One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

"Trump largely spends his days watching cable news, calling allies and his small cadre of remaining political advisers, welcoming Republicans to his private club, dining to standing applause, playing golf and fulminating against the 2020 election results" https://t.co/ErUunJPKuV

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) May 7, 2021

Now, wait a minute:

The one time leader of the free world who now lives alone in a hotel sharing buffets, common areas, and staff with strangers, yearns for attention and relevance so badly, he now stands on a patio step every night ranting to tens of people about a 6 month old election that he lost pic.twitter.com/xIuZ7jAkZD

— Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) April 30, 2021

So this is a fake video?

Six months removed from his Election Day loss, Trump has emerged from his West Palm Beach hibernation — refashioning himself as the president of the Republican States of America and reshaping the party in ways both micro and macro," The Washington Post reported Friday.

"He has also privately revived his claims that he plans to run for president again in 2024, decrying what he views as the 'low ratings' of the Biden administration, said one person who has spoken with Trump recently," the newspaper reported. "He rails that President Biden is 'a disaster' and argues that 'Joe isn't in charge, everybody knows it's Kamala' — a preview of his likely message portraying Biden as an unwitting stooge of Vice President Harris, this person said. Nonetheless, Trump is not expected to make an official decision or announcement until after the midterm elections, an adviser said."

I can't read the article (pay wall; what're ya gonna do?), so I have to rely on Raw Story's version.  But it's unclear, to begin with, how Trump has "emerged"?  The article doesn't seem to quote Trump directly, but rather quotes an "advisor."  And the picture it paints in that quote in the tweet is in sharp contrast to that video, where people are pointedly not even paying attention to the fat old man at the microphone interrupting the band's set (or probably talking while the band takes five).  But the video and the article do agree that Trump spends time "fulminating against the 2020 election results."  Which is all I expect him to do in the "rallies" his "advisers" have announced are imminent (I'll still believe it when I see it).

I really am wondering what "emerged from his Florida hibernation" means.  I mean, the guy's not a bear, and this has the ring of "people are saying" about it.

"Trump's reappearance is fueled by an ego-driven desire to remain at the center of national attention, said former advisers and allies who are in touch with Trump," the newspaper reported. "The defeated ex-president is propelled primarily by a thirst for retribution, an insatiable quest for the spotlight and a desire to establish and maintain total dominance and control over the Republican base, said several former senior White House advisers."

Yeah, that "insatiable quest for the spotlight" was going to drive him out of hiding eventually. (That's also the reason I'm not impressed with Rick Wilson's critique of the label "the former guy."  Trump is not Voldemort; but he wants to see his name in print (notice he says Biden is getting "low ratings").  Why give him the pleasure, says I?)  The question is:  who's going to pay attention?  The GOP in D.C., clearly.  Outside of D.C., the GOP will pay attention only so long as Trump is seen as influential in local races; and I don't see that lasting too long.  Because voters will be the first to say "What have you done for me lately?"  (Nobody has noticed that the most rabid Trump supporter/office seeker in the North Texas race tout le monde was watching barely got 1% of the vote.  What's a guy gotta do, huh?).

Besides, that quote in the first tweet describes what Trump did for four years in the White House, and where did that get him?  If Trump's going to push the same old lines, the law of diminishing returns is going to set in rapidly.