One constant in Donald Trump’s career is his total lack of loyalty. Repeatedly people, who have worked hard for him, have been sent packing short-changed or completely uncompensated — see Rudy Giuliani. In his youth, he learned ruthlessness from his father. And early in his business career, Roy Cohn drove home the same message. Trump learned his lesson so well that when Cohn got AIDS (although, because he refused to admit he was gay, he said it was liver cancer) Trump iced him out. Literally, in a sense. The pair of diamond cufflinks he sent Cohn as thanks for a decade of service turned out to be fake.
Since then Trump’s dismal history of stiffing students, sub-contractors, creditors, business partners, local authorities, charities, coal miners, other voters, et al. — even his own family — is well-documented and common knowledge. But somehow the true believers still think things will be different for them.
In 2021, Ethan Nordean, Sergeant of Arms for the Seattle branch of the Proud Boys, discovered the marmalade leopard had not changed his spots. Inspired by Trump’s claims of election theft and motivated by his ultra-right hatred of the federal government he joined the insurrectionist mob in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Photographed repeatedly committing acts of violence against law enforcement officers he was arrested and charged with a variety of crimes.
Nordean thought Trump had his back. After all, Trump had promised his MAGA fans that, when they marched on the Capitol, he would be with them. But then Ethan discovered — as so many have before — that Trump’s words are worthless. The liar retreated to the White House to watch events unfold on the TV. The insurrectionists were hung out to dry. The blanket pardon they expected never came. And, eyes opened to his hero’s complete lack of regard for others, Nordean gave vent to his frustrations. In a January 20th message (as the door closed on a potential pardon potential) just released by the authorities, he was clear on his feelings.
He will not be alone in his imprecations against Trump. The degenerates who got the pardons are no doubt happy. But it illustrates the transactional underpinning of Trump’s actions. He pardoned those he thought could do him harm. But if he believed you couldn’t hurt him, then no loyalty or sense of reward for services rendered would motivate him to save your skin. In fact, I wager he enjoys the suffering.
It is an object lesson for the sycophants and suck-ups — for the Kevin McCarthys & Matt Gaetzs of the world. Kevin is an example of Churchill’s aphorism that, “an appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile — hoping it will eat him last”. While Gaetz will discover that his shameless fawning over Trump will engender him no support as Trump avoids getting his skirts dirty in Matt’s child-sex scandal.
And what is the story with Lindsey Graham?
It doesn't speak well for some people’s discernment, but Trump’s 50+ year career of sociopathic self-dealing and sadistic lack of concern for others has not dented the steady stream of people lining up to be kicked in the ass by him. And this is the man who one of America’s major political parties has staked its future on.