Donald Trump's '60 Minutes' interview with Scott Pelley is mildly astounding. It really should augur the beginning of the end for Trump. Even so, at this point, Trump forecasting is somewhat hard to do.
As always, Trump is all bluster and virtually zero legitimate policy. Here's a nice segment of the interview:
Donald Trump: So I want to build our country. Our country's been decimated. We have spent so much money in the Middle East and other places. We -- our roads are falling apart, our bridges are falling apart. Everything's falling apart. We have to rebuild our country.
Scott Pelley: This sounds great. How are you going to pay for it?Donald Trump: We're going to absolutely be able to pay for it. My economy will expand so rapidly -- we're going to take jobs back from other countries. And we will be able to pay for it.
Right after this part, Trump reiterates that he's serious about deporting all illegal immigrants in the U.S. Then he reminds us about the wall he's going to build:
We're going to build a wall and we're going to create a border. It's going to be a great wall and it's not going to be very expensive. And it's going to be peanuts compared to the kind of numbers, you know?
Let's turn to the campaign against the Islamic State. Pelley asks Trump how he'd end the war.
I would end ISIS forcefully. I think ISIS, what they did, was unbelievable what they did with James Foley and with the cutting off of heads of everybody, I mean these people are totally a disaster. Now, let me just say this, ISIS in Syria, Assad in Syria, Assad and ISIS are mortal enemies. We go in to fight ISIS. Why aren't we letting ISIS go and fight Assad and then we pick up the remnants? Why are we doing this? We're fighting ISIS and Assad has to be saying to himself, "They have the nicest or dumbest people that I've ever imagined."
Then Trump tells us he'd have boots on the ground.
Taking a closer look at Trump's vanity, Pelley mentions that all of the magazines on Trump's office desk happen to be magazines that have the Donald on the cover. And, Pelley goes on to tell him that "All the pictures on the wall are pictures of you."
There's more from the exchange that could be discussed, though it may be better if readers explore for themselves. Initially, I just read the transcript because I thought that would be easier to digest. After reading it, I decided to take the plunge and see for myself. Watching it makes Donald Trump seem even more ridiculous than he already is.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wasn't fit to run, yet it's hard to believe that he's already out of the race and Trump still sits atop the polls. As a practical matter, a belligerent loudmouth who oozes with narcissism is unlikely to make a great president or even a decent one. Do people sincerely believe that Trump's antics would work in the White House?
"The Trump hangover" is something that seems to become more ominous the closer we get to primary season. Trump cancer seems more appropriate. I can't believe I find myself in agreement with former governnor Rick Perry on this one, yet that's how out of hand things have gotten.
Hangover?
If only it were that simple.
We're way beyond hangovers now.