National security analyst David Rothkopf tells the Daily Beast that President Donald Trump is a decaying husk of a man these days, but his gooey meat is delicious to the right kind of vulture.
“We are watching the president ripen and rot before our very eyes,” said Rothkopf. “If he were a banana, he’d be in the trash right now — or, at best, on his way into a recipe for banana bread.
From swollen ankles and bruised hands, we’ve watched this deterioration progress with each passing day. This week saw a progression of bruises up his arms. He is barely able to stay awake at virtually any public function he attends. His behavior is erratic. His already limited vocabulary is increasingly beyond his recall. He needs to be propped up when he walks any distance at all. According to reports, he emits strange odors.”
“It’s not pretty,” Rothkopf adds. And given Trump’s power and responsibilities, this brand of high-speed decay should be a source of alarm and action. It’s not enough for Trump’s handlers to simply restrict his schedule.
“There are reasons why the White House promotes the myth that flaccid, slumped, shuffling, mentally crumbling Donald Trump is healthy and capable enough to be president. They all tie to the fact that Trump is not the only person who stands to benefit from his being president,” Rothkopf said. “His family profits from it. His senior staff has influence and even power they would never otherwise have.”
In his addled state, Rothkopf said Trump is a “cash cow” for his own corrupt enterprises as well as a “meal ticket” for a slew of carrion eaters.
“That is why it is likely that, even as he continues his slow, sad collapse, it will be covered up and lied about, possibly long after he is effectively non compos mentis.
Rothkopf said this has happened before. James A. Garfield spent weeks between being shot and dying, with the nation led by an informal committee while his wife Lucretia pumped out lies about how well he was doing. Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland both concealed serious illnesses that their administrations denied. Woodrow Wilson suffered a massive stroke, which his doctor covered up with claims of “digestive upset” or “exhaustion.” Franklin Roosevelt suffered a serious case of cardiovascular collapse that made him malfunctional for more than a year before his death. Again, a committee stepped in to fill the void. His vice president, Truman, wasn’t even told.
“In many of these cases, … power [often] flowed to those with proximity to the stricken leader — not necessarily to those who were in any legal line of succession,” argued Rothkopf. “… On multiple occasions have presidents become incapacitated or weakened, with their conditions hidden and their responsibilities and prerogatives farmed out to or seized by close associates. … I spoke with numerous government officials who, in past decades and administrations, have been in the room when these decisions and power plays have been made.”
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, or Trump’s sons, or other power-hungry Trump inner circle scavenger could make up the difference when Trump goes completely stupid, said Rothkopf. And, in so doing, benefit themselves.
“What we see happening in and around Trump right now suggests it may already have begun,” Rothkopf said. “Trump can’t keep a thought in his head for five minutes straight. He barely understands the key decisions he makes. Who is currently saying, ‘I’ve got this, boss? Trust me.’”
“Are you comfortable with the prospect of Shadow President Stephen Miller? It’s something we all might want to consider sooner rather than later,” Rothkopf said.
