How this really ends for Donald Trump
Presidents of the United States are human beings, and so it is not uncommon to see one cry every once in a while. A recent example is President Obama getting tearful when speaking about the children who died at Sandy Hook. It also seems reasonable to assume that Presidents sometimes cry when the cameras are not on, for a host of reasons. When writing Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush, author Robert Draper asked Bush in 2007 if he is a crier. Bush replied, “I do a lot of crying in this job. I’ll bet I’ve shed more tears than you can count, as president. I’ll shed some tomorrow.”
Unlike our last Republican President, Trump cannot even admit that he cries. In January 2016, David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network asked candidate Trump a simple question: “Have you cried before? Has that been something that you’ve done in your life?” Brody was doing more than inquire about an activity. He was essentially asking Trump to confirm that he is human. Normally, politicians welcome such opportunities to show their human side because it is an effective way to connect with people who are trying to decide which candidate to support in an upcoming election.
Not Trump. An admission of crying to him would mean revealing he is a mere mortal. Plus, Trump no doubt equates crying with weakness and fears that going on record to say he has cried even once will poke holes in his tough-guy persona. So, Trump answered Brody as if he asked him if he cries a lot, avoiding confirming that he cries at all: “No, I’m not a big crier. I like to get things done. I’m not a big crier. I’m not someone who goes around crying a lot. But I know people like that. I know plenty of people that cry. They’re very good people. But I have not been a big crier.”
We have not seen Trump cry in office, whether it’s over the plight of asylum-seekers, victims of gun violence, or service members making the ultimate sacrifice while defending our country and ideals. We also can’t know for sure if Trump ever cries in private. But Michael Wolff, author of the newly released Siege: Trump Under Fire, believes it is only a matter of time until America sees Trump cry. On Tuesday night, Wolff told CNN’s John Berman, “We let it seem that Donald Trump is this dominant personality. I think this is the story of a meltdown, one of the greatest political meltdowns of all time.” When Berman followed up with, “Where do you think it ends?” Wolff revealed his prediction, which he claims to share with former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon: “In tears… Donald Trump’s tears.” If this prediction comes true, the other major headline will be about the tears of joy flowing down the cheeks of so many Americans, from sea to shining sea.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month