First things first: Donald Trump did not ruin my 4th, and I suspect that most Americans went about their celebrations without reference to the Orange Ego’s bumbling attempt to hijack the event.
It is worth remembering that the vast, vast majority of Americans were far away from the FUBARS and fustian of Trump’s event. They went about their celebrations untroubled by the heat, lightning, and hubris of Trump’s MAGA rally.
Nor did most Americans subject themselves to the president’s late-night speech — or the clammy propagandists at Fox News. They missed the Olympic-level suckage of Rachel Campos-Duffy comparing Trump’s meandering speech in severe weather to the troops storming the beaches of Normandy.
No, really.
But in the real world, Trump’s 11 p.m. ramble was exactly what you would have expected. Except more tedious.
“Donald Trump took the stage on Saturday night imagining himself the master of the universe, not the temporary custodian of a country born around the same time as the hot-air balloon.” writes the Guardian’s David Smith, “The last decade was proof that ‘divine providence’ had made Trump president for America’s 250th anniversary of independence, his aide Stephen Miller posted on social media.”
But, alas, Smith writes, the speech he delivered was not one that will ever have a place in the pantheon of Great Presidential Rhetoric, although it may be studied by psychologists of our decline.
In blowing out the candles on the nation’s birthday cake, Trump committed the one sin that even his base cannot forgive, especially after 12 hours of waiting in sun, wind and rain. He was actually quite boring. Which proves that, like New Year’s Eve, big birthdays often tend to be anticlimactic.
This sad spectacle on the National Mall featured Teleprompter Trump, the one who has been warned by his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to stay on script and at least pretend to sound presidential. But every now and then, like a glitch in the matrix, he reverted to his petty grievances and obsessions.
And, of course, he lied about the crowd sizes. Because, of course.”
I missed it all because I was in Ephraim, Wisconsin, watching one of Door County’s gorgeous sunsets and listening to the sound of Americans celebrating the country that they know is not his.
Happy Sunday night.
A week of pre-holiday commentary
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday night dogs
Auggie and Eli get dressed up for national holidays.
Love that the big fat baby had to wait until the middle of the night to give his “speech”. And then, of course, he slept through the “biggest best most fabulous fireworks ever”. NYC did it best and it WAS fabulous! I guess someone told him that “communism” was a good insult because he’s said that about 1.3 million times in the last few days. Sorry, Fatass, this country IS fabulous and fantastic DESPITE YOU!! Happy 4th America the Beautiful!!
I watched a good portion of the speech, mostly because my wife had a sort of morbid curiosity and we were in between 4th activities. Trump stayed on the teleprompter for most of it. A couple of times he looked ready to wander off script, but it was almost as if you could hear Susie Wiles in his ear saying, "Not tonight." He'd stop himself mid-thought and move on. It didn't feel like we were seeing a different Trump—it felt like we were watching the real Trump being carefully restrained for an hour.
What bothered me most was his parade of military heroes. I have no problem honoring them—in fact, they deserve every bit of recognition they receive. What bothered me was who was doing the honoring.
The moment I decided I couldn't vote for Trump in 2016, after 30 years as a Republican, was when he mocked John McCain for being captured and spending more than five years as a POW. That wasn't a slip of the tongue. It revealed something about his character.
So watching Trump stand there celebrating America's military heroes gave me the same uneasy feeling as watching a kind of faux stolen valor. I don't mean he literally claimed military service—he didn't. I mean he was trying to wrap himself in the honor, sacrifice, and character of people whose values he has repeatedly shown contempt for when it suited him politically.
We know who you are, Donald. One disciplined speech doesn't erase years of showing us exactly who you've been.