The Nightcomers

The President sees his shadows

[The bedroom of the presidential residence at the White House. Nighttime. Faint light seen through the curtains. TRUMP is in bed, sleeping fitfully; we can see that he is wearing a white nightshirt with epaulets on the shoulders and that his hair is a cotton-candy mess.]

VOICE: Mr. President.

ANOTHER VOICE: Sir.

[The voices are ethereal. TRUMP’s eyes open.]

VOICE: Mr. President.

ANOTHER VOICE: Sir.

TRUMP: [Hoarse] Get out, get outta here.

VOICE: But we’re not here, sir.

ANOTHER VOICE: We’re nowhere.

TRUMP: [Louder] Get the fuck out!

[TRUMP and we suddenly notice forms — ghostly, translucent — in the shadows of the room. He pushes himself up in bed.]

Gahhh! The fuck! Get the fuck out! Get out! Marines! Secret Service!

VOICE: They can’t hear you.

ANOTHER VOICE: Maybe they can but they’re pretending they can't.

VOICE: [Chuckling] That’s right.

ANOTHER VOICE: Went to get a smoke.

[The forms become more distinct, but remain translucent. The first resembles former White House Chief of Staff JOHN KELLY, and the second his successor, MICK MULVANEY.]

TRUMP: What are you guys doing here?

KELLY: We’re not here. It’s all in your head.

MULVANEY: John, why would the President think we were in the residence with him?

KELLY: Presidency’s a lonely job, Mick. Even under the best of circumstances.

MULVANEY: And these are not the best of circumstances.

KELLY: No, indeed. He double bogeyed three times on Sunday.

[TRUMP gets out of bed, seems to be looking for his slippers.]

They’re on the other side, sir.

TRUMP: Shut up!

KELLY: Now that’s gratitude for you.

[TRUMP goes to the other side and gets his slippers.]

MULVANEY: Same thing with me. One time he was choking and I ran and got him a glass of water.

TRUMP: No you didn’t.

MULVANEY: He took it, drank it, and then he threw the goddamn glass at me!

TRUMP: I didn’t!

[TRUMP is standing in a half-crouch with his back against the wall.]

KELLY: You’re kidding.

MULVANEY: No! It didn’t hurt me because, well, I mean, the President is no Sandy Koufax.

KELLY: I guess he didn’t —

TRUMP: Koufax was a goddamn Jew bastard!

KELLY: Wow. Where did that come from?

MULVANEY: Jared. The President doesn’t really hate Jews, but he hates Jared, and anti-Semitism is how he expresses it.

KELLY: I get it. Because that’s how he thinks. If a black man makes him feel bad, then he says something racist. It’s not because he really hates black people —

MULVANEY: Oh, no, he hates black people.

[The shades laugh.]

TRUMP: If you’re just in my head how come I don’t understand a goddamn thing you’re saying?

MULVANEY: Ah, good point!

KELLY: Well. Maybe in a way we are here. I knew a fella in the Marines, very intelligent, and his theory was that —

TRUMP: Shut up! Marines!

KELLY: [Ignoring him] — memories of a person can cluster in the unconscious mind and create, basically, a ghost of the person he remembers.

MULVANEY: I think I heard something about this.

KELLY: Yeah, it’s out there. And the person who’s remembering doesn’t have to know everything the ghost knows. Doesn’t even have to be particularly intelligent.

MULVANEY: Well, obviously.

[The shades laugh.]

TRUMP: Fuck you! Shut up!

MULVANEY: And he’s seeing us because, I guess because he needs help.

KELLY: You can say that again.

MULVANEY: Yeah, and who’s he gonna ask for help? His family?

[The shades laugh.]

TRUMP: [Roaring] Fuck you! Fuck you! You were supposed to help me and you did nothing but make smart remarks and leak to the papers!

[Pause. TRUMP advances tentatively away from the wall.]

Think you’re smart! Assholes! But I fooled you! I’m gonna be dictator now, Rudy’s got it all fixed. In fact it’s better they didn’t vote for me. Yeah. ‘Cause now they know it doesn’t matter what they want. The Rummy and the Handmaid, they’re gonna make me dictator. And then I’ll show you fuckers, goddamnit, I’ll show you, I’m gonna fucking kill you! I’m gonna send Russians to kill you with poison — no, with knives, they’re gonna carve you up, cut you into pieces! They’re gonna cut up your families too! They —

[KELLY has materialized behind TRUMP. He touches his shoulder.]

KELLY: Boop!

[TRUMP nearly falls over. He starts wildly circling, but can’t see the shades. MULVANEY materializes behind TRUMP, spanks his butt.]

MULVANEY: Heads up!

[TRUMP screams long and loud. A door opens, flooding the room with light; a young black MARINE enters.]

MARINE: Sir?

[TRUMP starts, sees the MARINE, falls backward but maintains his footing. The MARINE rushes forward to assist.]

TRUMP: Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!

[The MARINE stops, stands watching TRUMP, who starts waddling around the room, searching.]

There were guys. Couple guys here. There were guys in here! Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck security you got! [Screaming] Hey! Kelly! Mick! Where are you! Where the fuck are you!

[TRUMP eventually stops, panting; he finally looks at the MARINE, who just stares.]

The fuck you doing here? Fuck off!

[The MARINE turns around and quickly leaves.]

Hey! Hey Marine!

[The door closes. TRUMP roars:]

I WANNA GLASS OF WATER! GET ME A GLASS OF WATER!

[Silence. TRUMP stands still, his form silhouetted by faint light coming through the curtains. Slow BLACKOUT.]