Yesterday, I watched the three-part Unprecedented documentary airing on Discovery Plus. I was able to subscribe to a free seven-day trial to do so. If you can do this, it might be worth your while to do so. If not, save your money. There is nothing unprecedented about Unprecedented.
This documentary is based on interviews with Trump and his children both before, during and after the election. Trump himself sat down for three interviews.
Regular readers of this blog know I detest Trump. I've never liked him. I always considered him a boorish con artist, even back in those days when he pretended he was a Democrat.He certainly displayed his boorish side in all three interviews. It is very clear that he played on the "politics of grievance" to get himself elected and inspire a fanatic cult following. But I already knew that. The documentary actually helped humanize him, at least with me.
It showed a man who genuinely loves and cares about his children. He was a good father, even though he was unable to attend their games when they played sports. They are all remarkably close, and obviously care a great deal about each other.
One of the interviews shows him reacting to things he has seen his children say in video. He was obviously very proud of them all.
The documentary also makes me wonder whether he sincerely believes that he won the election. In the January 6 hearings being conducted by the Select Committee, one of the points being made is that Trump knew he had lost the election, but was desperately doing everything he could to cling onto power. After listening to him, I think he may honestly if mistakenly think he won.
I also was impressed by how his children, especially Ivanka, accounted for themselves. She was the voice of moderation. Donald Jr., really is as fanatical as he sounds, but is sincere. His Dad's into golf while he is into shooting and hunting. It's a habit he picked up from his grandfather.
Interestingly, none of his children were willing to speak ion camera about the January 6 insurrection. They were smarter than their father, who made the mistake of saying that those who breached the capitol were "smart people."
The Church of Trump fed fear and anger to people. It worked in 2016. It failed in 2020 after COVID-19 proved that the cult leader was unable to solve the only crisis he had no hand in creating.
He gave people simple answers to complex problems, which they loved. There is no simple answer to gun violence, illegal immigration, runaway inflation and a looming recession. Getting rid of Democrats or liberals is posed as a solution. This reminds me of what misanthrope H.L. Mencken once observed, "For every complex problem, there's a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."
"He gave people simple answers to complex problems, which they loved. There is no simple answer to gun violence, illegal immigration, runaway inflation and a looming recession. Getting rid of Democrats or liberals is posed as a solution. This reminds me of what misanthrope H.L. Mencken once observed, "For every complex problem, there's a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.""
ReplyDeleteYou've never written anything on this blog truer than this quote.
Reading the comments here, talking to my various MSNBC and FOXNews family and friends, its abundantly clear that people are unable to see complexity, grey areas, and bigger downstream problems these "simple" solutions will create. How, when and why we let dipshits on TV and radio control our thoughts and opinions on certain topics over true policy experts is beyond me. Yet we have some many experts posting here to tell us what's wrong with this country and why their favorite President is the only one who can get it fixed.
Politics and government are two different things, yet far too many people view them as one in the same in this country.
you are coming around Bernie.
ReplyDeleteWow Bernie, what was in that kool-aid? Humanizing Trump is a frightening thought. Pride in your adult children doesn’t make anyone a good father. I suspect he’s taking full credit but they had a mom in that history too. I doubt that the kids and mom were any too happy to read that Marla Maples thought dad was “The best sex I ever had,” on the front page of the New York Post. Good ol’dad. You were right in your assessment of Trump as a grifter, and the family too. Trump is the seven deadly sins all in one package. And they’re still grifting and taking money from masses. It’s very easy to humanize evil. Even Mussolini had great manners.
ReplyDelete9:06, Nothing is in the Kool-aid. No one person is truly 100% good or evil. I call things as I see them, and Trump is a good father, better than most parents. He is still a con artist, demagogue and a manipulator. But he is a good father.
ReplyDeleteA good father? Surely you jest. 10 to 1 odds he can't even name some of his children. 100 to 1 he can't even name all of his children.
DeleteAny dope can "act" like a good father in front of a camera after several takes. But, how does he treat them when cameras aren't rolling; ask his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, or read his book. Ask Ivana Trump. Ask Marla Maples.
Donald Trump taught his children how to be con artists, manipulators and treasonous, who bows down to the demigod to stay in his good graces. He's such a good father that they may face criminal liability for supporting him. That does not make him a good father, that makes him John Gotti.
Defeating Trump in 2024 (if he chooses to run) will be very difficult to do. He seems more popular than ever and the contrast between his administration and this one is rather stark, and not in a way that favors the Democrat option.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100% with 7:53. This was my conclusion/opinion on trump from the start. He supplied easy answers to complex issues. People like bite sized, easily digestible answers to their worries and fears. Consuming empty calories will never satisfy the hunger. It's the trap we have found ourselves in.
ReplyDeleteI think you will take it on the chin for even suggesting trump is a human. . .
- A RINO
10:08: Absolutely spot on. I've been saying this since 2016. My trump family and friends won't believe me. I stopped trying to convince them in 2020.
Delete- A DINO
But some answers are more simple than many think. The federal government has a duty to enforce border security, that is simple. The united states can only assimilate a certain number of people into the country in an orderly way, there have always been limits placed on new citizens and refugees. That is simple.
