CASH MICHAELS
TRUMP IS NOW A LIVING MARTYR. GOD HELP US!
by Cash Michaels
Do you know when my very first fascination with the news business began? November 22, 1963, with the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
I was a little Black boy who attended an Episcopalian elementary school in Brooklyn the day President Kennedy was murdered in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald (or at least that’s who they say committed the crime).
I spent all of that weekend (Kennedy was killed on a Friday} watching wall-to-wall CBS coverage of the historic tragedy. The sheer fact that the most powerful man in the world could be cut down, in this nation, was a theme that reverberated throughout.
I was riveted.
Years later, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Bobby Kennedy - two beloved, iconic figures of the 1960s, provided me with further opportunities to watch, listen and learn.
And one of the most important things I came away with from all of those political murders was that in the aftermath, there is always a period of national reflection, of fearing that our country was being changed for the worst. And we should all work together to keep that from happening, and strive to make a positive difference.
That’s why, when I turned on the television July 13th, and saw that former President Donald Trump had been wounded after shots rang out during his political campaign in Pennsylvania, the inner newsman in me immediately clicked in.
But also the inner skeptic.
Once I saw Trump, bloody ear and all, raise his fist repeatedly in angry defiance, and lead the thousands of MAGA followers present with chants of “Fight, fight, fight,” with his outstretched fist firmly pumped into the air, as multiple Secret Service agents struggled to carried him from the stage to a waiting armored vehicle, something said to me, “This is NOT good!”
Of course the shooting wasn’t good, but the way it was immediately being milked for political gain was what startled me. That man almost lost his life, and he’s leading “Rah, rah” chants?
Oh yeah, in the aftermath, for a brief moment, there was discussion about “lowering the temperature” of national political discourse. Folks were naturally appalled that a political assassin’s weapon rang out once again in our country. And of course, we were all saddened that an innocent rally attendee, shielding his family from the bullets, lost his precious life. That man was indeed a hero.
And while we mourned that tragedy as well, Pres. Biden did his best to lead a shocked and divided nation, decrying the assassination attempt on his political rival, and calling for civility, and unity.
That’s leadership.
But something still told me, “This is really NOT good!
We’re too divided to truly listen.
And of course, we had to deal with some moronic foolishness from Forbes Magazine, which, the very next day, published an online story titled, “Will Surviving Gunfire be Donald Trump’s Next Appeal to Black Voters?”
Apparently someone at Forbes learned how to read just in time to yank that garbage off its website before they became an absolute laughingstock.
Then came word that Trump reportedly tore up his planned Republican National Convention nomination speech, for a softer, gentler, more “unifying’ screed. Reportedly, Trump and Biden had a decent, civil conversation like adults, and out of respect, the Biden reelection campaign ordered all of its campaign ads bashing Trump off the air.
All of this nice-nice because no one wanted to be seen or perceived as being callous about the fact that Trump came within a hair of losing his life had that bullet grazed more than his ear.
But wouldn’t you know it - MAGA Republicans couldn’t help themselves. Some of them did their psycho-minded best to blame Biden, Democrats, liberals, Donald Duck, even DEI for the failed attempt on the life of their MAGA leader.
Then came Monday, and a Trump-appointed federal judge dismisses the classified documents case against Orange Man. Boy, MAGA Christmas comes early around here.
Plus Trump decides to choose one of the craziest MAGA-bots in all of Congress, Sen. J. D. Vance of Ohio, as his vice presidential running mate. In 2016, Vance talked lots of smack about Trump, but now, he gets rewarded for kissing the ring around Orange Man’s bathroom tub.
And all of a sudden, that moment of decency, and glimmer of hope that our country might indeed “lower the temperature” of crass political discourse in the interest of building bridges across the rhetorical divide, was gone.
Then I read that the widow of that brave man who lost his life shielding her and their kids from gunfire at the Trump rally, didn’t have the decency to allow her president, Joe Biden, to pay his respects, and express the condolences and well-wishes of a sorrowful nation.
This from the New York Post interview with her:
“Helen Comperatore (the widow) told the Post her family did receive a call from President Joe Biden, but that she did not speak with him.
"I didn't talk to Biden. I didn't want to talk to him," she said. "My husband was a devout Republican, and he would not have wanted me to talk to him."
Ma’am, Joe Biden was calling to express his profound respect for your husband and his sacrifice, that’s all! I am shocked that your hatred for your president would not allow for common decency in a your extraordinary moment of loss.
Given that Joe Biden had nothing to do with your brave husband’s death, but a crazed 20-year-old white, registered Republican Pennsylvania man allegedly did, should give you pause in your moment of grief, that hatred knows no political boundaries.
Oh, did I mention that the Republican National Convention then commenced this week, with notable highlights being Trump showing up with a bandage over his ear, and model, rapper, and former stripper Amber Rose assuring folks that she’s done her “research,” and “Donald Trump is not a racist.”
With “research” like Amber’s, the cure for cancer can’t be too far behind.
I’m told that Amber Rose has millions of young social media followers, making her irresistible for Trump and the MAGA nation to exploit.
Yeah, well I’ll see your Amber Rose, Republicans, and raise with Taylor Swift when the Democrats have their national convention in August.
I mean at least Taylor has talent, multi-millions of social media followers, and keeps her clothes on!
All I’m saying is I’ve read op-eds suggesting that the moment Trump survived the assassination attempt, the election in November was over. This country loves anyone who is a survivor, even Trump, and shows “strength,” even when they’re faking it.
I now fear that the assassination attempt on Trump’s life has truly unleashed the hounds. Now MAGA folks are running around shouting that God must want Trump to be president again because He saved the MAGA leader’s life.
Hey, I don’t discount the fact that Trump is indeed blessed to still be in the land of the living, and as much as I talk and write smack about him on almost a weekly basis, that doesn’t mean I want to see him hurt.
But when folks start turning him into some kind of other-worldly, anointed being, incapable of death, well, how do you campaign against that, Democrats?
From now on, every time you call him a convicted liar, rapist and racist, some MAGA-bot will come along and counter, “None of that is true, because of the miracle!”
When folks start talking like that, it makes you truly fear for our country, because now, people will do or say anything to make sure Trump wins in November!
This is worse than Pandora’s Box. Lord only knows what other demons are being unleashed to ensure that Trump is re-elected to the presidency.
The man is now a living martyr. GOD help us!
It may be impossible to beat him now!
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