Trump's plunge into madness enters freefall in preposterous week

It is utterly exhausting and it's tempting to write that no one can be blamed for turning away from it all in a combination of disgust and wonder. And yet, with stakes so high, it's critical to review this administration's insanity and racism.

Because while perhaps one can hit pause and vacation from politics for a few weeks, it's impossible to simply pick up where one left off. If there is one dependable characteristic of this administration, it's that it gets more extreme by the day.

Especially the insanity and racism. To wit:

The Republican Party, synonymous with Trump and MAGA, finally got too racist for even Karl Rove last week, as Rove moved on, saying he would vote for a Democrat for the first time in decades after Bo French — a GOP candidate for the Texas Railroad Commissioner (a far more important position than it sounds, with little to do with railroads) — posted the unquestionably racist post below:

Yes, because the last thing one wants, apparently, is a university with a diverse student body of South Asian and Indian-Americans cheering on their football team. Again, that was too much for Rove, who called French a bigot, but not too much for the White House, which decided to get a little "cute" with its racism by supporting French, not the students or Karl Rove.

There is no conceivable way that the White House isn't echoing French in this even though the "Save College Sports Act" is being considered in the Senate. Lest one doubt where Trump comes down on the "bigot" matter, Trump ran to Truth Social to post:

Ah yes, a world divided by winners and losers, as Trump's daddy taught him, and evidently those who just can't tolerate the racism any longer are losers.

And then there is the sheer insanity of it all. Not content to simply rip the Kennedy Center to shreds, Trump wants to build, too — but we're beyond simple ballrooms and arches. This week, we learned that Trump wants his arch to also function as an armory of drones, sniper posts, bullets, weapons, snakes, dragons... Might've gotten carried away on the last two only, as Trump posted:

As they say down South, "Do what now?"

Someone, please explain Trump's new obsession with snipers and drones? Does he not know that he will be 200 ft below the ground if anyone attacks the White House? (True, this is looking more and more like he's worried that the attack will come from the American people; in other words, he wants citizens to pay the cost of his stronghold against Americans.)

And this might not be a bad place to mention that one has a pretty iffy victory arch if it has to be filled with defensive weaponry just in case we weren't that victorious. Granted, that feels right with Trump, who has declared victory over Iran dozens of times.

Oh, and we've come full circle some, because we're back to the battle between sharks and batteries. From just last week in the new Rose patio:

“So if I'm in an electric boat and I see I'm going down and the water's pouring in, so I know I'm gonna be electrocuted, but five yards away there are sharks. Do I take the electrocution, or do I go swimming with the sharks?”

Not only is his hypothetical stunningly stupid, as if it could ever happen, but even the basic conundrum is ridiculous.If you face certain electrocution, jump in with the shark!! Not only may the shark not be hungry, they don't usually eat humans (particularly that human, one thinks), maybe you can poke it in the eye, maybe it only eats a foot and says "Yuckies!" But the shark might get electrocuted too, you stupid...

Speaking of stupid, former President Barack Obama called out Trump's idiocy in relying on the AI industry to regulate itself, characterizing and criticizing Trump's position, then noting the obvious:

Trump's position: “These companies will solve the safety issues because they have every incentive to do so — if it turns out to be dangerous, people will just sue them and they’re worried about financial liability.

Obama: That’s not how we treat airlines. Or drug companies, or food companies.

Sweet Jesus, doesn't it sound wonderful to hear from a normal adult, never mind a former president? Perhaps we can "rent" a normal president; Justin Trudeau seems to have some time on his hands. Katy would understand.

Last, Trump insists, insists, that the United States recognizes the "Trump administration's contribution" to the Kennedy Center, apparently based on the belief that every monument or memorial to which his administration funds money — from us, by the way, not Trump — be recognized by naming it after him and engraving his name on it, or at least having his name beside it.

There is laughably no precedent for this other than Trump Tower, Trump Taj Mahal, Trump International Golf Club, Trump Steak, Trump Modeling (now THAT needs to be investigated).

We did not immediately coronate "The Johnson Moon" after landing in 1969 (thankfully). We did not name World War II the "FDR War" despite his major contribution. And we built the Lincoln Memorial after he literally held the nation together, only to be assassinated just as the war ended — he did not get the memorial for remodeling.

But Trump does really seem to have a Kennedy obsession; we can add OCD to his many other disorders. We come full circle in noting that Trump's "FAA" (hint) wants an eternal torch on top of his arch because... Trump has to one-up Kennedy's grave.

New news! Trump appointee Richard Grenell told the art curator at the Kennedy Center to start returning international gifts to their countries of origin as part of a plan to replace unwanted art with works reflecting “shared American values” (MAGA Art). Yes. This is real.

What constitutes MAGA art is anyone's guess, but there's a presumption that there will be a Cracker Barrel raid for "donations"; Thomas Kinkade paintings will shoot up in value, and there could be a 14-foot gold eagle carrying an AR-15.

This is the American president. This is who is leading us through a war with Iran, the AI crisis, and an economy on the brink. We could have Kamala Harris, or if we just cast the net, someone like another Obama, maybe Buttigieg — just someone who knows how to "president." Just someone normal, because the above were the funnier examples of what he's done! (racism is not funny, agreed, though Karl Rove being driven from the Republican Party is fitting, and maybe chuckle-worthy.)

So are the funny ones worth your valuable time? In a way, yes, because they pop in and out with the very serious ones. They also reveal a terribly mentally unhealthy man.

Plus, it's not like you can take a month off and pick back up where you left him. If there's one true north in this administration, it's that his issues only get more extreme.

Jason Miciak is a Raw Story columnist, former editor at Occupy Democrats, author, attorney, and consultant. Please follow on Bluesky, and he can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com