TRUMP THE FIDDLER

The famous quote, “Nero fiddled, while Rome burned,” applies to President Trump so well that he should be wearing matching coats with Melania — the one that reads, “I really don’t care, do you?” You know, the one that she so proudly displayed at the immigrant detention camp, where Trump ordered the separation of refugee children and babies from their parents, and then deported the parents, never to be reunited again.

While this nation is now experiencing the worst COVID-19 outbreak since it arrived at our shores, along with the unprecedented related economic devastation and personal suffering, where has Trump been? He’s been playing golf almost every day for the past month — that is, when he is not plotting to overturn a landslide defeat and subverting democracy in reportedly the most fair and secure election in history; or pardoning war criminals and his cronies for their silence; or executing as many federal prisoners as possible before he leaves; or ruminating about instituting marshal law or a military coup if all other non-military coup options fail.

The main reason he fears leaving office, besides an admission of failure, is because he knows that he, his older children and his companies will face many well-founded investigations, prosecutions and probable convictions on numerous fraud charges committed both before and during his presidential tenure.

At least a gleeful Nero wasn’t guilty of actually starting the fire, unlike Trump, who is intent on burning down our democracy and our country on his way out the door. — Richard Thesken, Bakersfield