The Surprise of Don Trump being Convicted in NYC Hush Money Case

For a past U.S. president to be under 91 criminal indictments in four jurisdictions was a level of “if there’s smoke there’s fire” too far. Former “The Apprentice” star with its bigoted thoughts, seduced a large shrill minority of the GOP. Without that seduction of the embittered, the GOP, which once declared itself to be the Law-and-Order party, would have ignored that one.

Driven to write and report fact-based stories I have striven to abide by the code of ethics of the Society Professional Journalism. This means that I reveal no biases.

Don Trump’s giddily persistent toxic narcissist persona and conduct made this impossible. On May 30, Trump became a criminal. I believe that no one who acts as it does, e.g., toxic, thin-skinned, narcissist and who giddily mocks and insults people, deserves respect.

What’s more, I seldom speak of that elected official by name; it invokes its own name shamelessly. I needn’t take play in that game. To speak of it as #45 suffices for me.

But readers and editors need to see its name! (Under my breath, I wonder “how can 40%-plus of Americans like him?”)

On May 30, Trump became a criminal; a felon. To have been found guilty of a felony was one level of dirt on him. To be found guilty of 34 felony connotes emphatic dirt. And Trump, while indicted, and as a felon, continued persistent popularity among more than 40% of Americans.

It goes with Joseph Goebbels, notorious from WWII Germany, who observed while serving German Chancellor Hitler, that “repeat a lie often enough, it becomes fact”.

Aspiring to resume doing journalism, I ought not cheer about that former TV personality having been found guilty. Many of us who think critically and independently, cynically assumed that #45 would somehow be found not guilty. Why? Because history has shown how seldom basic sense (not common sense) wins a day in court.

FiveThirtyEight.com, a project within ABC News, shows polling results of January of 41.6% with its blunt toxicity, and the guilty verdict of people favorite Trump. A poll, which “The Economist” sponsored, poll ending on May 28 showing 44% favor Trump.

On May 30, PBS NewsHour’s White House Correspondent, Laura Baron-Lopez, shared the results of a conservative-organized panel. It had nine participants. One voter, preferring Trump, responded that the verdict was “politically motivated”.

It seems that he conflated hush money, which affected Trump’s candidacy, as incredible or unbelievable. It’s bizarre to wonder what color Trump acolytes see in the sky, or the grass.

Given his bizarre inexplicable popularity, prior to any verdict, Trump resembled a larger-than-life persona from NYC circa 1980s. That is mafioso John Gotti. He was called The Teflon Don. Before the historic verdict, and as conservatives clung to Trump, many cynics could have assumed that that moniker would describe him.