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President Donald Trump looks up toward the Solar Eclipse with out glasses, with first lady Melania Trump by his side, from a balcony at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Aug 21, 2017.
(Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Donald Trump's Big Con: On the Man Who Stared Into a Solar Eclipse
So either Trump’s billionaire backers are being conned or the American people are. Only a fool can't guess which it will be.
Apr 08, 2024
I have this recurring fantasy that Trump will disappear, forever.
Today’s total solar eclipse isn’t a perfect analogy because Trump doesn’t shine like the sun, and the moon will block the sun only temporarily today.
But for a few blissful minutes, anyone who happens to be in the path of today’s eclipse will experience an elation more intense than any other celestial experience. Stars will emerge. The universe will be visible. The Earth and all life on it will come into sharper focus. The cosmos will feel complete.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
It’s only a matter of time before we experience the same exhilaration when Trump is gone.
And he will be gone. Either he’ll lose the 2024 election or he’ll be sent to jail — or both. Or he’ll win and be president for a short time before becoming so blatantly and dangerously unhinged that even Republican lawmakers demand he step down.
Eventually, of course, he will depart the celestial realm altogether, as we all will. (He’ll be 78 in June and doesn’t look like he’s in the best of shape.)
But Trump will also go into total eclipse because con artists are able to keep their cons going only if the cons get larger and more audacious. Trump’s biggest con — his 2024 presidential campaign based on his big lie about the 2020 election — is about as big as a con can get.
His smaller cons aren’t doing well. Anyone who bought into Trump Media’s initial public offering when it peaked at $79.38 a share is now 43 percent poorer. After it went public, Trump Media had to report it lost $58.2 million in 2023 on sales of just $4.1 million. This makes Trump Media almost worthless.
Trump has also been selling copies of the King James Bible for $59.99 each. He’s calling it the “God Bless the USA Bible” and including the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights (both of which are already in the public domain). Apparently, he’s got few buyers.
He’s been hawking gold (chocolate) bars, wines, superhero NFTs, and “Never Surrender” sneakers, for $399 a pair.
None of these cons will do any better than Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Plaza, Trump Marina, or the Trump Taj Mahal.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
On Saturday night, Trump convinced 117 extraordinarily wealthy people to give him $50 million at a campaign fundraiser at the Palm Beach home of billionaire investor John Paulson. They believe that if Trump becomes president again, he’ll give them another big tax cut.
But the only way to finance another big tax cut without exploding the federal budget deficit would be to cut Social Security and Medicare, which Trump now promises he won’t do. So either Trump’s billionaire backers are being conned or the American people are.
So prepare for Trump’s total eclipse.
(Oh, and if you’re planning to watch the eclipse today, please be sure to wear protective glasses — unlike Trump did in 2017.)
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
© 2021 robertreich.substack.com
Robert Reich
Robert Reich is professor emeritus of public policy at Berkeley and former US secretary of labor. His latest book is the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Coming Up Short."
I have this recurring fantasy that Trump will disappear, forever.
Today’s total solar eclipse isn’t a perfect analogy because Trump doesn’t shine like the sun, and the moon will block the sun only temporarily today.
But for a few blissful minutes, anyone who happens to be in the path of today’s eclipse will experience an elation more intense than any other celestial experience. Stars will emerge. The universe will be visible. The Earth and all life on it will come into sharper focus. The cosmos will feel complete.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
It’s only a matter of time before we experience the same exhilaration when Trump is gone.
And he will be gone. Either he’ll lose the 2024 election or he’ll be sent to jail — or both. Or he’ll win and be president for a short time before becoming so blatantly and dangerously unhinged that even Republican lawmakers demand he step down.
Eventually, of course, he will depart the celestial realm altogether, as we all will. (He’ll be 78 in June and doesn’t look like he’s in the best of shape.)
But Trump will also go into total eclipse because con artists are able to keep their cons going only if the cons get larger and more audacious. Trump’s biggest con — his 2024 presidential campaign based on his big lie about the 2020 election — is about as big as a con can get.
His smaller cons aren’t doing well. Anyone who bought into Trump Media’s initial public offering when it peaked at $79.38 a share is now 43 percent poorer. After it went public, Trump Media had to report it lost $58.2 million in 2023 on sales of just $4.1 million. This makes Trump Media almost worthless.
