Trump vs. the Populist Mob

American Thinker ^ | August 2, 2025 | Douglas Schwartz

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Today’s Trump isn’t the original Trump.  Watch ancient videos, on Oprah (1988) or testifying before Congress (1991).  (Believe it or not, Democrats were then thoughtful legislators, not Marxist juveniles or foreign-born terrorists.)

Trump was originally a public intellectual.  What happened?  Pro wrestling.  And secondarily, the Apprentice series (2004–2014).  The World Wrestling Hall of Fame (2013) was an Oval Office stepping stone.  Adopting an intellectual public persona would have been political poison.  Today’s Trump is an assumed persona feeding the mob’s appetites.  By 2007, he was grounding and pounding Vince McMahon in the Battle of Billionaires.  Along his path to the presidency, Trump was a beauty pageant impresario (1996–2015) and founding chairman of the Rosie O’Donnell Fan Club. 

By 2015, discussions of depreciation schedules, passive losses, and housing policies were abandoned:

When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.  They’re not sending you.  ... They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us.  They’re bringing drugs.  They’re bringing crime.  They’re rapists.  And some, I assume, are good people.

(Trump’s tricolon of “They’re bringing A, B, C” represents a 21st-century rhetorical flourish, bookending Lincoln’s “we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow.”)

The public Trump belongs to a separate genus from familiar political species.  Congressman James Traficant was one of the few political actors who also went full populist.  Congress eventually expelled him for bribery, but for political theater he was Academy Award material.  No court could convict Traficant of not being entertaining.  “Beam me up, Mr. Speaker.”  Traficant was so popular that when running for re-election from prison, he received 15% of the vote.  Whether he was buried with his toupée remains unknown.  Traficant’s estate could sue Trump for appropriating his act.  The Three Stooges’ Moe Howard never realized he...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

...Why would Trump want to bury the Russian hoax? Or the Epstein cottage industry? Because he has more pressing matters...

...There’s reasons we’ve witnessed the most effective debut of any administration. Trump is focused, racing against time. Interest on the debt is about to collapse the system. Control of Congress is fragile, awaiting the 2026 election. If the House is lost, it’s game over. There’s plenty of global chaos keeping him busy. Trump looks ahead. The blob looks behind, braying for red-meat clickbait. Gabbard’s confirmation of what everyone already knew provided the coda to a chapter, not a new one...

For the "Ready! Fire! Aim!" crowd.

[BradyLS]

(Believe it or not, Democrats were then thoughtful legislators, not Marxist juveniles or foreign-born terrorists.)

No, they were America-hating traitors even then. By 1991, they had already set the table for the continuing disaster of illegal immigration and everything associated with it when they renegged on the deal for securing the border after Reagan granted amnesty for illegal aliens.

[KarlInOhio]

Great things about Trump are his ability to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously along with continuing the fight after a setback. On too many other fights the Republicans pick one and only one topic and the Democrats, media and courts (but I repeat myself) make a joint attack with the Republicans rereating on the first minor defeat like General McClellan.

I don't like Trump retreating on Epstein, but hopefully the recent Ghislaine Maxwell action is setting up a new line of attack.

[marktwain]

Excellent article. What it takes to preserve the Republic is not necessarily justice.

Trump is a stable genius. He has shown the ability over and over.

[x]

Trump was originally a public intellectual.

That has to be the stupidest thing I've heard in a while.

There's no problem with not being a "public intellectual."

But that's just not Trump.

[larrytown]

And as usual, the elitist media can’t help but show who they are by demeaning and demonizing “the mob”, who is everyone that they don’t control, those that don’t follow their lead.

At worst, Trump meets people where they are.

[x]

I don’t think MAGA populists are going to be abandoning Trump, but admitting that the government doesn’t want to tell the truth (and that people don’t want to hear it) is a very bitter pill.

[dpetty121263]

Yes Trump is not the old Trump...

[Biblebelter]

Is the author stupid enough to think that he can put lipstick on a pig?

After reading his condescending elitist rant, I felt like he was just using higher level language to call Trump supporters deplorables much like Crooked Hillary had done a decade ago.

Only difference is Crooked Hillary called us deplorables out of anger and desperation as it wasn’t something she had given much thought to.

This elitist twit has evidently put some thought to the matter.

[Sirius Lee]

After reading his condescending elitist rant, I felt like he was just using higher level language to call Trump supporters deplorables much like Crooked Hillary had done a decade ago.

Yes, that's all this screed amounts to. "Trump fooled all you stupid WalMartians who voted for him. Bwooohahaha...."

[central_va]

Poorly written and pointless D-

[erkelly]

Never in my going-on 80 years have democrats been thoughtful legislators.

[Luke21]

In 1991, Clarence Thomas was lifted over the top by three Democrat senators. Arizona’s Dennis DeConcini, a terrific guy. Sam Nunn, who was decent, and leftist Wyche Fowler who was running so scared that he dared not vote against a black Georgian.

The rest of them were pretty much like now.

[ProgressingAmerica]

"Never in my going-on 80 years have democrats been thoughtful legislators."

They have been, I (and you) just did not like the thoughts they had in their heads when they legislated. I'll give you an example.

Bill Clinton's Motor Voter Law. You should watch the video of when he signs the law. Who are those two people standing directly behind President Clinton? (the two people on his right[Forest green dress and grey suit])

That's Richard Cloward in the grey suit. Halfway off the screen is his wife, Frances Fox Piven in dark forest green. (Their photo is also the splash screen here at CSPAN before the video plays)

Their presence(Cloward and Piven's presence) during this ceremony tells you everything you need to know about just how revolutionary-centric this law really was and still is to this day. Pretty sure that F.F.Piven gave a speech too.

This was extremely well thought out; motor voter. No part of it whatsoever was accidental.

Cloward and Piven came up with the concept of using welfare to overload the system, and motor voter plays a part in that.

[minnesota_bound]

Donald Trump vs the presstitutes.... 😆

Just one Male Lion makes a difference
https://x.com/VideosVuvu/status/1951661055244931421