What's the Explanation for Trump's Lying, Hand Grenade Hijacking of the First Debate? He Believes Barrett and GOP SCOTUS Justices Will Side With Him on Mail-In Ballots and Appoint Him President.
September 30, 2020
Trump believes the debates are irrelevant because he is counting on the Supreme Court to appoint him president or winning through the 12th Amendment. (The White House)
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH
Viewers of Tuesday’s night debate in Cleveland can be excused for feeling shell-shocked after Donald Trump lobbed a volley of grenades at Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. Biden, when he had an uninterrupted moment, quoted Kellyanne Conway that chaos and violence benefited Trump’s election.
That pretty much explained Trump’s unrelenting disruption that prevented the debate to actually be about issues. In the absence of any accomplishments over four years, Trump turned to three of his familiar skills: bullying, lying and acting like a thug. Biden managed to appear presidential, unperturbed (except when Trump disrespected his late son Beau, who served in Iraq), and a candidate with plans to deal with the pandemic, the economy and climate change, among other issues, including confronting racism.
But why would Trump adopt a bellicose disruptive approach to what was supposed to be a debate? Much of his cult probably were cheering Trump’s brazen attacks and lies on. But he certainly didn’t make any inroads outside of his base. It’s hard to persuade the few uncommitted voters with an adult temper tantrum.
So what explains his explosive disdain for even being at the Cleveland debate? He believes Amy Coney Barrett and other SCOTUS justices will side with him on mail-in ballots and appoint him President. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll seek to win through the 12th Amendment.
As Robert Reich wrote after the debate,
“As we're seeing tonight, Trump is more desperate—and dangerous—than ever before. On top of the bumbling bluster we heard tonight, Trump has repeatedly threatened to reject the results of the election, has suggested throwing out some mail-in ballots, and has even refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
These are the goals of a desperate narcissist who knows that he can't win fair and square and who will stop at nothing to cling to power.”
They are also the goals of a man who believes getting Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court will give him a majority to side with him on his plan to contest mail-in voting counted after November 3, as long as they have been postmarked by the third. After those votes, in Trump’s plan, are discarded by the right-wing Supreme Court with the security of Barrett’s vote in his pocket (if that happens), Trump believes they will appoint him president, using the 2000 SCOTUS decision that appointed Bush as their precedent.
BuzzFlash discussed this possibility in several commentaries: “For Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court Would Be Her Second McConnell Stolen Federal Seat”; “As BuzzFlash Predicted, "Now All I Need Is a Vote of 6-3 to Win a Second Term," Trump Is Thinking as He Pressures McConnell for a Pre-Election SCOTUS Confirmation”; and “‘Shut Him Down’: Trump Will Claim He Won the Election on Night of November 3, and Biden Is Trying to Steal It: Bush 2000 Tactic. A BuzzFlash Editor’s Commentary.”
BuzzFlash noted that Trump said he would only concede if the Supreme Court selected Biden. This is a curious comment, considering the presidency is decided by the electorate. What it does tell us is the importance of the Barrett confirmation to Trump, and he is saying, in essence, “F*ck You!” to people electing him, when the Supreme Court will do it, or so he believes.
Trump’s onslaught needs to be seen in this light. He has a game plan, and it doesn’t allow the voters of the United States to elect a president.
This creates the necessity of the Senate Democrats to act outside of the box and use whatever limited leverage they have to delay Barrett’s confirmation until after November 3. The public perception, and rightfully so, is that the Republicans dominate Congressional Dems in both messaging and exercising raw power, just as Trump isn’t worried about the November 3 election if he gets Barrett on the Supreme Court, because the only election he considers valid is the one decided, in his mind, by the Supreme Court.
Follow BuzzFlash on @twitter
Continue the conversation at the BuzzFlash Nation group on Facebook