There’s only one thing left to happen in the Trump saga now, “Perceptions” by Gerry Warner

There’s only one thing left to happen in the Trump saga now

“Perceptions” by Gerry Warner

Drip, drip, drip. How much longer can this go on? It’s like a Chinese water torture (no offence meant to the world’s Chinese citizens) but Donald Trump can’t go on indefinitely like this, a fresh crisis almost every day.

Something is going to break, and when it does, American politics will never be the same.

I can almost hear you saying thank God for that.

Actually, as a retired journalist, I should hope to see Trump around for a long time yet. There’s never been a copy machine like him. Just turn on your Twitter feed every morning and voila, another outrageous story! Does the man never sleep? Maybe this is a nightmare and we’re all part of it. But don’t kid yourself. This can’t go on forever. There’s a reckoning coming and it could come sooner than you think because the supposed “dealmaker” will be off the continent this week on his first official trip abroad to the Middle East, the most explosive political powder keg in the world. Let’s hope he’s not carrying any matches. Mind you, his tongue usually suffices for that.

Trump’s trip includes Saudi Arabia where oil still talks. Then Jerusalem after blurting out some classified Israeli intelligence to Russian officials in Washington last week. Can’t you see his handlers just cringing when he comes face-to-face with the angry Israeli leaders? What will he say this   time? Israel should give back its conquered territories on the West Bank to the Palestinians? Don’t laugh! He’s meeting with Palestinian leaders too and he’s always up for a deal even though a “deal” in this situation could trigger another Middle East war. Does Trump realize that? You have to wonder after what he said to the Russians in the Oval Office. Or does he just see it as another episode in his reality TV show where, when things went off the rails, he would simply say “you’re fired.” Perish the thought when you’re dealing with the nuclear-armed Israelis or the Palestinians and their terrorist allies. Such situations call for the delicate arts of diplomacy at the highest and most strategic level. Trump delicate? Trump strategic? I leave that to you.

Then at the apex of this ill-timed tour when Trump is supposed to be displaying his international bona fides to the world’s leaders he comes face-to-face with Pope Francis. Can you imagine a more bizarre encounter? On the one hand you have the Vicar of Christ, a learned, compassionate and erudite cleric, who leads the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and President Donald Trump, who once said he doesn’t pray for forgiveness for his mistakes and referred to the sacrament of the Eucharist as “my little wine” and “my little cracker.” And, of course, you recall what he has said about women.  

Will the world be the same after Trump’s tour? Let’s hope so.

And, of course, you noticed what the Trump administration did just prior to his tour. It sent Canada and Mexico 90 days formal notice that it will be re-opening the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Not that it was a big surprise, but the timing was obviously meant to take the heat off the disastrous week Trump had just endured in Washington. The old trick. When the heat is too hot near the stove, you get out of Dodge. How transparent can it get?

But something else occurred last week. Something very ominous for Trump. Congress and the punditry began to openly utter what had only been quietly whispered until now. But it’s now being buzzed all over the Beltway.  Impeachment! I don’t know if Trump is superstitious but if I were him there’s one place in Washington I’d avoid in the future.

The Watergate Hotel. 

Gerry Warner is a retired journalist who remembers Watergate well and saw the movie.