Kamala Harris gets it. Yes, we should fear Trumpābut we should also mock him mercilessly, because it drives him nuts.
Donald Trump is in free-fall. ReadĀ this descriptionĀ from SundayāsĀ Washington PostĀ of how the GOP nominee spent last week: ā[A]ides did not want a situation where he was watching the convention every night, getting angry, and then just golfing all day and stewing, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions. Trump also had grown annoyed with the news coverage that depicted him as not working as hard as his opponent, one person who talked to him said.ā
If you didnāt know that the article was about Trump and you just read it cold without knowledge of the context, you might think it was a description of parents trying to figure out how to handle an ungovernable four-year-old. So they convinced Trump to get out of Bedminster and hit the road, trading suck-ups with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the past, TrumpĀ has calledĀ Kennedy the ādumbest memberā of the Kennedy family and a āradical left lunatic.ā KennedyĀ has calledTrump a āterrible human beingā and āprobably a sociopath.ā
Youāre right. He has been mocked the whole time, and mockery isnāt the determining factor.
He has simply played out his power arc. The same mockery that didnāt land before now lands, because heās on the downside.
Populism depends on emotional support from the people, but if you donāt have a framework that actually meets the peoplesā needs (or is effective at controlling them) you just rise as the restless populace tries you, then fall as they toss you aside.