At the June 21 January, 6 Select Committee hearings were three profiles in character, as well as profiles in courage. At their own physical risk and in the face of violent or powerful pressure, they did not buckle under Donald Trump's attempt to get them to lie and cheat about the outcome of the November 2020 elections. Some suffered personally from threats of violence and fear for their lives or loss of any political future.. The contrast of their character with Trump's actions and words defined the meaning of the opposite of character: "transactional". That reminded me of a conversation I had with a business friend who had supported Trump in November. Well before January 2021 and shortly after the November 2020 elections, he justified his support of Trump with, "well, I knew he was an a.........hole, but I liked his tax policy".. Character did not trump Trump, in his mind. What we know from the hearings on June 21 is that others came to different conclusions than he did. . In Georgia, the down-ballot Republicans got 30 thousand more votes than the head of the ticket, Donald Trump. There were those in Georgia who could not bring themselves to vote for Trump the person and left unchecked that presidential line in the ballot, yet supported those in their party who were not him.
It was not that we were warned about Trump being a "transactional " personality, or what got his priority was the best deal he could get. After all, he was the art in "The Art of the Deal". We took it to mean that he was a hard-nosed businessman so he could get the best deal for America in trade with China. Being transactional, a tough negotiator was seen as an asset. What is emerging is that morals, honesty, good data, religious belief, and reason were secondary or not important to winning the "deal" in politics, as well. What has become obvious from the June 21 January 6 hearing, is that "transactional" regarding Trump meant he was devoid of adhering to any moral or ethical standard or what we call " character'. The "art of the deal" meant to him he could and did use every tool, even threats to a person's future or personal safety, without conscience because by being transactional, he had no conscience or moral concerns or behavior constraints or a higher belief system to which he had to bow.. The means justified the end, and the methods he used were anything he could get away with. These means, including threats to a life or jail time or a threat of supporting primary opponents or terrorizing and harassment, lies, or willful ignorance of facts, were just tools in the toolbox to get the deal that benefitted his own status, position, and power. Oaths mean nothing. He just ignored the reasons those who refused to go along with his scheme on the basis they had taken an oath to support the Constitution or their state laws or their belief in God.. when they were sworn into office. They were just words to be glossed over. : Laws and the Constitution were only a challenge to get around or ignore. Loyalty to him the person was absolute; including demanding that those who feared him or wanted his support for their own purposes be willing to break the law or even go to jail. (He did and said publicly he would reward those who stayed loyal through such a consequence of breaking the law with a presidential pardon..as he did with Paul Manafort, and did not do with Michael Cohen) Using violence and terror tactics have always been considered legitimate tools in his history in politics. In addition to his role and actions revealed in the hearing, it should have been of no surprise, given his political history., What is also clear from the actions of Trump and his most loyal co-conspirators and " yes" person allies that a great deal was extended to them regardless of the personal suffering or diminution of power he inflicted on them. The personal pain his actions caused was of no concern. Failures were losers. Losers were of no use to him. and were left to save themselves in spite of a record of past absolute loyalty to him. Trump's own words are sparking speculation that John Eastman, the architect of the fake elector plot legal theory, will become the Trump scapegoat. The plot failed. What is also clear is that the winners of his deal were not always the same as the majority viewpoint of those he governed. . The deal winner was him and those who also benefitted so long as those who benefitted from his policies, forgave his behavior because they liked his policies more, and voted for him in large enough numbers that were sufficient to keep him in power.
Trump ready to throw John Eastman under the bus, claims he "barely" knows him: report | Salon.com
) thinker: With transactional thinking, you interact with people solely on the basis of what you can accomplish, completely ignoring them and their goals and needs. Your thought becomes one of “How can I take advantage of this?” one What Is A Transactional Personality? (readersfact.com)
Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’ - The Atlantic
Trump Threatens Rusty Bowers With Audio Tape: He Said 'Election Was Rigged' (newsweek.com)
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