The Trump news equivalent of donut holes and other morsels of Trumpitude, refreshed daily.

The Daily Sweepings from out of the ether on Thursday, October 13, 2016:


Crumb the First

Witnessing Trump’s Clinical Decompensation and Psychic Blow Up

http://www.npr.org/2016/10/13/497850278/trump-threatens-to-sue-the-new-york-times-over-sex-abuse-allegations?ft=nprml&f

The whirling dervish that is Donald J. Trump spun ever-faster on Thursday, shredding almost everything in his range of vision — Hillary Clinton, his fellow Republicans who fail to support him unequivocally, the growing chorus of women accusing him of sexual misconduct, and especially the press.

In just the past 24 hours, Trump threatened to sue The New York Times for recounting the stories of two accusers; he slammed the media for serving, in his telling, as a wing of Clinton’s campaign; and he called a reporter from The Associated Press “a sleazebag” for daring to ask him about those accusations.

Trump also denounced a reporter for People magazine who said he forced himself upon her at his Florida estate, as she waited to do an interview of Trump and his wife, Melania. At a rally Thursday, Trump suggested the woman was not attractive enough to merit his attention: “Look at her,” he said, before noting, “Look at her words. I don’t think so.”

Trump Calls Assault Allegations ‘Pure Fiction,’ Pledges Evidence To Dispute

Trump noted at the rally Thursday, “The only thing Hillary Clinton has going for herself is the press. Without the press, she is absolutely zero.”

He continued on a similar vein: “The corporate media in our country is no longer involved in journalism. They’re a political, special interest, no different than any lobbyist or other financial entity with a total political agenda. And the agenda is not for you, it’s for themselves.”

As a candidate, Trump has made attacking the media a calling card for months. Reporters from news outlets offering critical coverage often found themselves blacklisted from his public events. Yet Trump’s anger has crested, as the scrutiny of his past has intensified, with coverage of his charity, his federal taxes and now these accusations of sexual assault and other misbehavior.

This attack is a pretty rich irony for a candidate propelled in public view by a long trail of tabloid pieces covering his colorful (read: erratic) personal life; his television stardom as a reality show host and beauty pageant executive; and his enshrinement as a pundit worth paying attention to by any network news organization that could get him to sit down or even call in by phone for an interview for an easy ratings boost. His uneven record as a real-estate mogul seemed beside the point.

Indeed for more than a year, Trump’s candidacy appeared to exist almost wholly at boisterous rallies televised almost in their entirety and in the television studios where he would bulldoze most of his questioners.

Meanwhile, Trump’s attorneys are threatening to bulldoze one of the nation’s most vital news organizations. In a letter to the Times, the attorney Marc E. Kasowitz demanded a retraction of its article based on interviews with two women who accused Trump of sexual improprieties. One said Trump groped her and put his hands up her dress while sitting next to her on an airline flight; another said he gave her an unwanted kiss on the lips, as she waited for an elevator inside Trump Tower.

“Your article is reckless, defamatory and constitutes libel per se,” Kasowitz wrote to the Times’ executive editor, Dean Baquet. “It is apparent from, among other things, the timing of the article, that it is nothing more than a politically motivated effort to defeat Mr. Trump’s candidacy.”

The Times’ assistant general counsel, David McCraw, sent back an epic letter to say that given Trump’s past public statements, including his acquiescence to radio host Howard Stern’s “request to discuss Mr. Trump’s own daughter as a ‘piece of ass’,” that the candidate’s reputation on such matters could not be further affected. Additionally, McCraw wrote that “it would have been a disservice not just to our readers but to democracy itself to silence [the accusers’] voices.”

It’s not the first time in this campaign has threatened to sue the Times. He made another threat to do so earlier this month, when it revealed the way in which he could have avoided paying federal taxes for years (by reporting more than $900 million in losses) — a possibility he appeared to confirm during last Sunday’s town hall debate with Clinton. Trump tweeted, “My lawyers want to sue the failing @nytimes so badly for irresponsible intent. I said no (for now), but they are watching.”

No such suit has yet been filed.

You could say Trump was a whirling dervish. You could also say he is just losing all control. Everyone is against him. There are dark plots from Republicans, Democrats, journalists, TV networks, international banking cabals, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Congress, the White House, ugly women, beauty pageant losers, and the manufacturer of Girl Scout cookies. OK, everybody but the cookie guys.

If his outbursts and over the top rages were observed in any regular citizen there is a better than even chance law enforcement authorities would be called to escort

Him to a facility for mental evaluation of danger to self and others.

