Donald Trump’s calls for “unity” in the aftermath of his shooting yesterday should not fool most Americans, who see it as just another part of his victimization strategy.
In his 78 years, Trump has never advocated political or social unity on any issue except the hatred of someone or something–leftists, socialists, immigrants, pro-abortionists, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, the Justice Department, Attorney General Garland, Judge Chutkan–the list is endless. This is who Trump is. His whole career is built on unity through hatred.
Now, after this failed attempt to kill him, the media and the Trump campaign are calling for unity, peaceful protest, the rejection of political violence, and all the basics of a civil democratic society. This is expected, and it always follows traumatic, national, violent political events tied to riots, police shootings, unpopular trial verdicts, or assassinations. While historians and pundits frequently call for the “return to our better angels,” the calls seldom result in fundamental, long-term attitude changes.
The Hate Theme Is Embedded Into the Trump Campaign
Despite these calls for reconciliation and cooler heads, the Trump camp has thrived on division and thuggery, such as what happened in Charlottesville and the January 6 insurrection attempt. These were anything but peaceful attempts at unity.
Instead, these were core elements of the Trump MAGA agenda, orchestrated by Trump managers Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Rudolph Guilianni, Steven Miller, and dozens of others in the fake elector scheme and other January 6 insurrection actions.
Just like professional wrestling, from which the Trump campaign has borrowed heavily, violence and the theatrics of violence are big attractions that keep the crowds coming. The crowds at Trump rallies love to hear the mockery of the handicapped, immigrants, leftists, the frail, “deep state” bureaucrats, the Clinton and Biden families, and the latest victim of the week, according to Trump’s twisted stream of consciousness. This is a perverted attraction, but it is part of the human psyche. In the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” the Paris crowds were revolted and then attracted to the deformed hunchback Quasimoto. The grotesque has a perverted appeal, and it accounts for the appeal of circus freak shows, gaper’s blocks at accidents, and the gasps when accidents happen at the Indy 500. A view of the grotesque affirms our humanity and, in a perverted way, makes us feel more alive.
That is how attendees at Trump rallies describe their experience. They feel united and invigorated, but they are not attending a Bruce Springsteen concert but a Trump rally where the resounding message is vengeance and an endless description of why their lives are so bad.
So, when Trump calls for peaceful co-existence, it is an obvious ruse. In a week or less, Trump will be more vindictive, uncontrolled, and hateful than ever. He will push the Christ-like, indestructible analogy, the man who cannot be mortally wounded. This will be obvious in the upcoming Republican convention in Milwaukee, the city that Trump called “a terrible city” and “a horrible city” because it has a large Black population. Trump convention attendees will look upon this gathering as a revenge fest. Evangelicals are already preparing sermons and messages that Trump is invincible. Some of his followers will kiss his feet.
As for the 20-year-old shooter, initial reports say he was a registered Republican but donated to a Democratic group. He used an AR-15 automatic rifle, the weapon of choice for mass killers, so it is only fitting that he gave a demonstration of its killing power at a Republican event. The Republican gun lobby will say that using the AR-15 is a coincidence because bad people can use good guns.
But, as more evidence is discovered, it looks like the Secret Service made some mistake. Why did they let Trump raise his head when they did not know if there was a second shooter? Why did they allow him the theatrics of making a fist pump when that only could have provided another target?
Experts will dissect this for years, but the public should not be distracted by Trump’s message of unity.
Why Trump and the Scorpion Are Alike
The best message about Trump comes from an old Russian tale about a scorpion who wanted to cross a river. Unable to swim, the scorpion asked a frog sitting on a nearby rock if he could ferry him across the river on his back.
“I would do that for you, but how do I know you will not sting me and that I would not die?”
Perplexed, the scorpion replied: “I would not sting you since you are doing me a favor. And if I stung you, I would also drown in the middle of the river. I also consider you my friend, so I would not harm you for doing me this great favor.”
Convinced by this logic and sincerity, the frog agrees. The scorpion climbs on the frog’s back, and they start across the raging river. As they approach the far bank, the scorpion lifts his long tail and stings the frog. As the frog gasps for air, he asks the scorpion why he killed him despite his assurances that all would be well.
The scorpion looks the frog in the eyes and says: “It is my nature, and nothing I do can change it.”
Like the scorpion, Trump has it in his nature to lie, cheat, and steal. He is the ultimate repeat offender of state, local, and federal laws and is the author of thousands of lies.
This is the same man who is calling for peaceful political unity when all of his public events, from rallies to debates, are hate-filled fabrications of well-known events. His followers come to his rallies to hear the lies and threats of violence and to see the Trump show.
The last thing Trump followers want to hear is a message of peaceful political co-existence. We can be sure that Trump will return to his established hateful message within 48 hours. Watch the calendar. It’s only a matter of days before the scorpion is back to his old tricks.
