President-elect Donald Trump lives in an alternate universe. Many of his political contemporaries fudge stats, exaggerate figures, and speak in platitudes. However, Trump makes up whole stories without any basis in reality. He raises bizarre conspiracy theories from the deepest depths of the internet. He retweets propaganda from hate sites.
Trump is different than anyone we have ever had in the oval office. As a nation, we have a thick skin for dishonesty in politics. However, we are thoroughly unprepared for the next four years.
Can we believe any information coming from the Trump Whitehouse? Are we prepared for his rambling, fact-free and vitriolic State of the Union addresses? Are we ready to judge the words of the POTUS with the same skepticism that we feel when we view statements on Russian or Iranian State TV?
Furthermore, there will never be any retractions. There will never be any apologies. It's not Trump's style. He and his spokespeople will double-down on any false or reckless statements he makes.
Can our allies and strategic partners around the world take any solace in any of his promises or proclamations? Can other nations have normal diplomatic relations with the United States? Or will they have to go the route of Putin and shamelessly try to ingratiate themselves with Trump by playing into his narcissism?
Many politicians disparage the media for their own political gain. No present-day American politician expresses his contempt for the free press the way that Trump does. I have seen Trump speak in person. He points at the media members seated at his rallies and calls them "dishonest, horrible people." His crowds respond to his provocations by jeering and screaming obscenities at the press box.Trump also has contempt for his political opponents.
During a national debate, he promised to jail Hilary Clinton. At one of his rallies, he insinuated that "Second Amendment People" could help rid the country of his Clinton problem.
In Trump's inner circle, there will be no room for debate, dissent or disagreement. Even colleagues within the Republican Party are subject to public backlash from the president-elect if they criticize him in any way.
Trump judges the character of others solely through the prism of how they speak publically about him. Our future president is completely amoral. He will praise the most reprehensible individuals if they say nice things about him.
In these first days since Trump's election, Republicans and Democrats alike are taking solace in the fact that there will be enough reasonable, level-headed people around our new president to prevent this 70-year old infant from doing anything catastrophically stupid or undemocratic. However, there is little reason to believe that anybody will be able to influence him. At every step during the entire election process, Trump has only been enabled by the spineless sycophants that he surrounds himself with along with the self-interested sitting Republicans who have quietly all rallied back around him.
We are all in for this together. Whether we like it or not.