Does Trump have a brain tumor? Has he suffered a stroke? An series of atypical epileptic seizures? Uncontrolled diabetes. Acute hepatic failure with encephalopathy? Toxic ingestion leading to dementia? Or a stress based decompensation of a formerly vigorous and reasonably functioning 70 year old white male?

Trump has exhibited signs and symptoms of stressed mental processes for decades. He may well have had a moderate case of ADD since childhood, which he was able to partially compensate for, even overcompensated for. He is well known to dislike reading any serious material more sustained than clippings press about himself. He does not tolerate periods of intense study longer than a few minutes, if he can help it.

He has notorious narcissistic personality characteristics. He has shown a remarkable degree of lack of empathy, which can be a diagnostic component for a high functioning sociopathic personality. As one example, he seems unable to appreciate when a joke is funny or nasty, relying on audience reaction to tell him when his needling and insults have gone too far for decent people.

Over the last several weeks he has increasingly isolated himself in his Trump bubble, venturing out only for choreographed rally appearances in front of his die hard fans, and the friendly confines of Fox News (mainly the Hannity show, not the newsy component). He is churlish and antagonistic with nearly everybody else. Yet he boldly and persistently claims he has a great personality and that everybody likes him, contrary to evident fact.

A ordinary observer watching his recent behavior the past month or two might well inquire if Trump is off his meds? This is the common sense conclusion that he would benefit from an intervention. But who is available to participate in one to aid Trump? His closest advisors now seem mainly to consist of his three 30-something year old children and his son-in-law, none of whom has any expertise, and no independent means to challenge him. His wife remains supportive in the background, but she is focused on raising their 10-year old son, and who does not like campaigning or being in the political public eye. Even she was moved to criticize his outrageous statement from 2005, when the Access Hollywood tape was released last week. Though she also said in the same breath that she forgives him and wants to move on.

His other surrogates have dwindled to a precious few, and turned in a spotty performance at best on this front. His support cadre now consists primarily of an aging Rudy Giuliani and until the last couple of days Newt Gingrich. The rest of the public supporters are paid employees or campaign advisors. Not a full quiver for the defense. Other Republican leaders who have not formally shunned him have condemned his words, but said they are stuck and will still vote for him because they hate Clinton more. But they are uncharacteristically skittish about answering questions and walk stiffly away with no reply and pursed lips when cornered by the press for comment about their Party leader.

As for the new crop of women accusers, which grows daily, it is clear Trump has dug his own 3-story deep hole. While the general public reaction was not good on last Friday, the heavy bleeding seemed to have slowed by Sunday.

Careful review of Trump’s Friday night video apology (if that term can be used) shows he did not offer any mention whatever about Locker Room talk, period. But Trump will be Trump, and he just couldn’t let it alone. So he tried out the Locker Room excuse on Saturday, and feeling generally better about its potential to deflect the damage, topped his jerry rigged abuse defense off with his flat out denial on Sunday night at the debate that he had ever done anything to women except talk, mostly behind their backs, to the boys, Locker Room style.

This had the adverse rebound effect of inflaming a cadre of women scorned and ill-treated by Trump in the past to appear in public, at significant cost to their personal dignity and privacy, and say Trump’s transgression was his vile physical actions, not only his degrading language.

The list of women offering witness is now at 10 or more and growing, who hail from half a dozen states, whose ages range from their 30s to their 60s, and involving abusive incidents in every decade since the 1980s. This is too much evidence for Trump to simply issue a pat denial, call then all liars and fabricators, and expect a neutral audience to take his word for gospel. The actions charged match up too well with his undeniable words and bragging on tape in 2005 and elsewhere (like his Howard Stern monologues). Trump stands accused in the Court of Public Opinion.

Even the Devil himself (Obama) and Satan’s handmaiden (Clinton) could not pull together such a vast conspiracy over the weekend as Trump has flamed up.

That Trump is now preaching apocalyptic rhetoric like ISIS will take over the United State if he were to lose the election, and only Trump has the key for America’s salvation, is a sing of active megalomania and paranoia of a very significant degree. Such rhetoric offered seriously in a public forum justifies psycho-pharmaceutical intervention, at the least, with careful clinical observation undertaken by professional qualified personnel.

Trump’s repeated threats to sue the New York Times and other media outlets for perceived insults and slander directed at him are toothless bluffs. The Times has a group of highly competent lawyers and very deep financial pockets, and Trump, as a public figure, would stand virtually no chance of prevailing in a legal contest of wills. More to the point, were he to sue, The Times lawyers would get an extended opportunity to take his testimony under oath about all these sexual abuse allegations in exquisite detail. Even Trump wouldn’t volunteer to be personally subjected to that scenario.

