Trump on Electoral Trial: America’s Date with Destiny or the Return of Chaos?

Ah, well, let's get right to it, shall we? In the realm of domestic violence and coercive control, we’ve long understood that the family—the inner circle, the people who’ve actually lived with these ghastly characters—are infinitely better acquainted with the grim realities than any army of psychologists, lawyers, or gavel-wielding judges. Those poor souls who’ve grown up under the shadow of a malignant narcissist know precisely what they’re dealing with, and their lived experiences are a veritable goldmine of insight.

Now, Mary Trump, psychologist and, of course, niece to the man in question, has been busily documenting the rather grotesque legacy of her uncle, Donald. She’s been cataloguing his rampant lies, his manipulation, his shockingly casual racism, and a rather spectacular array of criminal behaviours. In one of her latest updates, Mary throws down the gauntlet, painting a vivid picture of how her uncle’s mendacious ways have slithered through the cracks of media scrutiny for decades:

“Over time, we learned that, as far as the corporate media were concerned, all of that—the mendacity and the bigotry—was baked in. Eventually, the list of egregious things we were supposed to ignore grew to include Donald’s two impeachments, the big lie, an attempted insurrection against his own government, the theft of highly sensitive government documents, 93 indictments in four jurisdictions, being found liable for sexual assault and defamation, being found guilty of 34 felonies, his cruelty, his viciousness, his fascism, and stochastic terrorism... I could go on, but you get the idea.

It seemed unthinkable, but it was as if Donald had committed so many horrors that, instead of their being additive (which is generally how these things work), each new transgression replaced the one that came before, somehow cancelling it out.”

And so, my friends, America approaches a moment of supreme and spine-tingling significance. November 5—the day when the great people of the United States will decide whether to cancel Donald Trump from the political stage once and for all, or, rather more alarmingly, whether to give a convicted felon the keys to the kingdom once more. The courts, meanwhile, will be sharpening their legal claws, ready to pounce as they would on any other citizen found guilty of such astonishingly prolific criminal activity.

Here in the United Kingdom, we watch with a mix of horror and fascination, much like those who work in women's shelters watching the trial of a known domestic abuser. They know—oh, they know—that if he's released back into society, havoc will surely ensue. More coercion, more control, and an inevitable, relentless thirst for revenge. And so, we ask ourselves, if Donald Trump were to regain power, what on earth might follow? A revenge tour? Well, that might just be the opening act.