By John McGregor
What does this picture mean to you? Fear? Rage? Laughter? Amazement? If you live on Mars you might not know this is THE ´mug shot´ of ex-President Donald J. Trump, taken as he addressed his latest batch of appalling charges at Fulton County jail in Georgia last week. Apart from being carried there by his own jet emblazoned with ´TRUMP´ on the side, how did he ever get to this lowest point in his very-eventful life?
German ancestry meant that Donald´s father Fred Trump had to be careful building his real-estate company around the Second World War as a number of his associates and customers were Jewish. The enterprising workaholic father of five was notoriously tight, saving sawdust and re-using nails as he built his mini-empire of sub-standard houses designed for lower income families with little choice of alternative homes.
Donald had two brothers, Fred Junior older than himself and Robert younger, and two sisters Maryanne and Elizabeth. Fred Junior was popular and talented but did not turn out as his father had intended. He became an airline pilot and married with two children, Mary and Fred 111. Although he came back into the family business later it did not work out. Fred Junior deteriorated due to drink problems, divorced and later sadly died at the young age of 43. As a result of seeing this Donald Trump neither drinks or smokes, it upset him considerably watching his elder brother do it to himself.
Fred senior did not tolerate family weakness and turned his attention to his second son Donald. He became considerably wealthy and mixed with politicians to further his cause. He gave Donald money with which his boy bought his first hotel, slyly joking that perhaps he would later emulate his father´s housing business. When Trump Senior died in 1993 aged 88 his will said his considerable estate would be split four ways to his remaining children – but not to Fred Junior´s children. Grandchildren Mary and her brother Fred 111 acrimoniously sued the family for their share, and when Fred´s child needed hospital treatment that had previously been paid for by the family, this was immediately withdrawn.
Donald´s new-found wealth from his father encouraged him to branch out and he became a self-styled property tycoon in his New York home town. To this end he featured in America´s version of ´The Apprentice´, and largely on the strength of this began to be viewed by the Republican Party as a contender for greater things. But Trump, by now twice married with three children had developed an over-eager interest in the opposite sex: lurid stories began to emerge of his extra-marital affairs and he was caught on air bragging about his aggressive sexual exploits. One particular attack has landed him in serious trouble today.
Proving that in America anyone within reason can become the President, in 2016 to the shock of the outside world Donald J Trump did just that. With many enemies made along the way from his business transactions and hushed-up affairs quietly-paid-off this aggressive man with little political experience somehow became one of the most important figures in the world. It didn’t take long before his inexperience and contempt for political protocol began to show. On the world stage, although he travelled to Russia and North Korea this had little effect but his disdain for important treaties like NATO did the USA no favours internationally.
Domestically Trump´s government created some jobs which endeared him to many people, some who will never cease to regard the man as some sort of messiah. But to many more Americans including most Democrats Trump steadily blew it as a ´Commander-in-Chief´ and leader of his country. The evidence of his inability to run the country came when Covid struck – the man didn’t have a clue, wouldn’t take any of the advice available – and a million Americans died. Come the election, America came to its senses and voted Donald Trump out. He became a lame-duck one-term president, not a thing to be proud of in US history. This loss was clear by seven million votes, clear to almost everyone except the man himself. In truth he knew he´d lost but instantly launched into total denial and deceit, ensnaring many of those around him, sychophants only too happy to go along with this amazing and ridiculous subterfuge.
At last, safely booted out of The White House, Trump headed south to his mansion in Florida – but proving the man´s stupidly took confidential government documents with him. He further idiotically denied possession even inveigling his now-troubled lawyers – along with other now-indicted workers. Now they and Trump are in more serious trouble.
The debacle of the Election ínterference rumbles on, both nationally, or federally in Yankee speak in the capital Washington DC where Trump alone stands accused and the trial date has now been confirmed as March 4th 2024. But the plot has thickened considerably this week in the Peach State of Georgia. Here a young prosecutor (black, a Democrat – there, I’ve said it) has charged Trump and nineteen others in a conspiracy to alter the election illegally, but only in Georgia. This is why Trump was ordered to the grim prison to be charged along with his other co-conspirators – bring it on…
Oh yes, remember his earlier sexual misdemeanors? Ex-president Trump was found guilty of sexual assault earlier this year. He has appealed with little success and may be in more trouble as a result. His previous New York business ´affairs´ are also catching up with him, he awaits the case coming to court. Four separate charges equal ninety three charges.
Trump was once known as ´Teflon Don´ where nothing used to stick to him as he just kept putting everything off. Well, the rage in that mug shot to me said it all – time´s nearly up!
