Year Zero

A look back at the first days of American Carnage

© 2018 Gage Skidmore used under a Creative Commons license

It’s a little early for valedictory stuff. I usually don’t start my year-end reviews until December. But I figured I might do some looking back over Trumpism before the election because, whether he wins or loses, these past four years have been a trip and need commemoration, because so much gets lost and forgotten. The pandemic plus the sheer shitstorm of horrors and inanities from this administration make it harder than it might be to summon Clio.

Like, I think most of us remember Trump has been trying to kill Obamacare since day one, but did you recall there were three separate own-dick-steppings (not counting the Graham-Cassidy bill) in Trump’s first year (which is what I will consider here)?

And the failed attempts to repeal and replace the ACA — in which the conservative desire to strip Americans of what few protections from privation they have — are kind of emblematic of the whole Trump catastrophe.

His Congressional enablers — they had both houses, remember — did a shit job of selling the American Health Care Act aka TrumpCare1 in March. Here I am (I’ll be quoting me a bit, look out!) in alicublog:

Rep. Jason Chaffetz suggested anyone who was losing coverage could afford it by buying more “rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love.”

Some conservatives complained that AHCA gave too much to the poor and the sick, and bestowed upon it the derisive name “RINO care” after an extinct breed of Republican that, it is said, could pass a safety net without trying to shred it.

“Still an aspect of socialism,” said Sarah Palin. “Not a market-oriented plan,” said radio shouter Mark Levin. “…They have embraced the progressive agenda, and Barack Obama and the Democrats have won.”

Turned out that was just conservatives preparing themselves for catastrophe, because the more Americans heard about TrumpCare1 the more they liked Obamacare. Some rightwing pundits said this wasn’t the end: “Throughout his career Trump relied on contractors, in this case GOP members of Congress, to perform work,” said one such. “Trump has always been known for being tough on these contractors.” (Yeah, I said at the time, he stiffs them.)

When the thing collapsed, Trump did what you’d expect of the occupant of the seat of Washington, Lincoln, and FDR: He promoted a Judge Jeanine TV appearance in which she bitched out Paul Ryan for losing the vote.

They tried again in June, and as it was stillborning Steven Scalise got shot, and rightbloggers got the bright idea of claiming that it happened because liberals said TrumpCare2 would kill people (“IN HEALTH CARE ATTACKS, DEMOCRATS RISK INCITING FURTHER VIOLENCE,” raged Breitbart). This made them feel righteous awhile, maybe, but couldn’t save their bill, which at Time of Death had the support of 12% of the public; Trump, showing some real statesmanship, said he would just "let Obamacare fail" instead.

Then they went for three, and got stuffed again. As I wrote at the time: “Donald Trump tried to browbeat the senators into trying a fourth time, and conservatives raged at every possible reason for their pet cause’s collapse — the president, the Democrats, the Republicans, John McCain — except of course the fact that their Pay or Die healthcare alternative is a dog that no one likes.”

Everything else in Trump's 2017 was as eloquent and effectual. He called the widow of a soldier killed in Niger and was such an asshole to her she complained to her Congresswoman, whom Trump tried to smear when she revealed it. He gave an idiotic speech at the U.N., praised only by morons like then-Congressman Ron De Santis, who called it “the international U.N. version of ‘draining the swamp.’” He gave a more overtly blood-and-soil address in Poland that summer, of which I wrote:

If you’re wondering why The Leader wasn’t focused on defending democracy and liberty, as you would expect from the Leader of the Free World, but rather on defending the common homeland and heritage of the Northern Peoples from sun-darkened Southerners who would “sap our spirit, and weaken our will,” you’re beginning to get where The Leader is really coming from — and that what actually excites those roaring, red-faced fans at his rallies isn’t Mr. Smith Goes to Washington stuff.

He did other stupid, vicious things too, like performing his Pocahontas shtick in front of some elderly Native American veterans.

And he did some stuff that was worse than stupid and vicious, like his Muslim travel ban, his support of Neo-Nazi murderers at Charlottesville (and don’t tell me his semi-coherence proves he didn’t mean it — not when he pulled the exact same shit with “stand back and stand by”), and his deliberate sabotage of the Puerto Rico rescue effort after Hurricane Maria (to which he added coldly sadistic touches like his infamous paper-towel toss and bitching out Puerto Ricans who complained).

And one can say that in a way this has worked out for him. Not that he has convinced anyone besides the creeps who elected and still support him that these are good things — he doesn’t care about that. But after years of wrangling, the Supreme Court backed a version of his Muslim ban; his support for the Charlottesville neo-Nazis helped spurred a huge revival of violent white supremacist groups; and we don’t hear much about Puerto Rico’s suffering anymore, not because they ever got the justice they deserved, but because they don’t have a vote — and besides, Trump has done plenty more evil shit in the years since to winnow our attention.

One could say even his Obamacare failures have led to victory. He’s been doing whatever little things he can to fuck up the ACA all along, and now that he has the Handmaid on the Court, California v. Texas should finish the job. So it fits the general pattern of all his governance: He gets the result he wants only after making it so clear that it’s a terrible idea that everyone, including all but his most hardcore fans, can see it — at which point it doesn’t matter, because it was never about convincing, and all about making us take it. Why do you think his enablers are trying so hard to steal the election?

Update: Commenters have brought up other 2017 highlights: For example, Michael Flynn getting caught working for the Russians and resigning — which is a good one, because since his later plea deal with Mueller conservatives have screamed for his rehabilitation (and our corrupt DOJ has cooperated), presumably on the theory that their beloved Leader is strengthened every time it is shown that he is above the law; also it was the springboard for their insane “Obama got caught investigating me, which is the real crime” claims. Also, James Comey getting fired! If there’s anything you want to add, feel free.