The Palm Beach Post

Sore Loser Stewie and his MAGA likeness

- Your Turn Mike Vogel Guest columnist

Whenever my cousin Stewart was about to lose a game, he would cheat, change the rules or turn the board over. As I passed “Go” in Monopoly, no $200 payment for me — because I tossed the dice left-handed. Reach 15 and beat him in a game of “horse” in basketball? Nope, you have to get to 21. Did Stewart say 21? He meant 25.

You get the idea. Stewart (or as he came to be known in the family, “Sore Loser Stewie”) wore us down with three basic tactics: lie, prolong the game and go on the offensive. My cousin was raised in Jamaica, Queens, as was Donald Trump. Could it be that Stewie studied at Trump’s feet?

The thought crossed my mind as Trump continues to ignore scores of court rulings, including those presided over by judges he appointed, saying that he lost the 2020 election. Meanwhile the justices on what Trump calls “my Supreme Court” have just agreed to review his absurd claim that he is immune from prosecutio­n, helping him further delay the trial date of his election interferen­ce case.

Despite overwhelmi­ng evidence to the contrary, Trump persists in stirring up fury among the MAGA mob that the election was indeed stolen from him. The tired “I didn’t lose — he lost!” whining is all too familiar.

Meanwhile, a joint committee of Republican­s and Democrats recently worked for months to pound out a strong, all-encompassi­ng border security bill that would also provide vital funding to Ukraine.

As they were inches from the goal line, an angry Trump stepped in, attacked the bipartisan bill as “flawed” and angrily pressured Republican­s to vote against it. The cowed politician­s backed off, and now the agreement is being studied and restructur­ed to death. Perhaps they can stall the process until close to the November election, as illegals and fentanyl keep pouring over the border, and Russia continues to decimate a desperate Ukraine.

The former GOP congressma­n and current host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” exploded at Trump. ”We had a solution at the southern border,” he fumed. “You said no, keep the fentanyl flooding in for another year. Keep the immigrants flooding in, keep the humanitari­an crisis growing and making the lives of people who live on the border a living hell,” Joe Scarboroug­h said.

“This bill focuses on getting us to zero illegal crossings a day,” added Senator James Lankford (R-Okla) who worked on the package. “There is no amnesty. It increases the number of Border Control agents, asylum officers and detention beds so we can quickly detain and then deport individual­s.”

Isn’t this what Trump said he wanted? Sorry senator, too early! If the problem is dealt with now, it would rob Trump of a crucial talking point later this year. Doesn’t Lankford get it? And don’t forget, Trump reminded Lankford and other politician­s, the first thing he’s going to do after being reelected is hunt down “traitors”!

So which is it, America first or Trump first? The answer seems pretty obvious.

Sore loser Stewie similarly believed everyone was out to betray him. As Stewie grew into adulthood, he became a major con artist. He was eventually arrested for tax fraud and went to jail. Stewie never quite comprehend­ed that the rules and laws we all must follow applied to him as well. In the end, he stamped his feet, stalled and screamed “I’m being framed!”, insisting that this was a huge plot against him.

But it didn’t work this time. Maybe it’s because he was guilty as hell, and only had himself to blame. Or maybe Stewie should have aimed higher and run for president?

Mike Vogel is a resident of Boynton Beach.

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