Years ago, when I assigned essays of opinion, I advised my students not to use I think and In my opinion because they were redundant fillers—that once the students provided what they believed to be true, we knew what they thought and believed. That was before social media blurred the lines and nobody had to sign off on anything. I read on Facebook could now mean you were quoting a learned scholar in political science or repeating the slanted viewpoint of a campaign worker...or a child whose father wears a MAGA cap to formal events.
And so I repeat: This is a blog from a person who considers Donald Trump a vulgar, callous, emotionally stunted, and egomaniacal boor. (I added egomaniacal because I had some extra space.)
For me, of course, this opinion is also a fact, one that is supported by his behavior over the course of a lifetime. His lifetime. But if he had no history of malfeasance or repulsive behavior before yesterday's little bacchanalian burlesque at Madison Square Garden, that event alone would be enough supporting evidence for me.
Now I would agree that a presidential candidate cannot be held responsible for the actions of his supporters, so when a laugh-for-hire comedian takes the stage at a rally and denigrates the Puerto Rican people and their homeland, when said comic lapses into offensive tropes about Jews and Black men, we cannot hold Trump entirely responsible. In fact, a Trump advisor said afterward that the act "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign." The teleprompter tells it differently: somebody sure as hell knew and probably thought the real MAGA people will never balk at anything...and they didn't. And I'll bet this comic, Tony Hinchcliffe, knew exactly what was expected of him and exactly what red meat the frenzied crowd would devour. And so every performer, from JD Vance on up, aimed at satisfying the basest instincts of that audience. Who is responsible if not Trump?
Anybody who remembers Macbeth knows that there comes a time when tolerance is no longer feasible—when you finally tell a person he's a jerk and you've had enough: "No Malcolm—not only are you not fit to rule, you're not fit to live." (Act 4, Scene 3, check it out.) There may be a few MSG Macduffs who have never heard of Macduff but are feeling a tad less tolerant today.
Yes, that was more opinion. But here are some facts about the afternoon at MSG:
One speaker likened Vice President Kamala Harris to a prostitute with "pimp handlers." Another called her the anti-Christ. Tucker Carlson assailed her ethnicity.
Trump promised to get even with all his detractors.
Stephen Miller argued that only Mr. Trump would stand up and say "America is for Americans and Americans only."
Lee Greenwood performed.
Now, here are some opinions:
Immature adolescent guys call girls whores and bitches because, well, they're immature adolescents, and their vocabulary skills have not been adequately honed. Eventually, most of them grow to respect women—even marry one—even the really smart women who become doctors, lawyers, mothers, and CEOs. These men have no problem existing on an equal footing. The adolescents on stage yesterday are stuck in the developmental stage.
No one has taken Tucker Carlson seriously since his recent goofball visit to that Moscow grocery store.
Stephen Miller would have been right at home administering Dachau. Yes, Miller is Jewish; but that may not be a deal-breaker: he squandered what was left of his religious credibility when he appeared on the same program as Hinchcliffe.
Lee Greenwood must stop singing that song until he rewrites the lyrics. Or he should sue Donald Trump for stealing it.
This song:
"And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me."
Someone please notify Mr. Greenwood that Donald Trump has an unadulterated disdain for this country, aims to remove as many of our freedoms as he can, can't fathom how men can die for a cause, and won't be seen with some of the gravely wounded or permanently handicapped vets. Mr. Greenwood may be proud to be an American. Moreover, his original intent that the tune serve as a paean to our fighting men and women was noble. Singing it at a Trump rally is depressingly sacrilegious.
One more fact, if I may. Much has been made of the similarities between yesterday's MSG horror show and a pro-Nazi rally in 1939 at the same venue. I wasn't alive for that pre-war demonstration, but I remember a history textbook with a photo of it. It was impressive and repulsive—vast numbers of ordinary people and swastikas everywhere. I remember reading about it and being shocked that, in a democracy like ours, so many malcontents and ideologues were willing to throw it all away and line up behind a monster like Adolf Hitler. I would not be surprised if, years from now, historians recall the infamous Trump rally of 2024 and wonder, with similar amazement, how we let it happen.
Fact.
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