Trump has also been selling copies of the King James Bible for $59.99 each. He’s calling it the “God Bless the USA Bible” and including the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights (both of which are already in the public domain). Apparently, he’s got few buyers.
He’s been hawking gold (chocolate) bars, wines, superhero NFTs, and “Never Surrender” sneakers, for $399 a pair.
None of these cons will do any better than Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Plaza, Trump Marina, or the Trump Taj Mahal.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
On Saturday night, Trump convinced 117 extraordinarily wealthy people to give him $50 million at a campaign fundraiser at the Palm Beach home of billionaire investor John Paulson. They believe that if Trump becomes president again, he’ll give them another big tax cut.
But the only way to finance another big tax cut without exploding the federal budget deficit would be to cut Social Security and Medicare, which Trump now promises he won’t do. So either Trump’s billionaire backers are being conned or the American people are.
So prepare for Trump’s total eclipse.
(Oh, and if you’re planning to watch the eclipse today, please be sure to wear protective glasses — unlike Trump did in 2017.)
From Your Site Articles
- The Blood Spilled on Jan. 6 as Rorschach Test ›
- Trump Just Tweeted He Has 'Great and Unmatched Wisdom.' Seriously. ›
- Twitter Goes Wild After Trump Tweets He's "A Very Stable Genius" ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Robert Reich
Robert Reich is professor emeritus of public policy at Berkeley and former US secretary of labor. His latest book is the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Coming Up Short."
I have this recurring fantasy that Trump will disappear, forever.
Today’s total solar eclipse isn’t a perfect analogy because Trump doesn’t shine like the sun, and the moon will block the sun only temporarily today.
But for a few blissful minutes, anyone who happens to be in the path of today’s eclipse will experience an elation more intense than any other celestial experience. Stars will emerge. The universe will be visible. The Earth and all life on it will come into sharper focus. The cosmos will feel complete.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
It’s only a matter of time before we experience the same exhilaration when Trump is gone.
And he will be gone. Either he’ll lose the 2024 election or he’ll be sent to jail — or both. Or he’ll win and be president for a short time before becoming so blatantly and dangerously unhinged that even Republican lawmakers demand he step down.
Eventually, of course, he will depart the celestial realm altogether, as we all will. (He’ll be 78 in June and doesn’t look like he’s in the best of shape.)
But Trump will also go into total eclipse because con artists are able to keep their cons going only if the cons get larger and more audacious. Trump’s biggest con — his 2024 presidential campaign based on his big lie about the 2020 election — is about as big as a con can get.
His smaller cons aren’t doing well. Anyone who bought into Trump Media’s initial public offering when it peaked at $79.38 a share is now 43 percent poorer. After it went public, Trump Media had to report it lost $58.2 million in 2023 on sales of just $4.1 million. This makes Trump Media almost worthless.
Trump has also been selling copies of the King James Bible for $59.99 each. He’s calling it the “God Bless the USA Bible” and including the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights (both of which are already in the public domain). Apparently, he’s got few buyers.
He’s been hawking gold (chocolate) bars, wines, superhero NFTs, and “Never Surrender” sneakers, for $399 a pair.
None of these cons will do any better than Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Plaza, Trump Marina, or the Trump Taj Mahal.
Like all fraudsters, Trump is running out of suckers.
On Saturday night, Trump convinced 117 extraordinarily wealthy people to give him $50 million at a campaign fundraiser at the Palm Beach home of billionaire investor John Paulson. They believe that if Trump becomes president again, he’ll give them another big tax cut.
But the only way to finance another big tax cut without exploding the federal budget deficit would be to cut Social Security and Medicare, which Trump now promises he won’t do. So either Trump’s billionaire backers are being conned or the American people are.
So prepare for Trump’s total eclipse.
(Oh, and if you’re planning to watch the eclipse today, please be sure to wear protective glasses — unlike Trump did in 2017.)
From Your Site Articles
- The Blood Spilled on Jan. 6 as Rorschach Test ›
- Trump Just Tweeted He Has 'Great and Unmatched Wisdom.' Seriously. ›
- Twitter Goes Wild After Trump Tweets He's "A Very Stable Genius" ›
Related Articles Around the Web
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