Opinion

Shame on us all for making Donald Trump a thing

We are all complicit

Ah, Donald Trump.

Donald Trump, the man who proves that only in America can you inherit $200 million from your father, file for bankruptcy four times, and then be hailed as a successful self-made man. The land of dreams.

Donald Trump who, with his fake hair, fake face, fake bank account, fake ideas, and fake life, is pretty much the embodiment of everything that ails America today.

Donald Trump, presidential candidate.

Yes, I realize that, even by complaining, I only make things worse by just mentioning his name.

But still — how did we get here? More importantly, who do we blame?

Well, I'll start close to home: I'll blame my fellow conservatives. There are actually some movement conservatives who've fallen for the Trump scam — who actually take his PT Barnum show seriously, who actually believe the man could one day become president, or (perhaps even worse) would make a good president.

But what's even worse in the conservative camp isn't these few deluded souls. It's the money-driven conservative organizations who give Trump a platform, knowing very well that they're playing a game where everybody gets suckered and the world gets worse, but they get to pocket a few extra dollars by giving Trump a speaking slot. So many of the people on the money and organizational side of the conservative movement are dedicated and tireless activists. Yet there are also many crooks who are just mooching off the others, and we need to do more to get rid of them.

The other culprit is also close to my home: the media. Trump could be a successful, or bankrupt, real estate developer. But does he have to have a reality TV show?

More importantly, why does the media cover Trump's pretend presidential runs? Journalists officially write stories about his run while privately snickering that he is just doing it to promote his TV shows. (Or he might just be in it because of megalomania — who knows.) Journalists are stewards of a public trust, of the commonweal (though not as much as we sometimes like to think). It's ridiculous for the media to cover Donald Trump as if he's a legitimate candidate.

Mind you, he's not illegitimate because he's never held elected office. (We need more candidates who haven't been politicians. I'm still holding out a smidgen of hope that Ben Carson will get serious about policy.) Nor is the problem that he's rich or a reality TV celebrity. It is the fact that Trump clearly has no interest in the job and cannot be bothered to come up with a single credible policy.

It's ridiculous for the media to cover Donald Trump, period, as I am doing right now. Shame on us.

And finally, just shame on all of us. Underneath all that hairspray is almost certainly a fearful little man who must be so extremely sad because of an enormous need to overcompensate for some flaw. But we use him for our entertainment. Some of us honestly, and some of us the way we watch a trainwreck. We gorge on his BS because we find it entertaining and we enjoy mocking him, and so we build up monsters like Donald Trump. Don't we have anything better to do?

As I said, Donald Trump exemplifies everything that's wrong with America. And the people responsible for that is not him, it's us.

More From...

Picture of Pascal-Emmanuel GobryPascal-Emmanuel Gobry
Read All
Liberals' Medicaid hypocrisy
The Democratic caucus.
Opinion

Liberals' Medicaid hypocrisy

The quiet intellectual push behind conservatives' court coup
If a conservative justice joins the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia would be proud.
Opinion

The quiet intellectual push behind conservatives' court coup

What the Bible really says about government
A Bible and the Capitol Building.
Analysis

What the Bible really says about government

Vladimir Putin's own goal
Vladimir Putin.
Opinion

Vladimir Putin's own goal

Recommended

Indicting the 'Teflon president'
Two hands in cuffs, one giving a thumbs-up and the other giving a thumbs-down
Talking point

Indicting the 'Teflon president'

Do Republicans want to bomb Mexico?
Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks at CPAC
Behind the scenes

Do Republicans want to bomb Mexico?

DeSantis plays both sides in comments on a possible Trump indictment
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Talking point

DeSantis plays both sides in comments on a possible Trump indictment

ICC issues warrant for Putin
Vladimir Putin
WANTED

ICC issues warrant for Putin

Most Popular

The truth about alcohol
Alcohol being poured into a rocks glass.
Briefing

The truth about alcohol

Russia's spring Ukraine offensive may be winding down amid heavy losses
Ukrainian tank fires near Bakhmut
Attrition

Russia's spring Ukraine offensive may be winding down amid heavy losses

North Korea claims 800,000 people volunteered to fight against the U.S.
North Korean soldiers march in a parade in 2018.
A Frightening Figure

North Korea claims 800,000 people volunteered to fight against the U.S.