The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Trumpster Diving
Too bad that during an ongoing pandemic, the most recent former president can’t help rally America, including, ironically, many vulnerable Alabama Trump supporters, and use his, uh, bully pulpit to encourage more vaccinations. Instead, unsurprisingly, he seems more like a disgruntled, twice-impeached, narcissistic Florida retiree.
Bannon fire: “Literally, I’ve got Archie Bunker.” That was Steve Bannon’s spot-on take on Donald Trump upon meeting him for the first time in 2010. “I realized, I’m the director, he’s the actor.” Bannon on Archie Trump six years later.
For some reason Mike Pence, who dodged a lynching on Jan. 6, is still out fundraising. Maybe he’s never forgotten the speculation that had him and Condoleezza Rice as the replacement ticket after the Access Hollywood tape was released.
“This is like the Republican Party splinter equivalent of a ‘Star Trek’ Klingons-only convention.” That was Republican consultant Michael Murphy’s take on what a Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene “America First” rally looks like.
Speaking of Trump surrogate Taylor Greene, she has updated the “Axis of evil” that’s now comprised, she declares, of Democrats, the news media and big tech companies.
Gaetz and Taylor Greene, who have minimal legislative power and very few allies in the GOP caucus, are doubling down on the Trump base, such that Ron DeSantis seems almost part of the GOP establishment. Almost.