Trumpism is based on a shared delusion about our politics. The virus punctured it. - The Washington Post | Canada News Media
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Trumpism is based on a shared delusion about our politics. The virus punctured it. – The Washington Post

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4 years ago

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In the world of Donald Trump, American cities are burning because of Democrats’ rioting and looting. In the world of Donald Trump, the coronavirus pandemic happened because of China, because of Barack Obama, because of anyone but him.

The president’s world is a folie a deux, a delusion he shares with his supporters that is completely unsullied by reality. That delusion was always a problem, but he and his supporters could avoid that reality if Trump and his supporters could hide in their red bubbles. The shared delusion was a compelling message: Life is bad, but it’s not your fault, you are not the bad guy, someone else is.

But the presence of the novel coronavirus, the force of natural disaster, the reckoning with racism have all made it harder to hide inside the meager Potemkin village of Trumpism and has forced a reckoning between reality and delusion.

A high school teacher in a southwest Iowa town that’s a Republican stronghold called me to tell me about the kids and families in her school, struggling to reconcile their maskless worldview with the realities of the infection.

“Kids keep disappearing from school, no one is talking about why,” she said. “People with the virus are encouraged not to get tested so they don’t ruin it for everyone else.” It’s a cognitive dissonance that both hides from reality while acknowledging that it is there.

The teacher spoke to me on the condition of anonymity. She could get fired for talking about the reality she lives with every day. Her school’s message is essentially “this is the truth, let’s never speak of it again.”

This delusion has always been popular among Trump’s supporters — like blaming immigrants for a loss in jobs and a rise in crime in 2016. It had a wider appeal because it is easier to blame others for your misery when another party is in control. But that message isn’t nearly as contagious when Republicans have controlled the levers of government for four years, cutting off the flow of immigrants, and yet for the majority of Americans things are worse.

It’s hard to hide from that reality when school kids wear masks. Businesses are closing, and President Trump, who has covid-19, was put on supplemental oxygen to keep him breathing long enough to tell us that everything is fine. Just fine.

Even as the president suffers from the disease, sympathy and support for him are not increasing. This unwillingness to reckon with reality is why only 12 percent of people polled say they trust the information from the White House. That lack of trust shouldn’t be surprising. But it is, mostly because of what it reveals: Beyond his political base, Americans are no longer participating in the delusion.

Before his diagnosis, the biggest Trump news story was that the president had told Bob Woodward that he knew that the novel coronavirus was “ … also more deadly than even your strenuous flus,” all while he downplayed it — and he continues to downplay it.

He has tried to continue this charade by having his doctors give misleading statements and taking a joyride in a vehicle that potentially put hospital staff and Secret Service agents in harm’s way.

The reality of Trump’s mix of drug cocktails and his need for supplemental oxygen contradict the narrative that he has conquered the virus. It’s as if he’s kicking down his own thinly constructed reality, and frantically trying to rebuild it again.

But Trump’s narrative works if you already bought in. You can hide, too, in the shared delusion if you are rich enough and White enough not to have to face reality. But for the rest of Americans, coughing, jobless, worried and already heading to the polls in record numbers, the vision isn’t selling.

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A look at Susan Holt, Liberal premier-designate of New Brunswick

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6 mins ago

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October 21, 2024

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FREDERICTON – A look at Susan Holt, premier-designate and leader of the New Brunswick Liberal party.

Born: April 22, 1977.

Early years: Raised in Fredericton, she attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and then spent a year in Toronto before moving abroad for three years, spending time in Australia and India.

Education: Earned a bachelor of arts in economics and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Queen’s University.

Family: Lives in Fredericton with her husband, Jon Holt, and three young daughters.

Hobbies: Running, visiting the farmers market in Fredericton with her family every Saturday.

Before politics: CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, CEO of the New Brunswick Business Council, civil servant, business lobbyist, advocate, consultant and executive with an IT service company that trains and employs Indigenous people.

Politics: Worked as an adviser to former Liberal premier Brian Gallant. Won the leadership of the provincial Liberal party in August 2022 and was elected to the legislature in an April 2023 byelection.

Quote: “We don’t take it lightly that you have put your trust in myself and my team, and you have hope for a brighter future. But that hope I know is short-lived and it will be on us to deliver authentically, on the ground, and openly and transparently.” — Susan Holt, in her speech to supporters in Fredericton after the Liberals won a majority government on Oct. 21, 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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N.S. government sets up code of conduct for province’s municipal politicians

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11 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government has released a code of conduct for municipal politicians across the province.

The code includes 40 guidelines under 14 categories, covering topics from gifts and benefits, to how officials should handle confidential information.

Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr says a code ensuring elected municipal officials have clear guidance on conduct and behaviour is long overdue.

The code was originally requested by the provinces’ municipalities and villages, and it was developed based on recommendations of a working group established in January 2022.

The working group recommended a code that applied across the province, with processes for investigating complaints and imposing sanctions.

The provincial government says councils and village commissions must adopt the code of conduct by Dec. 19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Parliament returns amid partisan wrangling, rumblings about Trudeau’s leadership

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14 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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OTTAWA – The House of Commons returns today from a week-long break, but it’s unlikely to be business as usual.

Members of Parliament are slated to resume debating a Conservative demand for documents about federal spending on green technology projects.

The matter of privilege has all but paralyzed House business as the Liberals try to maintain a grip on an increasingly fractious minority Parliament.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to face the most serious challenge to his leadership to date.

Several media reports have detailed the plans of a group of Liberal MPs to confront Trudeau at the party’s Wednesday caucus meeting over sagging poll numbers and gloomy electoral prospects.

The precise strategy and breadth of the attempt to push Trudeau to resign remain unclear, though some MPs who spoke to The Canadian Press on background said the number of members involved is significant.

Trudeau could sidestep both problems by taking the controversial step of proroguing Parliament, which would end the session and set the stage for a fresh throne speech.

Some political watchers have mused the move would allow time for a Liberal leadership race if Trudeau were to step down.

The prime minister also plans to soon shuffle his cabinet to replace four ministers who don’t plan to run again in the next election.

A general election is scheduled to be held in October next year, but could come sooner if the Liberals lose the confidence of the House.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

— With files from Laura Osman

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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