On a bleak first day of the new year, with all of the stores closed along with the government, President Trump spent the day dreaming up things he could tweet as part of his ongoing barrage of propaganda designed to convince a skeptical public that he is not the most incompetent and corrupt president in U.S. history.
With the holiday and the government shutdown leaving Trump with a minimum of staff to monitor his Twitter jones, you can be assured that it was the president himself and not some White House communications department flunky tweeting on his behalf. The third grade-level language he used made that abundantly clear as well.
Early in the day, he sent a congratulatory message to the newly inaugurated President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who used Trump’s own playbook to engineer a right-wing takeover of South America’s largest nation leading to fears of a return to the horrors of the days of Brazil’s military dictatorship.
Congratulations to President @JairBolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech – the U.S.A. is with you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019
Later on, he sent a couple of tweets attempting to make the case that only through his strong and bountiful leadership does America now enjoy the benefit of lower gasoline prices. His first tweet was so simplistic in its language and obvious in its commentary that one would think that he was addressing an audience of the learning disabled.
Gas prices are low and expected to go down this year. This would be good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019
The responses he received in the comments to the product of his deep analysis of the energy economy showed that his attempts at soliciting admiration for his keen executive mind were less than successful.
You are low and expected to go down this year. This would be good!
— GMcKeown (@GerMcK1976) January 1, 2019
So is the stock market….
— Dan Fredericks (@xFreddyi) January 1, 2019
You going to prison would be even better.
— cbmt (@LucyLucy1111) January 1, 2019
Your approval ratings are low as well, resigning would be great!
— Dirk (@deepseadinko) January 1, 2019
And for your next amazing feat, the sun will set and night will come. You do know none of these things have anything to do with you right?
— RENE J (@rjdv27) January 1, 2019
It’s also a leading indicator of a slowdown in global economic growth. 4% sustained growth is a myth.
— JAnnarelli (@annarelli_j) January 1, 2019
Unfortunately though, food prices and healthcare have gone up, and a lot of us will be paying taxes when we file for this last year due to your changes. Nothing here to see but losing.
— Cindy (@Glambert3599) January 1, 2019
Why because you sold out Khashoggi to MBS or us it because you keep trying to make Putin great again?
— Sean Fahey (@sfahey_imp) January 1, 2019
Realizing that the public was just not making the connection between his glorious leadership and the lower prices at the Trump pump, the president tried again.
This time he tried a more explicit explanation of the connection between the cheaper gas and his magnificent sovereignty over the soaring economy, comparing the drop in fuel prices to another tax cut, one unlike the one Republicans passed last year that primarily benefited the ultra-wealthy and corporations.
Do you think it’s just luck that gas prices are so low, and falling? Low gas prices are like another Tax Cut!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019
Apparently the majority of people who saw this tweet have yet to see the benefits of that billionaire boondoggle of a gift to GOP donors trickle down to them since the responses to it were equally savage.
And tariffs are like a tax hike. And rising interest rates are like a tax hike. And a falling stock market is like a tax hike. And eliminated regulations create health care costs and damage to the environment that are like a tax hike. And…well, you won't understand.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 1, 2019
Every time I think you couldn't possibly be dumber, you tweet something like this. Will you take credit for the rise in gas prices the next time oil spikes?
— Kurtis Savage (@KurtSavage) January 1, 2019
It's because it's winter, dip-shit. Gas prices are almost always lower in winter. https://t.co/mdqraaSV4u pic.twitter.com/fjnITn0H87
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) January 1, 2019
I suppose you’re going to try and use those savings to pay for the wall too!! LOL!!!
— Dave Caines (@dmtcaines) January 1, 2019
Was it just luck when gas prices were low when Obama was POTUS? pic.twitter.com/R5QWYCAi9Q
— D Villella ❄️ (@dvillella) January 1, 2019
Gas prices are down because crude oil prices are down because the market forsees a lack of demand during the recession that your economic policies are going to cause. It is luck, just not the good kind.
— Martin L Anderson (@MartinLAnderso2) January 1, 2019
Traders are selling off oil because the oversupply today will become a tsunami of oil supply when the expected recession starts. If you think the US budget deficit is bad now……..
— BruceM (@BruceMurdoch7) January 1, 2019
So I saved a whopping 2 dollars this week. And corporate America got billions in payoffs that they did not pass on to their workers or the economy. Get Stuffed.
— Bob W Garner-just bob (@athikers_bob) January 2, 2019
Khashoggi hush pumping from Saudi Arabia?
— Christopher Campbell (@campbelltalk) January 2, 2019
All of this simply proves that you can lead a Trump to Twitter, but you can’t make him think.
Here’s hoping that in 2019 Twitter’s senior management finally takes its terms of service seriously and closes Trump’s account for spreading hateful and malicious lies and making vicious personal attacks on the character of individuals who oppose his policies. Now that would be something to celebrate even more than any momentary dip in the cost of fossil fuels.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