ReplyDeleteInflation is caused by government deficit spending, a balanced budget would eliminate inflation. That is simple. All these solutions are simple and painful. avoiding the pain in the present will only lead to catastrophic pain in the future. That also is simple.
to deal with serious problems, the emotions need to be stripped out and real objective solutions put in place. Not that complicated.
The goal needs to be the long term best interest of the country.
Trump has been shown solid evidence, over and over, from Nov. 2020 onward, that the 2020 election results were accurate and that he LOST. If after all of that, and ZERO evidence contradicting it, he still sincerely believes he won, then he's living a delusion and placing our democracy at risk by encouraging followers to act, violently, on his delusion.
ReplyDelete10:27 - With an open mind, and probably reading smaller, independent news sources, I am sure your beliefs would be different. There is plenty of reason to suspect election misbehavior. But, regardless, I think our nation’s citizens are not satisfied with what they are experiencing these days and change is what they’ll vote for.
ReplyDelete11:32, plenty of reason to "suspect election misbehavior" is absolutely not the same thing as "screaming wide spread voter fraud and a stolen rigged election" with zero evidence by the biggest fraudulent president in American history.
DeleteRead this when I was half awake. Fell asleep and had a dream about Trump. Thanks, Bernie!😡
ReplyDelete10:23 - Would cheap immigrant labor also have an impact on inflation? Fox news has it's viewers screaming, boarder security! What is that exactly? Talk to an immigrant sometime, legal or illegal and ask them why they came here. We need immigrant labor to enjoy what was our standard of living. We enjoy the worlds cheapest food supply that's built on the backs of immigrant labor. In many cases, illegal immigrants. Tour some processing plants in the midwest and count the white faces on the production line. Go to the feedlots where cattle are fatted for slaughter or visit a farm in Pima County. Fox news is what you want to hear, the reality is much different. For instance, Kris Kobach was rejected twice in Kansas. Once for Governor in 2018 and once for the senate in 2020. His platform was to round up all the illegals and send them back. So why does super red Kansas currently have a Democrat Guv?
ReplyDeleteIf you remove the emotion from the issue of immigrant labor you may see how necessary they are.
- A RINO
Jimmy cracked corn. I won't be watching, his voice makes my skin crawl. It appears your take on it is , you can put lipstick on a pig.
ReplyDelete10:23 Your last 2 sentences are indeed correct, however, your statements about solutions for immigration and causes of inflation are examples of over-simplification. First off, refugees and regular immigration cover 2 very different groups of people and need to be addressed differently. Second, inflation in a global marketplace is more complex than ever. Supply chain issues, war, pandemic are all wrenches that have been thrown into the economic chaos we are experiencing. Typically inflation is accompanied by low wages, joblessness, etc. Not now. Again, complicated...not straight forward.
ReplyDelete7:53 Yes, yes and yes!!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-complete-listing-atrocities-1-1-056
ReplyDeleteWell hopefully trump's kids will visit him at club Fed.
ReplyDeleteOf course they will have to answer for their actions as well.
They all deserve the mercy that they have shown to others--in other words none.
There's a difference between loving one's children (I believe Trump does) and being a good father (there's little evidence that Trump is). This documentary was edited in such a way to pull at some of your heart strings. But there is ample evidence with ample quotes from both his children and former wives that show he was an absent father and did not treat his children equally.
ReplyDeleteBiden raised two drug addicts. Trump raised fine children who love and respect their dad. He showered with zero of them.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteWhat garbage. Trump is a good father? He is scum, nowhere in him is a farther figure. He has ripped off hundreds of contractors, spent hundred of thousands in the eighties to wrongfully convict the Central Park Five, doesn’t pay his taxes, is a misogynist, liar, total piece of shit, but according to you a good father. No way.."
You have to be human to be a good father, you need compassion, ethics and accountability. He has none of those values.
Many good parents work hard and aren't there everyday for their families. Wonder how many who have commented negatively are great parents? We should always see the good in everyone..... everyone has good. But we've become people who see only bad and criticize as if we are all perfect. Who are we to judge as one thing we don't know. How many watched what Bernie did or are you just making negative comments because that's what you do? I appreciate that Bernie admitted to something good
ReplyDeleteBoth Trump and his adult children all agreed he was absent from some of their events. But it was very clear to me that they are all close and care about each other deeply. I have made clear numerous times that Trump is a terrible person. This does not mean he is terrible in All respects. I came away from that documentary believing he is a good father, and his kids worship him.
ReplyDeleteApparently not everyone on your blog can make a distinction like you. And that is part of what's wrong in this country we may disagree on things but we at least are open to the possibilities in some areas. Many are not
ReplyDeleteTotally aside, but discovery plus is like the most useful streaming platform. So many great shows.
ReplyDeleteSorry Bernie 9:18,
ReplyDeleteAll the Trumps - family, care about is money, money, money and power to grab more money. Personally I can’t wait until the earth is rid of those types of scums, what have they done for our society?
They help us all make money by providing jobs?
ReplyDeleteBernie do not mistake caring for money the same as caring for each other. I have never met the Trumps directly but it seems to me that the kids are probably more worried about maintain their cushy lives then they are actually about Daddy. And they see what he had done to his previously familiars as an example of what might happen to them. I know on having millions to us does not seem to us but to silver spoon trust fund babies dropping from hundreds of millions would absolutely devastate them. I believe they worship the money!
ReplyDelete