George W. Bush looked into the eyes of Donald Trump's buddy Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw a good soul. John McCain looked into Putin's eyes and saw a "stone cold killer."
This past weekend on television, I looked into Trump advisor and spokesperson Stephen Miller's eyes and saw Vladimir Putin.
And I also saw Trump's mentor, Roy Cohn. The Roy Cohn, who, at Miller's age, was Joe McCarthy's right-hand hatchet man, later became an amoral power broker in New York City. So it is no surprise that Donald Trump (when also around the age Miller is now) sought out Cohn's help to navigate the intersection of business and politics in New York -- and it is no surprise that Cohn accepted Trump's request to be, in effect, Cohn's apprentice.
So much for snark, although I think my point about Stephen Miller is well-taken.
Yesterday, Shaun King of the New York Daily News wrote a scathing and accurate piece on Stephen Miller. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/king-stephen-miller-latest-liar-bigot-team-trump-article-1.2971639 As King demonstrates, since middle school, when the young Stephen decided to reject all his non-white friends, Miller has been an unabashed right-wing bigot, and he has now parlayed his intensity into a important position in the Trump White House. King's piece laid out the sordid history, which is now reflected in Miller's chilling, fascistic assertion that Trump "will not be questioned."
Fortunately, King is not the only one pointing out the chilling implications of Miller’s rise.
Fortunately, King is not the only one pointing out the chilling implications of Miller’s rise.
In noting Miller's bizarre Sunday talk show performances last weekend, Joe Scarborough announced that "It is much worse than I ever thought" (see first video
linked here). Very good, Joe. Thanks for confirming the reality that should be plain to anyone paying attention. Callum Borchers of the Washington Post writes
Republican MSNBC host and supposed Trump whisperer Scarborough has been presenting himself as a person of influence, since Trump watches the MSNBC Morning Joe program and has, at times, been friendly to Scarborough. I fear, however, that Scarborough's hope that he can be a positive influence on the President is unfounded. Trump is who he is. Indeed, by late Sunday morning, Trump tweeted "Congratulations Stephen Miller- on representing me this morning on the various Sunday morning shows. Great job!" In the mind of Donald Trump, a star has been born.
Thus, I doubt that Scarborough will succeed in getting Trump to drop Miller. Increasingly, it is clear that Miller is precisely what Trump wants. As I snarkily noted at the beginning of this post, just look at Miller's face, which is reminiscent of Putin's. But more to the point, Miller is, like Roy Cohn, a forceful, lying, mean-spirited demagogue. Just about every Jewish parent's nightmare. Miller is also Trump's vision of a "winner."
Republican MSNBC host and supposed Trump whisperer Scarborough has been presenting himself as a person of influence, since Trump watches the MSNBC Morning Joe program and has, at times, been friendly to Scarborough. I fear, however, that Scarborough's hope that he can be a positive influence on the President is unfounded. Trump is who he is. Indeed, by late Sunday morning, Trump tweeted "Congratulations Stephen Miller- on representing me this morning on the various Sunday morning shows. Great job!" In the mind of Donald Trump, a star has been born.
Thus, I doubt that Scarborough will succeed in getting Trump to drop Miller. Increasingly, it is clear that Miller is precisely what Trump wants. As I snarkily noted at the beginning of this post, just look at Miller's face, which is reminiscent of Putin's. But more to the point, Miller is, like Roy Cohn, a forceful, lying, mean-spirited demagogue. Just about every Jewish parent's nightmare. Miller is also Trump's vision of a "winner."
Still, Scarborough tries to use the Trump display of portraits of President Andrew Jackson all over the White House to convince Trump that Miller is way
off base, noting that Jackson recognized the authority of the judicial branch. It is true that at one point in his presidency, Jackson opposed southern states' tariff nullification laws which threatened to destroy the Union, and in so doing proclaimed that Supreme Court decisions are the law of the land that must be followed. See this history of Jackson and judiciary from PBS. Jackson asserted that respect for the judiciary because it was in his political interest to assert national primacy. But that is not the reason for the Andrew Jackson symbolism in the White House. Indeed, there is no reason to believe that the largely historically illiterate Trump is even aware of this slice of American history.
Rather, those portraits are most assuredly there because they symbolize (certainly in Steve Bannon's view of the sweep of history) Jackson's similarities with Trump: Jackson, like Trump, was a rich man who won election with the personna of being a voice of the every-day white man and -- and this is most significant now -- Jackson’s reported response to Chief Justice John Marshall’s Supreme Court decision prohibiting the State of Georgia from seizing Cherokee Indian land: “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.” The decision was not enforced, and the lands were seized. Id. (See also Walter Russell Mead's article from The American Interest in January 2016, describing the Jacksonian resurgence, whether most people were aware of the connection or not.)
Rather, those portraits are most assuredly there because they symbolize (certainly in Steve Bannon's view of the sweep of history) Jackson's similarities with Trump: Jackson, like Trump, was a rich man who won election with the personna of being a voice of the every-day white man and -- and this is most significant now -- Jackson’s reported response to Chief Justice John Marshall’s Supreme Court decision prohibiting the State of Georgia from seizing Cherokee Indian land: “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.” The decision was not enforced, and the lands were seized. Id. (See also Walter Russell Mead's article from The American Interest in January 2016, describing the Jacksonian resurgence, whether most people were aware of the connection or not.)
Scarborough, in trying to use Andrew Jackson to encourage Donald Trump to respect the role of the judiciary in the American constitutional system, is most likely an example of whistling past the graveyard. There is nothing in what we have seen of Trump that would lead is to think he would have respect for the judicial branch of government.
Nice try, Joe, but you will not hear a nice thing about the courts from Trump or Miller unless and until the courts become their puppets.
Nice try, Joe, but you will not hear a nice thing about the courts from Trump or Miller unless and until the courts become their puppets.
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