Hell hath no fury like a man who believes he’s been scorned.
This twist on an old, sexist adage, however, is no joke because the man is Donald Trump.
The Republican frontrunner is not hiding what he’ll do if elected for the second time to the most powerful office in the land; he’ll make it more powerful in order to trample on constitutional rights.
Voters should be clear that Trump doesn’t just admire Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, he wants to be them.
Our Constitution means nothing to the man who says out loud that he wants to terminate the document upon which American democracy gets its oxygen.
That suggestion alone is enough not to vote for Trump.
But let’s look at other reasons for rejecting the authoritarian wannabe.
He’s boasted about granting pardons to himself and anyone else convicted in connection with the January 6 bloody riot.
Therefore, pardons will flow faster than the mighty Mississippi if he is sworn in on January 20, 2025.
Don’t look for Trump’s second inaugural address to focus on improving and protecting the lives of “we, the people.”
Instead, he’ll spit out a litany of grievances in an updated “American carnage” speech denouncing those whom he thinks deserve his wrath.
Similar to Richard Nixon and his enemies list in the 1970s, Trump will make it a priority to devise punishment for his foes.
“I believe strongly in getting even. If somebody has hurt you, if somebody’s gone out of their way to hurt you, I think that if you have the opportunity, you should certainly go out of your way to do a number of them,” Trump told the BBC in 1998. “I believe in an eye for an eye.”
Among those in his sights are:
Joe Biden for making Trump an embarrassed loser in 2020.
Mike Pence for refusing to join the effort to overturn the election.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith and other prosecutors for indicting him.
Congressman Adam Schiff for leading impeachment proceedings.
Former Republican Congress members Lynn Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for bad-mouthing him in the January 6 Committee hearings.
Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson for testifying that, among other things, Trump tried to choke the Secret Service agent who prevented him from joining the insurrection at the Capitol.
Never-Trumper and former Reagan White House aide George Conway.
Former governors Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson for saying Trump should not run again.
Longtime fixer Michael Cohen for betraying him.
E. Jean Carol for winning a libel case based on sexual assault against him.
And House Speaker Kevin McCarthy just for being Kevin McCarthy.
Unlike his first term as commander-in-chief, there will be no one to stop a long-simmering Trump in full bore.
Certainly not congressional Republicans or their feckless party.
Craziness will consume the White House again and possibly in the form of reality TV.
Is it that far-fetched to think that a man who craves good ratings would showcase his vindictiveness?
The set would be the Oval Office. A pouty Donald Trump is seated at the Resolute Desk, arms folded across his chest in his childish, defiant pose. A row of the U.S., Confederate, North Korean, Saudi, and Russian flags is stationary behind him.
The Proud Boys stand guard in military fatigues and Kevlar vests with assault rifles at the ready.
A lone Diet Coke sits on the desk. Trump pushes a button for Walt Nauta to replace the empty can with a fresh one.
Trump looks menacingly into the camera and says, “This time, it’s personal.”
He nods to The Proud Boys, and the alleged offenders are brought before him one by one.
Press secretary and obnoxious loudmouth Mike Lindell announces each person and explains how they hurt The Donald.
The president will hold his thumb up, before suddenly turning it down to catcalls of delight from his underlings:
Vice president and only Black person in Trump’s inner circle, Tim Scott.
Secretary of state and convicted felon, Paul Manafort.
Defense secretary and convicted felon, Mike Flynn.
Communications director and convicted felon, Steve Bannon.
Treasury secretary and convicted felon Allen Weisselberg.
UN ambassador and convicted felon Bernard Kerick.
FBI director and convicted criminal, Joe Arpaio.
Attorney general and disgraced jurist Rudy Giuliani.
Homeland security secretary and race-baiter, Stephen Miller.
Chief of staff and Trump enabler, Jim Jordan.
Education secretary and evil Florida man, Ron DeSantis.
Presidential advisor and election denier, John Eastman.
Presidential advisor and election denier, Sidney Powell.
HHS secretary and shameless boot licker, Ted Cruz.
National security advisor and top-notch meanie, Gregg Abbot.
Energy secretary and MAGA flamethrower, Majorie Taylor Greene.
Interior secretary and MAGA ignoramus, Lauren Boebert.
Transportation secretary and MAGA oddball, Matt Gaetz.
Plus, any supporters willing to pay Trump $10K to be in attendance.
While a White House TV show may seem fantastical, Donald Trump’s eagerness to destabilize American democracy and put us on a dangerous path is real.
America’s future is in the hands of previous Trump voters who are on the fence about the next election.
They will be rightfully blamed for our hellish predicament if they choose a man with an axe to grind.
Jo Ann Allen retired recently from Colorado Public Radio in Denver after 47 years of reporting the news. She is the creator and host of the podcast Been There Done That.
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