What Trump Has Unleashed
Plus: The Bongino Principle
“I’ve been reading a book called “How to Be a Bad Emperor: An Ancient Guide to Truly Terrible Leaders,” written by Suetonius and translated by Josiah Osgood. Osgood writes of Caligula’s “propensity to give in to every whim and the relish he took in putting down others with cruel remarks.”
“As Suetonius noted about Caligula, “To the Senate he showed no more mercy or respect. He allowed some who had achieved the highest offices to run alongside his chariot in their togas for several miles or to stand, dressed in a linen cloth, at the head or the foot of his couch as he dined.”
“Sound familiar? —Maureen Dowd, in Sunday’s NYT.
Whatever you think of Dowd, that’s a rather solid historical analogy; and one that suggests we need to readjust our standards for judging awfulness:
Old and Busted: Who was America’s worst president? James Buchanan or Donald Trump?
New Hotness: Who was worse? Trump or Caligula?
I admit that this is a bit over-the-top. As Dowd notes in her column, “America’s Emperor of Chaos” has not yet made his horse a consul — as Caligula was said to have done. But she notes, “A horse might be better than some of the sketchy characters surrounding Trump.”
And, lo, before the day was done, Trump hailed Dan Bongino as the new deputy director of the FBI. Literally, any horse on the planet would have been a better choice. The Daily Beast calls Bongino a “Trump sycophant podcaster,” but that hardly does him justice. Bongino is not simply a cartoonish clown; he is a caricature of a cartoon; and the comparison to clowns is deeply insulting to that august profession.
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The Bongino Principle
The absurdity. It burns. When Bongino was bounced from his Fox News show back in 2023, I observed: “Our collective IQs just edged a bit higher with the news that we will be hearing less from Bongo.”
Indeed, Bongino’s appointment to the FBI is so fatuously ridiculous that it deserves to be known henceforth as the Bongino Principle.
Some of you are old enough to remember the “Peter Principle” which posited that employees tend to be promoted until they reach the level of their incompetence.
The Bongino Principle posits that competence, character, and qualifications are irrelevant in organizations cults that value only loyalty — and that no promotion is ever too imbecilic.
Here’s a small taste of the online persona of the man who will be the FBI’s new #2:
Bongino does have some law enforcement experience, but he is best known for his low-rent conspiracism, unhinged blathering, and penchant for spreading disinformation —- including fake news about the FBI itself. Which, of course, means that he will fit comfortably into Trump’s New Order. NBC’s Ken Dilanian notes:
He has never spent a day working at the FBI, but he has spent many hours spouting baseless falsehoods about the bureau, such as that the FBI lied when they said they don’t have a suspect in the pipe bombs as outside the RNC and DNC on 1/15/21. Current and former FBI officials are appalled—and extremely concerned for the national security of the country.
But as conservative Greg Nunziatta (who was once Marco Rubio’s general counsel) observed on X:
Kash Patel should have been a redline. Bongino is what you get when R Senators fail to do their jobs and say no to Patel. The Trump Admin is turning federal law enforcement over to unqualified, unprincipled, partisan henchmen. It's unacceptable and conservatives need to say so.
Do not hold your breath.
**
BONUS: Neo-Nazi group plots rebuild as Trump’s FBI chief takes helm, audio reveals | FBI | The Guardian
What Trump has unleashed
Shortly after noon Sunday, organizers of the Principles First Summit received an email threatening several of its high-profile speakers and claiming to have planted pipe bombs on site, according to a copy of the email CNN obtained, conference organizers and Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department…
The email threat mentioned former national security adviser John Bolton and former US DC police officer Michael Fanone, who was among those who defended the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
The email sender claimed that two pipe bombs were placed at the JW Marriott hotel in DC that was hosting the Principles First Summit. The email also claimed that a pipe bomb would be placed inside the mailbox of Bolton’s home in Maryland….
The threat came from an untraceable email address, and the sender said it was meant to “honor the J6 hostages recently released.”
Here’s a screen shot via Jim Acosta:
The threat was later deemed unfounded. But organizers and law enforcement took it seriously, especially because it came after pardoned seditionist Enrique Tarrio showed up at the event to harass some of the police officers who defended the Capitol on January 6. Tarrio denies any involvement in the threat.
Organizers said Sunday that they had increased security following an incident involving Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys. Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6 attack, but was released from prison last month following a presidential pardon from Trump.
On Saturday, Tarrio turned up at the Principles First conference and confronted Fanone and former US Capitol Police Sgt. Harry Dunn, who also helped defend the Capitol during the January 6 attack.
Tarrio called Fanone and Dunn “cowards” and told them to “keep walking,” as he and a group of his supporters filmed and followed the two through the hotel.
“You’re a traitor to this country,” Fanone said in response to Tarrio’s insults.
Confirming the incident with Tarrio, Fanone told CNN Sunday he believes Trump’s pardons have emboldened Tarrio and other January 6 convicts….
Responding to Trump’s broad pardons for January 6 convicts, Fanone, who has been the target of threats, told CNN on Inauguration Day, “my family, my children, and myself are less safe today because of Donald Trump and his supporters.”
Exit take: This is what Trump has unleashed; and it is just the beginning.
Nota bene
“World leaders flock to Kyiv to declare support on Ukraine war anniversary.” The absence of the United States was both notable and dramatic.
On Sunday, Germany held the line against an Ancient Evil; but the threat is real.
We’ll have a lot more to say later this week.
Monday dogs
Even Auggie thinks he needs a drink.
Your post brings to mind the memory of my late father's gift to me when I graduated from high school some 40 years ago. He gave me 4 books: The Peter Principle, Parkinson's Law, Animal Farm and 1984. Who knew Pop was a fortune teller?
With all the inconceivable actions Trump/Musk have taken so far, we need to honestly and loudly discuss the likely possibility that they will cancel or sabotage upcoming elections. No more pretending that that’s a “bridge too far”. Everything done is already a bridge too far!