Mushroom Cloud

Donald Trump is the first American president to have achieved the true potential for major change on the Korean Peninsula. And to think, just a few months ago, the four anti-Trump constituencies—the #Resistance, the #Never Trumpers, the trained hamsters in the media, and the denizens of the deep state collectively clutched their pearls and shuddered as Trump called out Kim in rather bellicose terms. The four constituencies were certain that Trump was headed toward nuclear war. Their condemnation was a loud as it was unanimous. Trump was unstable. Trump was uninformed. Trump was a war-monger. Trump had no strategy. Trump's threats would never get Kim to the table. Trump threatened the entire Asian region. Millions would die!! Remember that?

The four constituencies were also — DEAD WRONG. About everything.

Now, with the historic meeting only a few hours away, you'd think they'd show some humility. You'd think that for just a few days they'd lay aside Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and wish the president well. In this case, you'd be dead wrong.

As Trump prepared for his meeting in Singapore, another self congratulatory awards show, the Tonys, was held in New York. It comes as no surprise that the artists who perform on Broadway exemplify TDS as well as any progressive group. But it was a bit unsettling to watch actor Robert DeNiro exhibit full blown TDS when he exclaimed on live television, "Fuck Trump!" The audience gave him a standing ovation. Classy ... real classy.

Like all self-important glitterati, the progressives on Broadway think they're moral arbiters for the rest of us. That their politics should be everyone's politics, and that anyone who disagrees is a "deplorable." And when the rest of the country pushes back ... they become hysterical, possibly because they realize deep down that they're not nearly as important as they think they are. That includes DeNiro. Anyone who thinks that what DeNiro did in front of an adoring audience was the brave expression of "truth to power," has a very loose understanding Power and no concept whatsoever of Truth.

As Donald Trump begins a long and complex negotiation with Kim, he has a difficult and uncertain path that is unlikely to yield the instant gratification that the DTS crowd now demands. Longer term, there is hope, if not certainty. Trump could achieve something important. Something that presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama were unable to achieve. I, for one, hope he succeeds.

On the other hand, I honestly do believe that DeNiro along with a non-trivial percentage of the audience that gave him a standing ovation, hope Trump fails. After all, what's more important—a failure that will make Trump look bad or a world that is less likely to see a mushroom cloud.