It's worse than you thought

 Trump is a sociopath and a coward who believes he is above the law, considers most of the earth's people "animals" and has the emotional maturity of a two-year-old crack baby.  And he has lousy taste in show tunes.

According to Stephanie Grisham's forthcoming memoir, a Senior Adviser known as the "music man" was detailed to follow him around with a boom box and be ready to soothe him with songs from musicals, "Memories" from Cats being a particular favorite.  (This therapist is said to be Max Miller, an ex-boyfriend with whom Grisham has issues.  I'm sure we'll learn more when the book comes out in October.)  Reading this triggered a memory of my own.  After leaving the White House Jacqueline Kennedy told the journalist Theodore White that she and her husband would unwind before bed by listening to the original cast album of the Lerner and Loewe musical, and White retroactively named the Kennedy years "Camelot."  This is not like that.  This is the equivalent of stroking your dog's belly until he calms down.  

Miller is currently representing the Ohio 7th and the position of Trump whisperer has been assumed by Natalie Harp, formerly of One America News.  Her remit is to follow him around with a wireless printer, even on the golf course, search the internet and print out any words of praise or devotion he might like to read.  Trump cannot operate a computer.  People keep saying mean things about him, especially in court where he cannot storm out or hurl ketchup at the judge, and he needs to know he is adored by the likes of Jesse Watters and Laura Loomer.  We know this because he brought a stack of printouts to show to the media outside the courtroom yesterday, citing the many experts who think he is being oppressed by the weaponized legal system.  (If you believe that, you're an expert.)  Why are you thinking of Miss Flite and her documents and Chancery Court in Bleak House?  Stop thinking of her.

To add to the ordeal, it's too cold in the courtroom.  Nobody else is complaining, but maybe nobody else is about to turn 78.  He should have borrowed a sweater from George Santos.  Yes, Santos was there but not for Trump -- he's suing Jimmy Kimmel a few blocks away in federal court, claiming that Kimmel ordered up some videos from Santos's current employer Cameo just to make fun of him.  Kimmel is a comedian and that's pretty much what he does.  Anyway, Santos always has a sweater and would probably consider it a privilege to lend it to "President" Trump.

Temperature aside, it's not going well.

Too much information about the jurors is already circulating, thanks mostly to the news media and to Fox News.  In a trial of this nature it would not be unprecedented for the jury to be sequestered, but it could be the first time a jury has requested it.  Guarded by court officers and housed in a hotel, they would then only have to worry about the safety of their families.  With all his talk about Alphonse Capone, no one can say Trump did not signal the kind of trial this would be.  Capone effectively ran Cicero, Illinois, but he never sent his "boys" to storm the US Capitol.  Trump represents a different level of gangsterism.

This is Trump's first criminal trial and he is still unfamiliar with courtroom procedure.  He got away with falling asleep on Monday and Tuesday, but the judge was probably happy to have him quiet for a change.  He also took a phone call yesterday (probably more praise pouring in on TRUTH SOCIAL) but put the phone away after a nudge from his lawyer.  Perhaps no one told him it's customary to stand when the jurors -- the people who will decide his fate -- enter.  Someone as childish as Trump will always seek ways of expressing his contempt when he has no MAGA mob to shout at.  Don't be surprised if he turns his back on the judge and bends over and has a big 😏 on the seat of his pants.  

Trump's not the only criminal acting like a child.  After Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran responded with a few hundred slow-moving drones, all but one of them destroyed by Israel's "Iron Dome" defense system.  (The damage from the one that got through has now been seen by more people than the last World Series.)  In other words, Iran would not go along with Netanyahu's plan to depict Israel as under grave attack, so he raised the stakes by firing some rockets at Isfahan, where the country's nuclear facilities are located.  Once again, Iran is not retaliating.  What next?  Maybe Bibi will go after a Chinese embassy somewhere.  Amos Harel writes in today's Haaretz, "Netanyahu. who has been threatening to attack Iran for twenty years, has realized a dream, or at least part thereof.  The question is what about us, the people."  No doubt there will be much lively discussion at next week's Passover seders.

The $95 billion aid package passed a procedural vote in the Rules Committee last night and will reach the House floor today, thanks largely to Democrats.  If it succeeds there it goes back to the Senate to be reconciled with one they passed in February.  Some Democrats are unhappy about more aid to Israel despite the drone-propelled nudge they just got from Jerusalem.  So we're still handcuffed to the corpse but Ukraine will live to fight another day, especially since some NATO countries had a rummage in their storerooms and identified some Patriot missiles and other gear they can send Kyiv's way.

(Not to belabor the metaphor but Death Valley is blooming after all the rain.  This is a birdcage evening primrose.)

The war on Gaza has created one of the weirdest political coalitions since the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact:  Trump supporters and college students calling Biden "Genocide Joe."  Only one side is serious, of course, since Trump is far more enthusiastic about the killing in Gaza, while Biden keeps urging restraint and humanitarian aid.  You have to wonder about people who think they're helping the Palestinians by averring that they can't vote for Biden; maybe they'll think more clearly when they're alone with the ballot.  The students are prepared to be arrested, as they were yesterday at Columbia.  Of course the university just had a visit from Elise Stefanik's "If You Don't Support Israel You're an Antisemite" road show.  As far as I can determine, only one protester has been suspended, Isra Hirsi of Barnard College.  It probably has nothing to do with being the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar.

In case you think Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chose Nicole Shanahan because she's rich and a fellow conspiracy theorist, there's more to her appeal.  She posted a crude video of herself shooting Elizabeth Warren and assaulting both Biden and Trump.  Shanahan also approved a tweet calling for the imprisonment of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs over the "stolen" election.  That should certainly offset the mass Kennedy family video endorsing Joe Biden.  

Actually there was election fraud in Arizona, committed by this guy.

 

Austin Smith decided to drop out of the race for the state House after someone noticed that a lot of the signatures on his petition appeared to belong to the same person, Austin Smith.  I don't think the Cyber Ninjas will be needed for this one, thank you.  Don't give up your day job with Charlie Kirk, Mr. "Smith."

It's not all hard work at the House, of course.  Margie Greene offered a slew of amendments to the Ukraine aid bill that will bring a smile to even the most serious C-SPAN addict.  She wants anyone who votes for it to be forced to join the Ukrainian army.  She wants Zelensky to resign over his "war on Christianity."  Also, Ukraine must outlaw abortion.  Also, space laser technology for the southern border, hur hur.  And she's here all year!  Be sure to tip your server.