The tragedy of Trump

NOW that a very dark and malevolent period of American history is behind us and Trump is now ex-president, he is nearly certain to be considered the worst and most immoral president the US had. We are sadly used to it in the Philippines, but this is probably the first time the US has experienced a kakistocracy at federal level. Unless of course the Republican Party and their hapless Pavlovian voters do a trifecta. George W. Bush (two unfinished and expensive wars; two recessions, including the most severe since the Great Depression; turning a budget surplus to the biggest deficit; two stock market crashes; the tragic aftermath to Hurricane “Katrina”) was in an exclusive list of who could be ranked the worst president of the US, until the Republicans followed with someone even worse as their next president — Donald Trump. He is in a class of his own in the worst of all time, given the insurrection he encouraged and fomented and more. Let us hope the party does not trump Trump with someone even worse which, given the derangement of their base and the deep division in the US, is sadly possible.

Trump shares with W the distinction of losing the popular vote while winning the electoral vote. At least W barely but clearly won the popular vote in 2004. He shares with another maligned president, Herbert Hoover, the distinction of losing Congress, the Senate and the presidency in four years. He is in a class of one for being the only president to be impeached twice. I remember telling my youngest son Enrique, who was 16 when President Obama was elected so only knew W as President, you will see how things will be better and what an intelligent president is like. Well, to teenagers, you will now see what a mature, empathetic and humble American President is like.