Should I Laugh or Cry?

02/23/2025

      I’ve been absent for a while and yes, it’s been intentional. As I mentioned in my last piece, I was thrown into a state of abject despair when Trump won the election, and it put my mind into distraction mode. That was my way of coping with a fact that was so unsurmountable, I had to conscientiously not think about it by creating my own world where it didn’t exist.  Fortunately, those were the months following the election when our former president was still in office, lame duck edition. But the comfort was still there even though the looming shadow of Trump 2.0 hovered over me like over me like a Thanksgiving Day balloon at the Macy’s Day Parade. I managed to smile in public, all the while crying into my ramen noodles which I had grown quite fond of. This presidency was coming whether I liked it or not and not liking it was a mild version of what I felt. I hated the thought of what Trump, and his new administration could do. I hated the thought of press conferences filled with lies, boasting about accomplishments that he had nothing to do with, cruel executive orders, a cabinet filled with the most inappropriate fools and worst of all, the bullying screeds from the fool in chief on social media that would go on ad nauseum on a daily, sometimes hourly basis.

      And on January 20, 2025, it happened once again. Without putting his hand on the bible, the man whom promised to lower the price of groceries and gas, promised to be a dictator for one day, promised to end the war in Ukraine on day one, promised life would be so much better for all Americans because of all the tariffs he would impose on so many different nations, took a seat at the Resolute desk. Out with the old and in with just 3 years younger. And as soon as his old ass sat in the chair, a flurry of Executive Orders were presented to him to sign amid a throng of reporters snapping photos of the new/old president signing away. Trump had to ask each time, before he signed, what he was signing because clearly the man had no clue. Ending the use of paper straws...Donald J Trump. Keeping men out of women's sports...Donald J Trump. Celebrating America's 250th birthday...Donald J Trump. Restoring names that honor American greatness...Donald J Trump. Withdrawing the US from the WHO...Donald J Trump. Ending DEI...Donald J Trump. With every EO Trump would gleefully reply that certain ones were "good ones" while the screech of his sharpie could be heard over and over again. Death by a thousand screeching sharpies to every American who didn't want the US to pull out of WHO, who cared about recycling and didn't believe that tiny percentage of trans women in sports deserved an EO.

          But Executive Orders aside, the handpicked administration appointments were a plethora of who's who in the entertainment world, which begged the question, what the fuck? Pete Hegseth, Fox talk show host was nominated and then appointed as Secretary of Defense. A man with zero experience besides serving in the Army. A man who had been accused of sexual assault and being an alcoholic, in Trump's eyes was the perfect person to head our armed forces. Linda McMahon, who's only claim to fame was being the wife of Vince McMahon, World Wrestling Federation impresario, as the Secretary of Education? Could I ever have imagined something so cartoonish all those years ago watching Brett Hart versus Shawn Michaels with my 10-year-old son? And let's not forget Sean Duffy. Father of nine children (he seems like he's got a lot of time on his hands) who's Trump pick as Secretary of Transportation. Duffy has an excellent resume. He once starred on MTV's The Real World: Boston, Road Rules: All Stars and Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons. If that doesn't scream Secretary of Transportation, then you aren't seeing what I'm seeing. Number one, grade A, Trump stock right here people!

          There's really one person whose presence sticks out more than any looney cabinet or administration pick. Sure, we can laugh at the Linda McMahons or question Marco Rubio as Secretary of State but why is Elon Musk everywhere? And when I use that word, I mean to say everywhere that Trump is, Musk is by his side. Most Americans would assume that the Vice President, JD Vance...as useless as he seems to be, would be the constant companion to the president not one of the world's richest men. But there he is. In prompt-to press conference in the Oval Office, there he is. Flight on Air Force One, Elon is sitting right next to Trump. UFC event, Don and Elon, like besties attending. Even after taking office, Trump has done interviews with Musk where Musk has done most of the talking while Trump sits hunched over with little or nothing to say. Which leaves millions of us asking, who's in charge here? I guess when you're a rich prick who donated over $277 million to a presidential campaign it's easy to feel like you now own the presidency. Nevertheless, Elon is now everywhere that Trump is and he is usually accompanied by one of his 13 children. I don't know the names of all his children but his favorite one at the moment is a toddler whom he likes to perch on his shoulders and has been seen picking his nose and putting boogers on the Resolute desk. Folks, you just can't make this shit up.

          So as I force myself into the reality of everyday life in America, I will be tackling more subjects than I can possibly handle. Being a writer, I have the ability to cathartically run to my laptop and let it all out. The good (if any,) the bad and the horribly ugly. There will be many times that I don't know whether to laugh or cry (hello...Gulf of America anyone?) but rest assured there will be plenty to write about because in the past 4 weeks, we have been plummeted with a shit storm. A carefully planned one. MAGA knows what it's doing. Those of us in the know, know too. It's called flooding the zone.

More on that in my next piece.