Donald Trump's growing legions of supporters could learn a thing or two about their hero from Wells Fargo Bank Chairman and CEO John Stumpf.
Stumpf and his fellow executives either authorized or gave a tacit thumbs up to the creation of millions of fake, fraudulent customer accounts opened by thousands of low-level Wells Fargo employees. The bank was fined $185 million for its shenanigans, and 5,300 employees - none in top management - were fired.
In statements to the public and before a U.S. Senate committee hearing, Stumpf accepted no blame for the coordinated fraud, leading Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to tell him and the nation, "You haven't resigned, you haven't returned a single nickel of personal earnings, haven't fired a single senior executive... it's gutless leadership."
Warren further correctly stated, "Here's what really gets me about this. If one of your tellers took a handful of twenties out of the cash drawer, they could end up in prison," she continued. "You squeezed your employees to the breaking point so you could cheat customers and drive up the value of your stock. And when it all blew up, you kept your job, your multi-million dollar bonuses, and went on TV and blamed thousands of $12-an-hour employees trying to meet cross-sell quotas. You should resign. You should be criminally investigated by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission."
What does this have to do with Trump's followers?
This: the man they support doesn't care one whit about them. Like Stumpf, he takes no responsibility for his outrageous and illegal actions such as using his foundation's money to pay lawsuit settlements, hiding his tax returns, lying and changing his positions on key issues, insulting anyone who questions his saintliness.
And he couldn't care less about the little people who so faithfully and blindly hang on his every false promise.
Trump promises to rebuild America's inner cities, which he claims are less safe than the streets of Afghanistan. He promises to create millions of jobs. He promises, yes, to make American great again.
Does anyone believe him? Tens of millions do.
If you believe him, I have a fake university to sell you. Oh, wait. He's already done that.
Trumpites will be terribly disappointed and betrayed if their snake oil salesman hero gets elected. He will treat them the way John Stumpf treats his bank tellers and retail salespeople. Ignore them at best, blame them for his indiscretions at worst.
If they think Trump will look out for them once in the White House, they don't have a clue about him, despite the fact that he has given them thousands of clues ("Hey, look over here! I'm a liar and a fraud. I know, you don't care.")
He is about himself, and that's all. Maybe he cares about his family -- a large maybe -- and a few wealthy friends, until, of course, they dare say anything negative about them. Donald has turned on a dime against dozens of people who even hinted that this faux emperor was stark naked.
Most Trumpites don't know anyone like Trump on a personal level, so they don't have reasons to think -- apart from fundamental logic -- that a billionaire who, to paraphrase a line from the sitcom Cheers, always has enjoyed the countryside when he's flown over it, doesn't care at all about them.
But he doesn't. He will turn his back on them on November 9.
There has rarely been a public figure as self-absorbed as Trump. Yet, he has connected with people in large part because he has convinced them he is their champion.
Show me one example of him championing the regular guy and gal.
Veterans? Please. The guy compares going to military school to being in combat, and promises large donations to veterans' groups and then doesn't deliver. Women? Ivanka - that's a whole other story - boasts about Trump hiring women executives. Hiring, then treating like dogs, perhaps. Minorities? That doesn't even require explication.
The guy lies about everything: birtherism, banning Muslims, his non-support of the Iraq war, his tax returns, the creation of ISIS.
It is a man-bites-dog moment when he tells the truth.
Yet, the faithful believe him when he talks about taking care of them.
Sure, like John Stumpf took care of his "little people." Where's the next bus to throw them under?
If Trump wins, it will be the triumph of gullibility and stupidity. And those who vote for him deserve what they will get.
Nothing.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
