It is among the most familiar patterns of the Trump era.
First, Trump says or does something weird, rude or otherwise norm-defying. Some elected Republicans object, and the response from Trump and his minions is to shoot the messenger. The dynamic holds constant whether it’s big (Jan. 6 pardons) or small (tweeting “covfefe” just after midnight).
The essence of this low-road-for-me-high-road-for-thee dynamic rests on the belief that Trumpism is a one-way road. Insulting Trump, deservedly or not, is forbidden, while Trump’s antics should be celebrated when possible, defended when necessary, or ignored when neither of those responses is possible. But he should never, ever face consequences for his own actions.
This was the week Trump’s routine went global.
I showerthoughted the other day a possible explanation: the Republicans are by aggregate reckless, the Democrats feckless. The Republicans cheer any stupid thing Trump does because they are reckless and don’t consider or care about consequences. When the consequences come, the Democrats are too feckless to punish him and simply clean up the mess until Republicans find some new angle to bullshit the people into voting for them. Then the cycle reboots.
Every time the cycle restarts, the Republican gets worse. Reagan was bad, but in the moment his economic recipe worked. Then there was Bush, and he created the double calamity of the Iraq war and the 2008 Great Recession. Then there was Trump #45, and that was all about wealth redistribution towards the richest and enriching himself while his country was dying of COVID. Now we are at #47 and it’s as if we are doing a speedrun towards the cliff.
Right now, it feels as nothing could top this shit show. But I am sure some Republican, somewhere, is thinking to himself, “Hold my beer!”
Yes, there is absolutely a pattern there.