Just the Facts

That it felt staged was my first response. The theatrical rise to his feet, pumping his fist, “fight, fight, fight,” a production by the man who ordered the military to clear a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest for a photo op, holding a bible aloft, glowering in front of a damaged church. It stands to reason. But people were killed and wounded. The blood on his ear was visible, a red badge of courage. Was it real, that blood, or stage blood, applied afterwards, for effect? Am I terrible for thinking this?

Here’s the thing; I hate Trump, and hate is not a strong enough word. He’s a proven narcissistic lying huckster who will stop at literally nothing in his pursuit of power and glory. But I rely on the fact that experts exist who will arrive at conclusions based on fact. I am willing to accept that this is not an elaborate sinister mindfuck but an actual assassination attempt that was thwarted.

There’s truth, and there’s gut conviction. Truth is simply that, true, and empirical. The confusing thing is gut feeling feels like truth because of the sweep of reason-obliterating emotion behind it. Trump knows and exploits this.

But then, I am rational, at least, mostly. Trump sucks but I believe good things happen to bad people. I believe that what happened happened, independent of the will and gyrations of even the worst of us, and in time, as Shakespeare said, truth will out.