Arguably, one of the most dominating themes in American politics for the last decade is Trump Derangement Syndrome. It's a fascinating, if repulsive and unthinking, phenomenon that has damaged the country and too many lives in many ways.
TDS has cropped up in countless ways in media, politics, show business, social media, backyards, front porches — even on Facebook, where one-time friends have Unfollowed and Unfriended each other over their views of the man who pulled off one of the most stunning political upsets in American history in 2016.
And then went on to execute a political feat accomplished only once before in the United States, winning a second presidential term after losing reelection.
So stunning was that first win, denying Hillary Clinton her guaranteed inheritance of succeeding her husband in the White House Oval Office, that Democrats and then even some Republicans plotted and schemed to cripple his presidencies, and then ruin his personal fortunes and reputations. Plus two attempts to actually murder him.
In my lifetime, I've never seen a more compelling example of someone inhabiting the minds of an entire political class for so long and prompting them to attempt so many plots, dirty tricks, lies, hoaxes, and subversive gambits to ruin and undermine a national leader.
Someday historians may catalogue all this. And I hope they also detail and explain how one man can survive such prolonged vitriol, and not only survive but thrive with one of the most productive first years of any president.
One of these plots involved several dozen former government officials, including an ex-president — men and women who took an oath to protect the country and the Constitution — conspiring to use their continued access to national security information to lie and attempt to cripple Donald Trump while protecting Joe Biden and his corrupt family of enablers and elder abusers.
And to do it repeatedly with the help of sympathetic national media, also forsaking their constitutional responsibilities and protections.
Well, finally, their access to national security information has been terminated by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. And I have thoughts about them and that. On this week's audio commentary here:
This week's Sunday column examines one of President Trump's most dramatic initiatives, turning law enforcement's valiant and long-running but somnolent war on drugs into a real live-fire military war on drugs off both of the nation's coastlines.
This has a positive effect on the nation's health and well-being. While it also has a surprisingly clever political benefit too, which we explain.
The most recent audio commentary looked at the humorous and simultaneously revealing social media hoax, wishfully reporting that President Trump was seriously ill or, worse, even dead. That could fit in a related file with other TDS symptoms.
Finally, a sad note about the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. We don't know many details about his assassination while speaking before a large, enthusiastic crowd on a college campus in Utah Wednesday.
What we do know for sure is that the co-founder of Talking Point USA and the father of two youngsters was shot in the neck and killed while talking, calmly answering questions from young people as he so often and openly did.
The president, who knows first-hand about assassination attempts, had some pained words of tribute and ordered federal government flags lowered to half-staff.
I fully expect we will have another of these now too-familiar prolonged "national discussions" on hate and gun violence, as we have so hypocritically after these awful incidents in the past.
All of which will change nothing. And another good person had their life snuffed out by the evil, sick mind of someone, I suspect, that too many others saw brewing beforehand but did nothing about.
Here's where you can go on RedState to catch up on the latest details and reaction.
