Saturday, November 16, 2019

What’s up with Trump?

Something strange here:

~ Unannounced indeed: when I checked the presidential public schedule at Factbase this morning there was no mention of a trip to Walter Reed. Trump’s first two physicals as president were announced in advance.

~ Those physicals took place on January 12, 2018 and February 8, 2019. This one is taking place a little over nine months after the previous one.

~ Nothing White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham says can be believed. Her claim about taking time on a “free weekend” is plainly laughable. Total time for this visit, including travel from the White House to Walter Reed and back: three hours and twenty-five minutes, probably less time than it takes Trump to play a round of golf on one of his unfree weekends.

~ The press secretary’s subsequent claim that “the President remains healthy and energetic without complaints, as demonstrated by his repeated vigorous rally performances in front of thousands of Americans” is plainly dubious. Standing and yelling are not typically considered signs of good health. Standing and reading robotically from a teleprompter are not typically considered signs of good health. The joke about “without complaints” writes itself.

~ It seems to me reasonable to suspect that something is wrong or that Trump and company have begun laying the groundwork for resignation. Don’t laugh. I’ve been telling family and friends for weeks now that I think Trump might resign rather than face the humiliation of impeachment. A medical diagnosis of some sort might pave the way for a brokered resignation, with a deal to cover his trouble with the Southern District of New York. It wouldn’t be the first time Trump relied on a doctor’s diagnosis to avoid trouble.

~ Finally, since nothing the president says can be believed, his insistence in June 2019 that he, unlike Richard Nixon, won’t leave in the face of impeachment counts, I think, for naught.

There’s more about today’s unannounced trip at CNN.

*

Trump’s explanation of this visit changed via tweet later last night:
Visited a great family of a young man under major surgery at the amazing Walter Reed Medical Center. Those are truly some of the best doctors anywhere in the world. Also began phase one of my yearly physical. Everything very good (great!). Will complete next year.
So now we’re meant to think that he went to Walter Reed to visit a family, and — because he was already there? — he “also” began his physical? None of it makes sense.

comments: 9

Elaine Fine said...

Maybe something with his pyloric valve?

Michael Leddy said...

Poor valve!

Fresca said...

LOL: "Standing and yelling are not typically considered signs of good health."
Thank you for that.

I'd never thought of Trump resigning, but when you mentioned it, I remembered Sarah Palin resigning as governor of Alaska--don't the two share a similarly childish personality?
"I don't like this game anymore! You're no fun. I'm quitting!" Pout, pout.

As for his health, even though he loves attention, his stress levels must be out of this world--I'm surprised he hasn't . . . ruptured.

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, big similarities between them, and she paved the way for his candidacy.

I can never let this point go by: William Kristol was a big Palin pusher. As per a New Yorker article: “The most ardent promoter, however, was Kristol, and his enthusiasm became the talk of Alaska’s political circles.” I remember that every time I see him on MSNBC snarking about Trump. Palin’s candidacy — the outsider, anti-elite, rogue, blah blah blah — helped make Trump’s election possible.

Pete said...

And what sort of “routine checkup” is done in two installments, months apart? Thought this suggests something mor serious, I doubt that he’ll ever cite his health as a reason for resigning. He’s never been one to admit any personal weakness, not even the normal maladies faced by old men.

Michael Leddy said...

Unless “the doctors” make him resign?

I think if he’s facing impeachment and post-presidency indictments, a deal to get out would look attractive.But everyone I talk to is skeptical about resignation.

Fresca said...

Connect the dots! I didn't know who William Kristol was--looked him up and read he was known as Dan Quayle's brain.
Oh dear.

Daughter Number Three said...

I'm having visions of Uncle June from the Sopranos sitting in a wheelchair in his mob trial courtroom, pretending to be non compos mentis... oh, yeah. Right out of the Roy Cohn playbook.

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, like Vincent Gigante wandering Greenwich Village in a bathrobe. Was Roy Cohn involved in that? I know that he was Mario Gigante’s lawyer.