This just keeps getting uglier for Donald Trump
Disparaging other people’s wives is one of the many twisted arrows in Donald Trump’s pathetic quiver. We are all old enough to remember when Trump threatened to “expose” rival Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, while campaigning in 2016. An anti-Trump PAC that was unaffiliated with Cruz included a nude photo of Melania from her days as a model in an ad. An angry Trump threatened Cruz on Twitter, warning: “Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!”
Now, Ron DeSantis is the one Trump needs to worry about if he wants to be the Republican nominee in the 2024 election. Anticipating DeSantis’ reelection victory and all the attention, Trump lashed out with an odd threat while invoking DeSantis’ wife, Casey, just before the election. Trump promised The Wall Street Journal, “I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”
Not only did DeSantis bask in the spotlight as a triumphant Republican hero on Election Day, but Trump grabbed headlines as the loser whose colossally poor judgment served as a dam to block the feared red wave. Then, in a weird twist, Trump proceeded to turn on yet another politician’s wife: his own.
The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman tweeted on Wednesday that a “furious” Trump blamed Melania for advising him to support Mehmet Oz for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. According to people close to Trump, the ogre described it as “not her best decision.” As Haberman quickly pointed out, Trump is a “grown man” who endorsed Oz over his close advisers’ objections and noted that he went even further by attacking Oz’s GOP rival, Dave McCormick, at a rally.
After Trump rushed to blame his wife for his decision, the story grew even weirder as Trump’s inner circle no doubt realized it was time for a “Cleanup on Aisle 45.” In a surreal move, Trump posted on Truth Circle that he would like to “apologize” to Melania (along with Sean Hannity) “for all of the Fake News and fictional stories (made up out of thin air, with no sources despite them claiming there are!), being dumped on you by reporters and ‘News’ Organizations who know these stories are not true.”
Clearly, Trump is short-circuiting. As the walls close in and Trump’s snake oil reserves are nearly depleted, the twice-impeached has-been is spiraling out of control. Trump now lives in growing legal and political hot water as he clings to relevancy. This finally feels like the beginning of the end.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month