That’s one reason a purported lawsuit threat was sent and announced on Twitter, and no actual lawsuit has been filed. It is Trumpery for public consumption by the credulous following along.. In any case nothing could possibly come of purported legal action in time to affect the election outcome. The Times promptly responded and sent a letter back saying Go Fly a Kite.

At best, Trump is engaging in cheap theatrics with this vacant threat. At worst, if he actually harbors some other notion he is firmly disengaged from reality-based thinking and indulging himself in revenge fantasies never to emerge.

As NPR notes, it is also ironic (perhaps not richly as they imply, but rather poorly, indicative of a poverty of thought and poorly organized mental structure) that Trump would complain about major media attention, when he has received, quite literally, billions of dollars of free unearned publicity for his personal and business dealing and foibles, as he craved attention as a public figure for a period extending over almost 40 years, and with little critical scrutiny until the last year.

Without this constant barrage of earnestly sought after public notoriety he would never have made it to stardom on Reality TV, or to launch a political career without a whit of training or elected public experience. His persona is a media creature. This is the monster Lizzie Borden story political invention. Murder both your parents, and throw yourself on the Mercy of the Court as an Orphan.

Trump will not quit the Presidential race in the next 3 weeks, so we will have to watch until then. But he is undergoing significant personality deterioration right in front of our eyes. We can only hope someone who loves him will step in, and that he does not hurt himself or anyone else until the election is over. Then maybe he can get some desperately needed rest, while he goes on a long vacation and can ponder decides what to do as an ex-Republican Presidential nominee.

It is sad to see a vigorous man visibly delaminating in public view, becoming unglued in real time, and directly in front of the hot light and TV cameras.

delaminating-brick-building-structure

A Brick Building Structure with Significant Delamination

It’s time to ask the painful question in a sympathetic way for his family, Does trump have a mental condition that has finally spun out of balance due to the extraordinary demands and stress of the election campaign, the associated lack of sleep, poor diet, too much forced travel, too many unscheduled demands on him to make split-second decisions, and not enough down time, adversely affecting his mental performance and judgment?

No doubt Trump will resist and such suggestion, and be contemptuous that anyone would dare to question his superior insights. He deserves a careful appraisal from those close to him.


Crumb the Second

Newt Gingrich Suffers a Big Trump, Little Trump Revelation Moment

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/10/13/newt-gingrich-says-little-trump-is-frankly-pathetic/

The former House speaker and current surrogate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is having a difficult time defending the candidate when the Manhattan billionaire veers off course and attacks fellow Republicans instead of his Democratic opponent.

“Look, first of all, let me just say about Trump — who I admire, and I’ve tried to help as much as I can,” Gingrich said Thursday morning on Fox Business. “There’s a big Trump and a little Trump. The little Trump is, frankly, pathetic.”

Gingrich’s new nickname for the GOP standard bearer is an apparent call back to Trump’s own nickname for former GOP presidential rival Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.). Trump dubbed Rubio “little Marco” on the campaign trail and Twitter.

But Gingrich’s patience is seemingly wearing thin when it comes to Trump’s war with current House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.).

“I mean, he’s mad over not getting a phone call?” Gingrich said.

“I’m just saying, listen to the whole package there,” he continued. “Donald Trump has one opponent. Her name is Hillary Clinton. Her name is not Paul Ryan. It’s not anybody else. It’s Hillary Clinton.”

Trump blasted Ryan Wednesday night during a campaign rally in Florida for not congratulating him after his debate performance Sunday.

“There’s a whole deal going on there. I mean, you know,” Trump said in Ocala. “There’s a whole deal going on and figure it out. I always figure things out. But there’s a whole sinister deal going on.”

Ryan has refused to defend Trump following the leaked tapes that depict him speaking crudely about women. He has encouraged fellow Republican lawmakers to do what’s best for their careers.

Rip Van Winkle Newt has now fully awoken from his recent nap, described in yesterday’s Crumbs of Trump. He has been one of the very few stalwart Republicans who ever held prominent elective office, who have managed to shout their support support for Trump recently. Most of the current and former national Republican political leaders, like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to name two of the most important, scurry for cover when they are asked about Trump, or they pretend to be so extremely busy dealing with other important stuff right now, they don’t have time for unnecessary foolishness like defending their nominee. Tough to be clear, they will vote for him. But Newt has his limits. He has now disclosed a new way of thinking about Trump, the fabulous Big Trump, Little Trump dichotomy dodge. And Newt has an explicit opinion. He likes the Big Trump. So does Newt’s third wife, Callista.

