.”

Let me thus bring this appeal to a close.

In this post, I am not here to judge what Trump has done in the past. And please, as his ardent supporters, do not mention about how he is the protector of Conservative and Christian values, about how he is an anti-abortionist, he’s against same-sex marriages and so on. That’s wholly irrelevant here, and that’s for another day of discussion anyway. 

But, in this post, my focus is strictly on the deplorable event on Wednesday, where even the people’s representatives in Congress had to seek refuge for fear of their lives. 

This is the problem with Trump and Trumpism, or the cult of personality. He is the match, and all it takes is a rushing river of kerosene-like religiosity and naivety to set the country on fire. 

And what happened after the insurrection on Wednesday is an about-turn by a leader who is supposed to take full responsibility, bear the first bullet, and stay in the foxhole with his people, instead of hiding in the comfort of a warm tent, away from the frontline battle. 

For sure he’s no Uriah the Hittite who stood by his men at the battle front and lost his life at the battle front. When the time calls for him to stand up to be counted, Trump pushed his people to the front to be slaughtered, while he escaped from it.

That is no leader. That’s a coward. That is an impenitent coward. That’s one leader who riled up the crowd to serve his own ends and then send the dogs to hunt them down to serve his own ends. When the tide turns, Trump unsurprisingly turns too. 

So, let me appeal to you, Trump supporters, to call it as it is, because it is indeed what it is. Let’s put aside the 350,000 deaths from covid-19 under his watch, and let’s judge him (yes, judge him) for what he had created by design and intent on Wednesday. And let’s stand up to be counted and do the right thing as believers - that is, let’s call a spade a spade.