Playing with Matches in a Fireworks Factory

As Donald Trump's election becomes increasingly unlikely, he has been sounding increasingly desperate. His speeches are more addled. His actions are more bizarre. The garbage spewing from his mouth is more incendiary.

During the GOP primaries, Trump unveiled his strategy of calling his opponents grade-school playground names. "Little" Marco, "Lyin'" Ted, and "Low Energy" Jeb can attest to that. Trump's childish name-calling continues in the general election. Starting with lame names such as "Crooked" Hillary, Trump has become increasingly over-the-top as it is becomes clear how far behind he is trailing.

Some of Trump's name-calling is simply silly. For example, he has called Hillary a "marshmallow", a "low energy napper", and a "world class liar". Sounding less mature than a second-grader, he called his opponent Hillary "Rotten" Clinton. However, many of his more recent names are aimed at dehumanizing Hillary. They are designed to strongly demonize his opponent, making her seem somehow worthy of hatred and scorn.

In a reflection of Trump's own shortcomings, Trump has called Hillary "incompetent", a "disaster", and a "nasty and mean enabler". In an audacious pot-meet kettle moment on Wednesday, he actually called Hillary a "bigot".

Many Trumpian names for his opponent are really over the top and could incite some of his most rabid and unstable followers into actions that go beyond simply exercising their vote. In Cinncinati, Trump killed a mosquito, then proceeded to compare Hillary to that dead mosquito. He has called her "the Devil". He has called her "evil". He has said that she is a "monster". He has repeatedly implied that she is a Muslim terrorist, calling her the "co-founder of ISIS".

Trump's rallies have become hate-Hillary fests. The uniform of choice is a "Hillary for Prison" t-shirt. Trump's stream-of-consciousness speeches are often interrupted with chants of "Lock her up!". These rallies are aimed at dehumanizing the Democratic candidate and whipping the Trump faithful into a frenzy of hostility.

And Trump keeps spouting-off about how the system is rigged. How "Crooked" Hillary is going to steal the election from him through widespread voter fraud. How "certain areas" of Pennsylvania are rife with cheating, and will lead to his defeat. When Trump finally loses the election, he will find great comfort in this fantasy that he is not a choker. He will convince himself that the presidency should rightfully be his. The problem is, some of his most addled followers will also believe this, thinking that Hillary Clinton is somehow not the legitimate President. It is difficult to fathom what actions some of these crazies will take.

If Trump worries that the most violent of his followers will not get his message, he spelled it out for them at a recent rally. He suggested political violence against either a President Clinton or Supreme Court justices, saying "By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know." Although he later backpedaled on his dangerous and ill-considered statement, the most diehard Trumpbots heard him loud and clear.

If there was any doubt, a New Hampshire politician who advises Trump and sometimes travels with him to campaign events stated on radio that Clinton "should be put in the firing line and shot for treason."

If you think that Trump's followers will all just laugh off his agitation to violence, I encourage you to stand outside of one of his rallies. Some of these folks are downright insane. While most of his disciples would never consider acting on their rage, a small subset would have no such restraint. It only takes a few well-armed Trump-inspired nut-jobs to cause major damage to our country.

Donald Trump has dehumanized his opponent by calling her a "monster", "the Devil", "evil", and the "co-founder of ISIS". He has implied that, if (when) he loses, it will be because the election was stolen. He has gone so far as to suggest armed violence against a legitimately-elected president. This kind of rhetoric is akin to playing with matches in a fireworks factory. Someone this reckless has no business being anywhere close to the White House. 
                                              by Paul C. Adair