Exit Strategies 

While our countrymen sing the inspiring strains of our national anthem and get all fuzzy-warm at the sight of Old Glory waving in the breeze, there's at least one American who might as well have landed a big juicy ball of spit on the Constitution.

While warmly embracing his position as our nation's "chosen one" and never failing in his endless stream of delusional self-accolades, Trump has spent almost four years desecrating the fundamentals of our great nation; he's shown himself a foe of fair play, removed law and order from our justice department, stacked the courts with his personal cronies, coined a slug of adolescent, sandpile, demeaning nicknames, criminalized the White House and constantly bucked the wisdom of academia and science.

While the infantile president brags how he's delivered on his campaign promises, every one of his accomplishments possesses a backhanded slap, opposite in direction and at least equal in force. No one, but the richest 1 percent of Americans, can say they've benefited, one iota, from Trump's smoke-and-mirrors TV reign. It's quite the opposite as an unethical and immoral leader can do a great deal of damage. The reality is that Americans face dirtier air and water and more tenuous concerns about future health and medicine. Those who held some hope—that a narcissistic child could actually grow into his mantle of national leadership—have to face the painful realization that Trump will never be considered the least bit "presidential."

But now he's finally articulated the ultimate affront to our nation. After he's shat upon the middle class and poor and proved himself an unapologetic racist, nothing should really be a surprise. His latest is exactly what we should have all been expecting.

By now you've certainly all heard about it.

If you weren't scared before, you should be now. The would-be-dictator POTUS was asked, just a few days ago, whether he would abide by the decision of the voters in the next election. Duh! It's obviously a fundamental that requires no debate. The startling reality is that this is a question that should not need to be asked; but, if it was, there should have been perfect clarity in Trump's answer, and we all know what his answer should have been—a resounding, patriotic, law-abiding "Yes." Unlike most of his dementia-hinted ramblings, there was a relatively unequivocal message in his response; his audience didn't have to ask, "What the hell did he say?" He made himself clear; the president has absolutely no respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.

It wasn't the first time that Donnie Boy had disrespected the constitutional matter of how we elect our leaders. Back in 2016, he had made himself crystal clear in his declaration that he might not accept the results of the election if Hillary won.

With his innate paranoia, a defeat would have triggered an explosion of conspiracy claims, rampant assertions of election fraud and a never-ending court battle to prove that he was entitled to the throne.

What we're talking about here is the very fabric of American democracy; it's one, greatest principle is all about the will of the people. So, every American should be trembling at the president's answer—which was, a little game of noncommittal wait-and-see theatrics. Essentially, the toddler-in-chief executive said that he might accept the will of the people, but intimated that his respect for the Constitution was going to be conditional. And, what conditions are we talking about? If the voters heartily re-elect him, he will accept the election's outcome. But it's anyone's guess if the pathological narcissist in him can accept, what should be, a decisive landslide of defeat.

Once again, this isn't about Democrats and Republicans, conservatives or liberals. The presence of goodness in a person doesn't depend on any of these differences. We rely, as Americans, on our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and Trump, both through his words and actions, has declared himself to be the No. 1 enemy of our political system.

While Trump seems to have a sense of impending defeat—understanding that his deteriorating base cannot assure his re-election—we are at the gates of the most dangerous event in American history. The 2020 election will either cement Trump's fate or allow the coronation of its first king.

It's a sad day when an aspirant to the presidency has to say, as Biden did a few days ago, that Trump's defeat might make it necessary for the military to escort him, as a trespasser, from the White House. Knowing Trump as we do, that would not be such a surprise. We can only hope it doesn't come to that.

The author is a former Vietnam-era Army assistant public information officer. He resides in Riverton with his wife, Carol, and the beloved ashes of one mongrel dog. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net