Sunday Issues: October 20, 2024
Is Trump exhausted? And what weirs thing did he say about Arnold Palmer’s penis?
With 17 days until Election Day, is Donald Trump running out of gas? That is the issue of the week. In recent days, Trump’s statements and behavior have grown more bizarre. The ex-president is planting his land mines and then walking through them, things like “the enemy within,” giving “profanity-laden” speeches before a room full of Catholics, canceling press interviews, and calling January 6 a “day of love.” Will Trump’s obvious decline finally persuade his followers that he is unfit to be president?
During a speech in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the late golf legend Arnold Palmer, Trump trumped all his recent eccentricities. The man who hopes to be the Nation’s 47th president spoke about Arnold for 12 minutes, mostly praising his golfing skills. But the most memorable part of Trump’s Palmer comment was about Palmer’s penis. Said Trump:
This is a guy that was all man. He took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, ‘Oh my God, that’s unbelievable.’ I had to say it. I had to tell you the shower part because it’s true.
Wow.
I looked for reports on whether anyone walked out. I haven’t seen any.
Lest Trumpers are unable to see that their 78-year-old leader is showing severe signs of decline, someone in the Trump campaign described Trump as “exhausted.” At least one current Trump insider has concluded that the Trump Train has jumped the tracks.
In the meantime, Kamala Harris appears energetic and enthusiastic at rallies. One senses that she now expects to win. We’ll see about that.
Trump told attendees at his Pennsylvania event that “She’s a shit vice president.” The Washington Post reported, “The curse was met with cheers and soon echoed with other vulgar shouts from the crowd.”
Importantly, not everyone believes that Trump is in decline. Last Thursday, Trump met with the Wall Street Journal editorial board. The paper reported on the interview in the paper’s weekend edition and noted:
Lately, Mr. Trump’s detractors have been speculating about his “mental decline.” There’s no sign of such slippage in our Thursday meeting. The 2024 Trump seems more confident and is certainly more knowledgeable about policy than he was in 2015. His discursive style of talking can confused listeners, but that was equally true nine years ago, and he never appears lost in his thoughts the way President Biden repeatedly did in their June debate.
Does this brief assessment of Trump betray a bias toward the Republicans? Maybe, but I was still surprised to read it.
Jack Smith’s exhibits, redacted, are released.
Judge Chutkan releases exhibits accompanying Jack Smith’s memo on January 6.
Adding to Trump’s problems is Judge Chutkan’s release of copious evidence in the Washington, D.C., case against Trump for his involvement in the January 6 insurrection. Is there a “bombshell” in the nearly 2,000-page release? We’ll see. Much of the evidence is heavily redacted.
I am anxious to see information on who paid for the rally that proceeded the riot at the Capitol and the extent of Trump’s direct involvement.
The new information, while meaningful in the long run, is not Trump’s biggest problem. His “exhaustion” is.
Recommendation: Bob Woodward’s War.
After watching an interview with Bob Woodward touting his new book, War, I recommend it. I’m only halfway through, but I find it well-written and engaging. Readers looking for dramatic new information about President Biden, Putin, and others involved in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East may be disappointed. The book is best described as a concise history of the two wars through mid-2024.
Two revelations for me were the extent to which President Biden and others feared Putin would use tactical nuclear weapons. I continue to fear that Putin will resort to the weapons and have been surprised that he hasn’t. Woodward’s book details discussions with Russia that may have dissuaded Putin, at least up to this point.
The other revelation is details about President Biden’s decline. Biden appeared confused and disoriented at various fundraisers in 2023. Woodward’s reporting suggests Biden made the right decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Thank you.
That’s it for today. Thank you for reading Sunday Issues. This week, I hope to write less about Donald Trump and more about America’s future. We’ll see.
