We’re being played.
Not in an abstract way. It’s not a hunch or a half perceived theory that claws at the periphery of our consciousness. It’s out there in full view.
We see it with our waking eyes and it holds our attention with its hypnotic gaze.
According to Josh Earnest who worked as President Obama’s Press Secretary for three years, the formula is simple:
“The bigger the scandal, the more outrageous the tweet.”
President Donald Trump left the White House on Friday in a foul mood. Having delivered a speech to Congress that was well received pretty much by everyone –aside from those who took some time to actually analyze its contents as opposed to its execution — he must have anticipated something of a quiet weekend.
He anticipated quite incorrectly.
Inter-Sessions
Hot on the heels of his stunning ability to read a speech that somebody else had written came the reminder that all was not well in his administration.
The very next day, on March 2, the Washington Post reported that Attorney General Jeff Session’s prior insistence that he had no contact with the Russians during the course of the election campaign was — to use politie terminology — an outright lie.
He had met with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on at least two separate occasions.
Later, the administration admitted that senior White House advisor Jared Kushner had also met with Kislyak. For a campaign that has consistently stressed it has no connection to Russia or its attempt to rig the election in Trump’s favor, there certainly seemed to be a lot of secretive, furtive meetings going on.
Things got worse. Sessions, under pressure from colleagues to resign opted instead to recuse himself from any further investigation into Trump-camp ties to Russia.
Trump made his move.
The Fumble Book
We should start an immediate investigation into @SenSchumer and his ties to Russia and Putin. A total hypocrite! pic.twitter.com/Ik3yqjHzsA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
Many people seem to be under the impression that Donald Trump doesn’t know what he is doing.
They are dead wrong.
The Tweet issued on March 3 had two aims in mind. Firstly, it was to distract the media from the very real possibility that the Trump campaign engaged in treasonous activity during the course of the 2016 election campaign. Secondly, it was to provide the party faithful with a possible counter to the allegations of collusion.
A few hours later, he again attempted to shift the narrative.
I hereby demand a second investigation, after Schumer, of Pelosi for her close ties to Russia, and lying about it. https://t.co/qCDljfF3wN
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
It didn’t work.
He is, after all, playing checkers, not chess. Remember?
Raising The Mistakes
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
Same Tweet Different Day
Materially, the tactic was exactly the same. Distract the media; alter the course of the narrative towards a topic more to Trump’s liking.
The baseless and unsubstantiated claims were also — once again– designed as something of a gift to the swivel-eyed Trump faithful who immediately latched on to the notion that the real conspiracy was one the ‘mainstream’ were helping to cover up.
This time, his gambit paid off.
The sheer audacity of accusing a former president of breaking the law without one scintilla of proof was irresistible. Worse, it was — as Trump knew it would be — so outrageous that senior GOP leaders were forced to comment on it. For two days, questions relating to Trump and Russia were sidelined in favor of questions relating to a nonexistent Obama wiretapping.
Experts scoffed; spokesmen demurred. Everywhere you looked there was chaos, there was confusion.
And there was the smug smile of the muckraker in chief, spreading his lies.
He was in a much better mood Saturday morning by all accounts. His delight at watching us dance to his tune knows no bounds.
Still, let’s remind us once again.
He’s no grandmaster of the game.
Commander In Disbelief
His desire to control the short-term narrative is predicated upon the idea that an intermittent stream of claims, invectives, and distractions are some kind of substitute for a long-term strategy.
Newsflash. They’re not.
Short-termism might have worked in the past for Trump’s flash in the pan moments in the spotlight, but as president, the spotlight is ever-present; the questions keep coming regardless of the sleight of hand employed.
As Trump relies ever more heavily on the spectacle to distract from his failings as a leader the act itself loses its sheen.
Each distraction becomes less convincing, each erodes trust, exhausts GOP defendants, and calls into question Trump’s temperament and competence.
And what’s worse, Trump has only one way to go, one move to make. His accusations have to become more outlandish, not less. By the time 2020 rolls around the tin foil hat might be peeking out from under the thrice-woven carpet he wears atop his head.
Tweets about flying saucers abducting his voters on election night in order to rob him of votes?
‘Are low-gravity moon-aliens interfering with job growth projections via a special laser embedded in the sea of tranquility?’ he might ask.
No really, he might; who knows what crazy shit he will come up with next?
And ultimately, who cares?
Because we don’t need to play his game. We can ignore the craziness of his Twitter fits. We can smile politely at his press conference turned ‘mental competency hearing.’
When he bloviates, we can return to the question at hand and when he refuses to answer, pass the baton along and get someone else to repeat it. When he veers into Scooby Doo-like plot reveals, we can steer him back to reality with a patronizing pat on the shoulder.
‘That’s nice Mr. President. Now how about them Russians?’
Let him play checkers if he wants.
Because the look on his face when we checkmate him is going to be priceless.
Watch some of Donald Trump’s craziest tweets.
Featured image courtesy of Wonderopolis.org.
