While this will be of cold comfort I'm sure, there is one silver lining here.
If Trump wasn't entirely gripped by a severe personality disorder, he would have played today entirely differently.
He would have postured like he and Putin had icy, cordial conversations...
1/
If Trump wasn't entirely gripped by a severe personality disorder, he would have played today entirely differently.
He would have postured like he and Putin had icy, cordial conversations...
1/
He would have alleged that he drew a hard line and demanded concessions.
By presenting today's summit as a true negotiation rather than a complete and utter capitulation, he would have set himself up to claim victory - even though that would have been false.
2/
By presenting today's summit as a true negotiation rather than a complete and utter capitulation, he would have set himself up to claim victory - even though that would have been false.
2/
Trump's severe narcissistic personality disorder makes him incapable of doing that though...
That would have required both a strategy beyond the moment and an ability to control primitive impulses. He is incapable of either.
3/
That would have required both a strategy beyond the moment and an ability to control primitive impulses. He is incapable of either.
3/
Per my pinned thread, Trump is enslaved by the dark shadow of his illegitimate election.
He is truly incapable of serving no agenda other than attempting to make Russian interference something other than personally discrediting.
4/
He is truly incapable of serving no agenda other than attempting to make Russian interference something other than personally discrediting.
4/
Mueller's indictments last Friday cornered Trump.
They put Trump in a position where the impulses he is powerless to control would make him look egregiously bad...
...and right on cue, Trump stepped up and delivered his one-note song.
5/
They put Trump in a position where the impulses he is powerless to control would make him look egregiously bad...
...and right on cue, Trump stepped up and delivered his one-note song.
5/
While the day feels awful and the impact seems small or unclear, Mueller stole Trump's opportunity to achieve the thing he most desperately wants...
...validating his own election at the hands of Putin's meddling.
6/
...validating his own election at the hands of Putin's meddling.
6/
Trump went to Helsinki desperate to prove he's a legitimate world leader...
...and he is coming home looking like an outright agent of treason willing to subvert his own country to benefit its enemies.
This will have a long tail... and it will not help Trump.
<end>
...and he is coming home looking like an outright agent of treason willing to subvert his own country to benefit its enemies.
This will have a long tail... and it will not help Trump.
<end>
