Land of Delusion

Some recent clips from the administration on Portland.

Source: The White House

Part of me looks at this and I think that he has lost it, and part of me thinks that this is conscious gaslighting. To be honest, I am settling in, at least in part, that this is just another example of his simplistic approach to pretty much everything: making maximalist claims and never caring that he knows no one is really going to accept the maximalist position. It is like the way he “negotiates” trade deals.

It doesn’t matter to him that almost no one will believe this. He just is bullshitting his way through it, and will be more than happy to have some percentage of his supporters accept that something is wrong in Portland, and that will be enough.

Meanwhile, the sycophancy of those around him is off the charts. Noem, for example, is a poster child for why the Senate should take its advice and consent powers more seriously. If presidents send nominees who are clearly going to just be stooges, that should be enough for them to be rejected. And yes, I know, that is just me indulging in a good governance fantasy wherein Senators actually care about competence.

The reality remains, however, that we are getting exactly what many of us warned we would get, if not worse, out of these nominees.

FILED UNDER: US Politics, ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter and/or BlueSky.

Comments

  1. becca says:

    I knew when Noem wrote about shooting Cricket, the puppy and kinda getting off on it, she was auditioning for a part in magaland.
    It’s hard for civilized people to deal with such wanton ruthlessness and lawlessness. Of course, the gop opened the gates and welcomed in Barbarian Barbie and her horde.

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  2. Richard Gardner says:

    Projecting much? Lying, dishonest people.
    How about some lawfare for defamation (folks in the public space so won’t likely win).
    I’d like some public official on camera to call her what she has called others and watch her response.

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