Stupidity manifests as mindlessly repeating actions which previously yielded negative results. Because they know nothing else, Trump’s deranged opposition continues digging ever deeper holes. Nothing was learned from the Bragg arrest. All Bragg accomplished was to increase Trump’s poll numbers and eliminate the remainder of the GOP primary field. His primary opponents are so innocuous to the Deep State they can’t even get arrested! They stand mute while Trump’s persecutors trash the rule of law. If they protest, they essentially support Trump. If they remain silent, they countenance tyranny. All but Vivek Ramaswamy selected the latter. Their silence reduces them to mice. Nikki Haley went so far as to pile on. The perpetual Trump persecution is a convenient litmus test for where candidates’ and officials’ true allegiances lie. When a Democrat protests Trump’s arrest while the Senate GOP caucus largely sits silent, loyalties are revealed. The 2024 GOP primary ended on April 3, 2023 when Bragg issued his indictment.

Each Trump arrest reminds us that his GOP primary opponents are insiders, posing no threat to the establishment. His two impeachments, half of the four in American history, are badges of honor. Where are his impeachers today? Caesar’s assassins fled the Senate in fear his supporters would exact retribution. Caesar’s assassination, like Trump’s indictments and impeachments, illustrated weakness and fear on the part of the attackers. Did Clinton’s impeachment harm his brand? In the context of his first impeachment, Trump tweeted Emerson’s advice to coup plotters: “When you strike at a king, you must kill him.” Trump’s persecutors flunked Political Intrigue 101.

Don’t believe the Miami indictment is a magic bullet. Robert Barnes, an actual federal litigator and Trump legal advisor, grasps the vapidity of the Miami indictment. Alan Dershowitz considers prosecutors to have an uphill battle. Is anyone at the DoJ aware the Supreme Court ultimately adjudicates these matters? If the Miami indictment is airtight, would there be a need for Bill Barr to assure us of this?

Did anyone doubt the Miami arrest would result in yet another boost for Trump? Or that a D.C. arrest will yield the same result? Or a Georgia arrest? Would a conviction do anything but propel Trump’s numbers higher? Don’t be surprised to soon read a tabloid headline: “Trump Arrested. Film at 11:00.” Turning Trump into a martyr was a colossal error born of desperation. Meanwhile, the Wharton graduate is merchandising t-shirts and coffee mugs with his fake mugshot. Never let an arrest go to waste. Trump was elected in 2016 on a shoestring campaign budget, thanks to his skill in leveraging free publicity. Did any of Trump’s persecutors catch his CNN New Hampshire town hall? The one CNN producers shut down early to staunch the bleeding from the beating Trump inflicted? Trump scored a primetime infomercial for free, further diminishing his primary opponents. He should have been arrested for his hit and run on CNN’s moderator. Trump erred in not negotiating a pay-per-view deal.

This week marks eight years since Trump glided down the escalator. A hired audience with signs and t-shirts was present for that announcement. Today, crowds gather in front of the Trump Tower to show their support. Much has changed in eight years, but not the acumen of his opposition. For four years we tired of winning. Ever since we have grown weary of losing. Voters grasp this simple calculus. What we are witnessing from his opposition are early signs of desperation, from opponents in both parties. As November, 2024 approaches, this desperation will evolve toward panic. The current madness previews coming attractions.

When Trump took office, North Korea was the primary global concern. He immediately resolved that issue. Ukraine now lies in ruins, the Taliban is armed and reinvigorated, the War Lobby edges us dangerously close to nuclear conflict, the Saudis have aligned with China, the dollar is on the precipice of being dethroned, the administration is planning to evacuate Americans from Taiwan, and Europe’s gas supply has been cut. Domestically, interest rates have soared, bank failures are developing, illegals and fentanyl are flooding in, and sanctuary jurisdictions are exporting their illegal immigrant problems to other locations. Surveying this chaos suggests a powerful scenario for Trump’s electoral success.

History follows a script and can only modestly be steered. Those attempting to prematurely direct the historical flow are thwarted. Trump 2016 was the leader the times demanded, while simultaneously having arrived too early. Conditions needed to degenerate further to pave the way for his comeback. This deterioration has now occurred and will only increase in coming months.

Something else is occurring, appreciated by too few. The political pendulum is slowly swinging back toward the center. A revolt is forming against the woke agenda and its many facets. These facets include gender, climate, crime, immigration, COVID, attacks on farming, ESG, DEI, etc. The corporate carnage is metastasizing: Fox, CNN, Anheuser Busch, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc., all in freefall (or bankrupt) for promoting a woke agenda. Traditional media is toast. Those failing to recognize this turning are oblivious. The craving for a return to normalcy becomes overwhelming -- a longing for truth and escape from the woke fantasyland. The 2024 election has been reduced to a contest between truth and lies. Lies are a tough sell. Especially once we awaken to having been lied to.

Trump 2016 prevailed by exploiting pushback against the globalist agenda, including confronting China. Trump 2024 enjoys far stronger tailwinds. He possesses a record of success -- the promised winning, and traverses a landscape littered with political, global and economic chaos. Far greater chaos than in 2016. Voters despise chaos. Especially intentional chaos. Trump’s opposition will rain down havoc before next November, backfiring further. Trump resides rent-free in the heads of his opponents, perpetually generating unforced errors. Impeachments and indictments are hallmarks of rabid dogs nipping at the heels of a runner they cannot catch.

Image: Marc Nozell