Excuse me while I go all stream-of-consciousness about Dear Leader Trump’s ego-fest in Florida, today.

Specifically, the part where he can’t let go of his efforts to make a free media (also see: First Amendment) as inconsequential as possible in this new Land ‘o Trump.

And for anyone who wants to puff up, strut around, and make excuses for that gilded toad, just know you’re having less than zero effect on my opinion. If anything, you’re causing me to dig my heels in and jut my adorable chin out, in defiance.

For starters, he’s campaigning a month after taking office, rather than dealing with the nightmare he’s got going on in Washington (and saying, “But Obama did it…” is not an excuse. If you didn’t like it from BHO, it doesn’t get better coming from DJT).

To draw from the transcript found at The Hill, I’ll break some of this down, line by line.

“I want to speak to you without the filter of the fake news,” Trump said to huge cheers.

Translation: I want to ladle raw sewage directly into your ears.

“The dishonest media, which has published one false story after another with no sources, even though they pretend they have them – they make them up in many cases. They just don’t want to report the truth.”

Almost as dishonest and false as promoting a story of a political opponent’s multiple affairs, with no sources. Or that part about all but directly accusing that same opponent’s father of being involved with the murder of a U.S. president. Also dishonest, false, and meant to harm a man’s family and their reputation.

“Many of our greatest presidents fought with the media and called them out,” Trump said, mentioning Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.

I know Thomas Jefferson had a rancorous relationship with the press, but rather than whine about “fake news,” he remained stoic and moored in principle.

“The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure.” –Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823. ME 15:491

“I am… for freedom of the press, and against all violations of the Constitution to silence by force and not by reason the complaints or criticisms, just or unjust, of our citizens against the conduct of their agents.” –Thomas Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry, 1799. ME 10:78

“To preserve the freedom of the human mind… and freedom of the press, every spirit should be ready to devote itself to martyrdom; for as long as we may think as we will and speak as we think, the condition of man will proceed in improvement.” Thomas Jefferson to William Green Munford, 1799.

In other words, you Propecia-popping profligate, even if you don’t like what the press has to say, you endure, and you find a way to work with them.

My suggestion would be to get back to work, delete your Twitter account, and do what you were elected to do.

“When the media lies to people, I will never, ever, let them get away with it. I will do whatever I can that they don’t get away with it,” he said. “They have their own agenda and their agenda is not your agenda.”

Their agenda is to report the news, so of course it’s not the same agenda. People have different jobs. Stop trying to work up an army of Brown shirts to burn down newspaper and cable news offices.

“But despite all their lies, misrepresentations and false stories they could not defeat us in the primaries or general election and we’ll continue to expose them as what they are and most importantly we’ll continue to win, win, win,” said Trump.

Because the media that you demonize now gave you several billion in free air time during the run up to the election. They couldn’t defeat you because they were working for you.

I don’t know about the win, win, win, but I am convinced that you will continue to be a fool, fool, fool until you get bored or Steve Bannon fires you.

And there is nothing more concerning than seeing all the rabid Trump fanatics, eating up this unconstitutional load of steaming horse crap that he’s feeding them, in small, manageable bites.

Instead of swastikas, I expect to see zonked out radicals with #FakeNews seared into their foreheads, as a sign of loyalty to their new liege.

We are truly living in a bizarre and frightening time. Those who support Trump and are willing to follow this very dangerous path have become the useful idiots of the right.

They’re like children of the corn, giving allegiance to He who walks behind the Cheetos.

It’s creepy. It’s not the way of a free nation, and it’s not what our forefathers intended.

I know the press is awful. I know they’re biased. They’re still an essential part of our nation’s inner workings, and we need to make it work, without turning them into state-run media, only printing what is preapproved by some government overlord.

And if you’re not uneasy about his attacks on this nation’s free media, or you actually feel like the only voice the people need to hear is from god-king MAGA and his imps, here is your reality:

There is no comet coming to ride you to Heaven’s Gate.

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.

And little orange men, called Thetans, do not inhabit your soul.

Get off of the Trump train while you can. You’re not going to like where the ride is taking you.