But Newt firmly draws the line at Pathetic Little Trump. Gingrich is making a gentle nickname connection to Trump’s penchant for cutting insult names, as in Little Marco meant to refer to the Republican Senator from Florida. Little in substance, little in gravitas, little in accomplishment, little in stature, and even little in physical attributes. The Gospel according to Donald. So for Trump’s benefit, Newt has a nickname twofer.

But this analogy doesn’t ring completely true for a mature American male of a certain age. There is an irreducible sexual component often attached to the phrase. For decades we have been counseled, advised, and warned by those older and wiser than ourselves about the dangers of letting the Little Head take control from the Big Head in matters romantic, sexual, and in general, dealing with the complexities of interacting with the feminine gender.

That’s right. Virtually every man in the audience gets the reference that sloshing, rampaging waves of testosterone, in the presence of women, can result in a 5-Alarm fire. Foolish, indefensible, and incomprehensible actions and statements can occur in rapid order. That is why there are moral and ethical codes, proper manners, and acceptable gender protocols in place to govern blatant urges. It is necessary to channel, control, and strictly guide brute impulses, which could otherwise lead to unacceptable verbal expressions, and especially physical actions. when the male brain’s central superego filter mechanisms are being short circuited by ungoverned id like atavistic, lower order temptations.

Trump gives a wonderful description of the paradox on the Access Hollywood Tapes. He says he goes on automatic. He starts kissing and fondling without even thinking.

What Trump is describing, however is not normal, natural male behavior in the 21 century. it is a throwback to uncivilized, aberrant behavior, in a man not in proper command of himself. A man who has lost his civilized anchors, the proper social inhibitions, the rules of allowable behavior with the opposite sex. His rough impulse is not fundamentally different than someone who would strip naked and run down the middle of the street waving his arms above his head, because he feels hot. Real men are in charge of themselves, first of all.

A decent mature man may be tempted, fail in his responsibilities to treat others with dignity and respect. And make a mistake a time or two. The difference is a good man knows a mistake immediately after it happens, feels genuine regret, and works hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That is called learning control and being in charge.

When there is a decades long repetitive pattern, and obvious easy comfort with such repellent behavior, that person is damaged and needs correction and rebuke. Verbal sexual assault is not to be celebrated, or condoned, or emulated privately, in small groups of men (including Locker Rooms) because no tape recorder is active. A real man refuses to participate in verbal grope sessions directly at women, and walks away from them if they continue.

Trump’s complete failure to observe decent behavior parameters with women of all ages and social conditions is especially intolerable, because he has had every opportunity in his fortunate life with his mother, his sister, his wives, and his daughters to learn better, know better and do better .

Trump has a Little Head problem, and it is pathetic and sexual in nature. The problem is that Trump has too little required separation distance between the two. His Little Head apparently has more than equal voting rights, and runs the Trump Show, while the Big Head stands by passively, in Voyeur mode. The decent man Trump aspires to be is outvoted and drowned out in internal decision making.

Trump’s Little Head influence is so deeply ingrained and entwined in his basic character after 70 years of nurturing and lack of discipline, that selective amputation to control the malignancy from the rest of him is likely no longer possible. That is unfortunate for Trump, but no reason for the rest of us to subject ourselves to his continued infirmities. He has not cured himself in the space of one weekend, or one week under fire.

His past verbal record is a permanent stain on his character. He has offered a grudging apology for the words, but not the deeds reported. Look at his Friday Apology video last week; 90 seconds of Weasel Words.

On the contrary, he is actually quite proud of himself. He has fixed things so he can barge in on undressed and naked women with impunity, and they can’t really complain since he owns the joint. He has enough impunity to expect that his indiscretions would not be made public, even when recorded on tape. Even after public release, he expected to slide by on a wink and a promise. Now he is mad that someone called him on his depredations, and the Public won’t issue an automatic pardon.

There is an even better quiet scam for Trump in all this. He has figured out in a farmyard pig-clever way that if he acts in a completely indefensible manner towards a woman, (the more outrageously the better), people are most likely to say the women must have made up a ridiculous accusation. Who would believe a cultured, refined and sophisticated rich gentleman like Trump would ever treat any woman in such an obviously degrading and humiliating way. If things get too hot, details too telling, go to Plan B. So sorry, it was all just a poorly planned attempt at flattery. Trump never meant to cause offence. Surely, you must have mistaken his intentions.

Trump can take the hit for verbal abuse, and shrug it off as just Locker Room talk.. And he is still free to continue to act out his women crave my manly control fantasies in private to feed his erotic fevers.

This time Trump may be stuck with his Little Head exposed, and it’s not his fault. It never is. You only need to listen to Trump explain it properly to get it right.