Trump Inaugural: American Carnage Redux
The next four years will require unprecedented discipline as I continue to share my thinking on this blog. I need to maintain a Montaigne mode of calmness and dispassion. It is inevitable that President Trump will, on a daily basis, make statements or engage in behaviour that invites commentary. He will dominate the air waves and social media. He will suck the oxygen out of the national and global room. He will always be the centre of attention. This is his primary skill set and it is formidable in a depressing sort of way. Citizens must avoid falling into Trump derangement syndrome, allowing his bombastic pronouncements, outrageous behaviour, imperial pretensions and systematic lies from controlling your mindset and impacting your emotional well being. It is a trap. I commit to picking my spots- no daily tweets or entries on Trump Part 2. Instead, similar to my approach with the 2024 election contest, be selective and focus on big picture trends and major developments. I am targeting April 15 for my next Trump lamentation. Heck, perhaps it will be a laudatory tribute, although my substantive expectations are low. Unless we are blessed by God or experience an incredible run of dumb luck or good fortune, things will go poorly. It will be hard to overcome Mr Trump’s essential unfitness for the office. A man with a value system limited to the acquisition of personal wealth and political power has limited upside. He remains intellectually incurious and rigid, morally flawed and psychologically damaged and winning 49.9 percent of the popular vote and 312 Electoral College votes doesn’t change the underlying reality. BUT, I am patriot and am rooting for him! A short commentary on his inaugural address and the entire spectacle of January 20, 2025 is timely and appropriate.
Let’s begin with a compliment. He certainly dominated the news cycle. His “strengths” were on display throughout the entire day. It was a multiphase effort. First, the official inaugural in the Capital Rotunda, featuring the taking of the oath and a 29 minute speech. He then moved to another event centre in the Capital and spoke for 30 minutes to his supporters- basically a campaign rally. He then changed settings again and embarked on a lengthy made for TV signing of a barrage of Executive orders. It was good theatre. He projected energy, control, dynamism and stamina, creating a conscious contrast to the sleepy and confused Joe Biden of the past 2 years. It was all about him. He is a marketing genius and the ultimate promoter of his own brand. He flooded the zone with policy pronouncements and policies- all a radical change from his predecessor and his base loved the show. He clearly enjoyed himself.
The substance of his remarks and the nature of the Executive Orders is less compelling. The Inaugural speech was strange- basically manifesting multi-personality disorder. His actual delivery was pedestrian- similar to an insurance salesman trying to sell you a policy. He is not a gifted orator in these formal settings. He did make an attempt to inspire- focusing on the future and outlining a blueprint for a new “golden age” for America. A country that is powerful, ambitious, innovative, expansionist and wealthy. The docile and rather weird presence of the BIG TECH mavens- Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Cook and the head of Google was a symbol of this approach. Go to Mars- save the planet thru AI- emphasising the importance of daring, risk taking and mastering the future. Unfortunately, these potentially “unifying” appeals were completely undermined by his savage descriptions of his political adversaries. He referenced a “crisis of trust” created by a “radical, corrupt and elitist” establishment. He cited “horrible betrayals”, “stealing from the people”, and “a nation in total disrepair.” He never thanked Biden for his 50 years of public service and showed no grace or class. He showed no respect for institutions, norms, customs or the Constitution. Instead, America is a catastrophe that only he can fix. Basically, a rehash of his 2017 “American Carnage” insanity. No effort to extend an olive branch to people outside his cultish base. Lincoln’s “WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE AND CHARITY TOWARD ALL” is clearly out of fashion in Trumpworld. Another commentator nailed it- “WITH MALICE TOWARD ALL AND CHARITY TOWARD NONE” is now the operating mantra. The inaugural speech was dark and the remarks to his supporters were simply repeats of the BIG LIE about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021 Trump inspired insurrection. The Executive Orders are strong man policies in action. He is clearly authoritarian and autocratic as he enters his second term. The frightening component is that his team this time around knows what they are doing and has a playbook for execution of their dystopian vision. The Republican majorities in Congress will offer no opposition. Don’t expect the chaos or false starts that were characteristic of Trump 1.
What are his priorities? Again, give him credit for transparency, no secret agendas. He lays it on the line. Everything flows from what he HATES about the modern world. He doesn’t like immigrants, DEI, climate change activists or the European Union. He doesn’t like alliances. He really doesn’t like Canada or Mexico. He likes tariffs, deportations and oil and gas. Much is silly- renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and Mount Denali as Mount McKinley. Side note, President McKinley never visited Alaska! BUT, there is meat on the bones here. His reinstatement of the Remain in Mexico policy, cancelling Humanitarian Parole, shutting down asylum requests and terminating refugee processing is a de facto complete closing of the border. Basically, no one gets in under these draconian rules. Plus, a serious commitment to deporting the undocumented. He is serious and frankly he has won the policy argument here and has majority popular support for the measures. He wants to redefine who is American by eliminating Birthright Citizenship as set forth in the 14th Amendment. He has completely gutted DEI which is also a popular move. He never mentioned alliances or global institutions in the speech and immediately withdrew for the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation. He is firing or reclassifying thousands of federal workers. He is whitewashing the history of January 6 by pardoning all individuals convicted for their participation, including those who violently assaulted Capitol police. He and Melania started their own crypto tokens - no shame really.
The ceremony wasn’t all bad. Bezos’ fiancee wore a sultry blouse. The choir’s rendition of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was inspiring and it has always been my favourite patriotic number- cooler than "God Bless America" or "The Star Spangled Banner." It was ironic to hear this “union anthem” at the inauguration of a man who attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power in 2020, but an appreciation for the ironic will be necessary for mental heath in the next 4 years. The upcoming battle between traditional MAGA loyalists and the tech billionaires will be fascinating because their interests and values do not converge on any issue that comes to mind. A final note is Trump’s new found love for imperial expansion- Greenland, Panama, Canada- a complete rejection of Pax Americana and the network of global institutions established since WWII. The Law of the Jungle in foreign affairs may be appealing to Mr Trump, but I fear the Chinese and Russians will be much more adept than us in surviving in that environment. It comes naturally to them!
God Bless America!!
