Donald Trump has a superpower. Believe it or not, he can become completely invisible. Of course, Trump isn’t invisible to everyone. He’s only invisible to Republican Senators. This power manifests every time Trump makes a statement or tweet in which he clearly violates the law, calls for acts of random violence, or demonstrates ignorance at a level that clears the very high bar of embarrassing the GOP.
Trump flexed that power on Tuesday when he issued a tweet accusing 75-year-old peace activist Martin Gugino of being an “antifa provocateur” and of attempting to “scan” Buffalo police, and of faking his fall and injury. Trump’s tweet, repeating a conspiracy theory voiced by a reporter for Russian state propaganda, was both ugly and silly enough to generate a tall stack of “didn’t read it” and “didn’t see it” responses. But a day later, Trump’s statement is looking like it’s coming back into view, and the White House is doing what it does every single time that Trump issues a statement this patently ridiculous and unacceptable: They’re doubling down.
Appearing on Fox News, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who is at least one of the two Ivanka clones below, stated that Trump was asking “questions that needed to be asked.” Presumably questions that include whether or not Gugino was faking the blood that poured from his ear, how many doctors at the hospital where he is still undergoing treatment are also working with antifa to fake the skull trauma he received, and just where Gugino obtained a cell phone capable of disabling police communications.
All of this is not just ludicrous and not just grotesque—it is being done in support of the idea that police are free to assault anyone, any time, without warning or excuse. It’s being done to show that Trump hasn’t backed one step away from his demand to police that they “rough them up” and “stop being so nice.”
Trump’s statement won’t stay invisible to Republicans. Such statements never do. Expect them to become absolutely visible—as soon as Republicans work themselves up to supporting Trump.
